Othello

Shakespeare once quoted “Love looks not only with the eyes but with the mind”, which summarises the play Othello, one of his greatest works. The play outlines how Othello saw his love for his pure wife Desdemona, decline rapidly, his mind becoming twisted with false impressions and venomous insinuations from his trusted Ancient. These processes transform his mind, altering his previously   passionate love. This in itself , is the main message brought to light by Othello, as well as the need to protect ones weaknesses as they will always be easily .

The drama revolves around the fatal flaw of jealousy and psychological manipulation , which in effect builds a sense of pity as well as horror, as Iago ensures Othello's downfall. Personally, I believe suspense, excitement and awe are created by this plot, which shows how immoral the human condition can be.

An English scholar, was quoted as saying- “it's as if Iago, merely, so deviously twists a sword in Othello's insecurities, creating a living hell- yet he is not a hero, no near. He doesn't battle valiantly against an evil but merely is used   by it and is emotionally weak.”
Many critics perceive Othello, as the tragic hero, but due to the fact he is highly ignorant to his surroundings, naïve with human interaction and in addition completely irrational I beg to differ. In contrast to the norm, I don't believe that this play highlights good vs evil, mostly due to the fact that Othello isn't heroic, and is easily exploited despite his experience.

My personal response to Othello is moulded by the themes, of a range of human emotions; those of love to hate, suspicion and distrust which in conjunction with Othello's jealousy contribute to create the sense of pity and horror so evident in this play, as a world is gradually divided, carved by the most prominent manipulator in all of Shakespeare's works, Iago. Iago's mere awesomeness, in my opinion is a setting for the play; a setting in which calamity always run...