Owned by Marriage

Iago seems to have no concrete reason to sabotage Othello’s marriage. Yes, he gives hints as to why he is plotting against him but they never seem strong enough, “I hate the Moor; / And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets / Was done my office. / I know not if’t be true; / Yet I, for mere suspicion in that kind, / Will do as if for surety” (Act I, Scene III). Considering how coldly Iago acts towards Emilia, I doubt the supposed affair between the two emotionally wounded him. I realize he could feel offended that his wife or property (those words can basically be used interchangeably in the play) was with another man. However, if this was the case then Iago could have found a clever way to kill Othello and Emilia. If he really wanted to have an affair with Desdemona then I would not put it past him to rape her and then have her killed. If he is really that upset about not being lieutenant, as he hints, he could have tried having Cassio killed or treating Othello better than he originally was. He obviously wanted Othello to suffer but he never says why.

I think that Iago’s extreme need to create havoc is driven by his bitterness. Perhaps he is envious of Othello’s success and wants to make the general seem like less of a person. It is possible that he has something against Desdemona and wants her killed. In actuality, I do not believe that whatever reason one can come up with to justify Iago’s actions will ever be enough of an answer. Some people have internalized so much bitterness and anger that all they know how to do with those feelings is spread them. Iago knew very well that he had the power to create a big scandal and he took advantage of that. To me, this is enough to explain why he did what he did. I realize that maybe I should not include a quotation from Batman’s butler but his words are too true to discredit, “Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

Image Sources:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f6/56/10/f656105c726bd961da188fbc458eefd4.jpg (This kid knows what’s up)

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/d0/d05d28f1edd2add898be50121f4a9b30ab1ac0fb746685bf435e586d5a824d0c.jpg (This is what true bitterness is)

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/89/89f787eb3d2f489133faabdff7abbece36d695662019e22d27691fe3dde058bf.jpg (BURN)

homie looked like a motivational religious speaker now he looks like God himself

Othello would not have reacted as negatively to Desdemona’s alleged affair if the man she was supposedly cheating on him was not Cassio. If she had been sleeping with someone less handsome and charming, Othello would not have had enough of a reason to be jealous. Iago says, “Cassio is a proper man: let me see now; / To get his place, and to plume up my will / In double knavery – How, how? – Let’s see: – / After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear / That he is too familiar with his wife. / He hath a person and a smooth dispose / To be suspected, framed to make women false. / The Moor is of a free and open nature / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so; / And will as tenderly be led by th’ nose / as asses are” (Act I, Scene III). Othello may be honorable but at the end of the day, he is still older and not as attractive or flirtatious as Cassio. Not only is Cassio charming but he is lieutenant so one can conclude that he is good at what he does. He could probably provide Desdemona with a more lengthy and satisfying sexual experience than Othello can. Iago could have chosen someone else to involve in the scandal but he needed Cassio because of what an eligible bachelor he is. If Iago told Othello that Desdemona was having an affair with Roderigo for example then Othello would have been more likely to actually ask Desdemona about it. Iago’s choice on what victim to include in his plan and Othello’s reaction to it express how insecure Othello actually is.

The reason I included the Zayn Malik picture in this post is because I think he would make the perfect Cassio. He is sexy and charming young man with an amazingly beautiful voice.

Image Sources:

https://twitter.com/fajlta/status/559915212204425216 (Zayn’s voice is life)

https://i.imgflip.com/ah2hu.jpg (My favorite pick up line)

http://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/2015/01/19/777/n/3019466/91bd3afe_Cheating-Meme.xxxlarge.jpg (I hope my husband would not keep people updated on my affairs)

Desdemona is a likable character because she is sweet and innocent. She is rather pleasant, never doing anything to offend anyone. However, because she seems so innocent, she is almost a boring character that is just used as a tool. She leaves her father, marries Othello, causes him jealousy and then gets killed by him. In terms of individuality, Desdemona herself is not much of a person. When Othello is called to battle, she even says, “A moth of peace, and he go to war, / And I a heavy interim shall support / By his dear absence. Let me go with him” (Act I, Scene III). I appreciate a hopeless romantic but wanting to be with your husband and saying that you are useless without him are two very distinct things.

The only interesting thing about Desdemona is the fact that she betrays her father by marrying Othello. Now, I understand that I am supposed to believe that she and Othello are madly in love but honestly, I do not have much of a reason to believe that. Othello is sweet and Desdemona is loyal to him. Sweetness and loyalty are not the only two components of a happy marriage. I am sweet and loyal to my mother, for example, but I do not want to marry her.

So if powerful love is not the reason Desdemona betrays her father, what is? She tells him she is bound to him for life but that she has to be loyal to Othello now. Basically, she goes from being Brabantio’s property to Othello’s property. Othello is a great man based on his military achievements but based on his reasoning and logic, he is a schmuck. Plus, he is old and Desdemona is not. Out of all my confusion, I have been able to piece together one conclusion: Desdemona cannot actually be as innocent as she seems because an innocent, obedient girl would never dare to disobey her father. Perhaps she was even having an affair with a man that is not Cassio. If she has the nerve to blatantly betray her father, then she has the nerve to betray her husband.

Image Sources: http://thewallmachine.com/files/1337490580.jpg (My dad would not like to hear I am being…….penetrated by a big man either :/)

http://www.capecodprivateinvestigators.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cheating-Spouse.jpg (How cute is this picture?)

One expected reaction to reading Shakespeare’s Othello is to feel very much pity for the general. He was fooled by an evil man who wanted to ruin his life for no apparent reason. He was “forced” to murder the love of his life.

Another expected reaction is to be flabbergasted by Othello’s absolutely ludicrously rash response to Iago’s trickery. If he loves Desdemona so dearly then I do not see why he does not personally ask her if she is having an affair. If he trusted her word when he was being accused of using witchcraft on her then it would only make sense to trust her word now. Othello does not even think to confront Cassio or any other person besides Iago. The only person he directly hurts is his innocent wife. I can think of reasons as to why Othello acts the way he does but I think that would take the magic out of the play. Human beings are irrational. If we were rational then a lot more would make sense and we would never be dumbfounded by our own decisions. That same irrationality is what drives Othello wild. He could have taken a more logical approach to the situation but because he is distraught over Iago’s suspicion, he chooses to ignore any logic and let his irrationality as a human being dictate his decisions.

What I find interesting is that it does not take him a long time to realize that Iago is a villain. All it takes for him to realize the truth is hearing Emilia say she gave Iago the handkerchief, “O thou dull Moor, that handkerchief thou speak’st of / I found by fortune, and did give my husband; for often with a solemn earnestness — / More than indeed belonged to such a trifle — / He begged of me to steal’t” (Act V, Scene II). It is odd that right after strangling his wife to death, his reasoning begins to function again. Really, Othello is a dislikable character.

Image Sources:

http://17rg073sukbm1lmjk9jrehb643.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/othello4.jpg (Aw Othello)

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/52403b09e4b0284d431e4457/t/53037d46e4b0c37a400514f9/1392737607182/ (Accurate summary of the play)

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/60768841.jpg (I wish it was academically acceptable for me to just call Othello stupid and move on with my life)

By the end of the first act of Othello, the love between Othello and Desdemona is proven to be very strong and true. Although I doubt the love they supposedly share, I will admit that Othello is very sweet and romantic. When explaining how he earned Desdemona’s affection, he compared the power of their bond to the power of witchcraft, “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I loved her that she did pity them, / This only is the witchcraft I have used” (Act I, Scene III). How romantic is that? Add that to the idea that older men treat their younger ladies like queens and I cannot say I blame Desdemona for disobeying her father by marrying a black man.

Rama from The Ramayana, like Othello, is described as being a very noble and respectable man. He too cares very deeply for his wife. When Sita is abducted by one of Ravana’s people, Rama is devastated, “Just when one of your clan has taken away the very core of my life, you want to take more? Nothing more is left” (108). He dedicates his life to rescuing Sita. It is a total love story or it at least seems that way at first.

At the beginning of these works of literature, one gets the impression that the story will result in a happily ever after for the happy couples. Yet, both these men end up betraying their wives. Othello literally chokes his wife to death because Iago tells him that Desdemona was being unfaithful. Rama exiles his pregnant wife into the forest because people were judging him for staying with a woman that had spent the night at another man’s place. Honorable Othello and Rama horribly betrayed their extremely loyal wives all because of the words of other people. If they betrayed them because they personally believed their wives were unfit in whatever way then I would not be as confused by their actions. However, I am indeed confused because they based such a big decision off the words of others. Strong-minded people do not base decisions on what another person thinks; they are usually too stubborn for that. They trust their thoughts over the thoughts of others. The actions of Rama and Othello do not make much sense.

Image Sources:

http://www.premahara.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/p-044.jpg (Rama looks oxygen deprived)

http://images.rapgenius.com/161a13d726b3298d24213140d4d34bd3.430x358x1.jpg (Sweet)

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/61472459.jpg (Shaking my head)

Emilia describes Desdemona as “the sweetest innocent / That e’er did lift up eye”(Act V, Scene II). Prior to her murder, Desdemona tells Emilia that she does not think there is any woman in the world that would be unfaithful to her husband. Even after Othello had strangled her, she refuses to say that her husband had killed her. She blames herself, “Nobody — I myself. Farewell. / Commend me to my kind lord” (Act V, Scene II). Her relentless devotion to Othello is astonishing. Although the woman in the painting is being choked by a scary looking man, she stays quiet and still. Desdemona was a submissive and loyal wife to Othello. She never once confronts him on his rude behavior.

In the painting, Othello is remorseless for what he is doing to the silent woman. She is clearly sad but he does not feel anything besides maybe bitterness. His stature and facial expression make him appear powerful and intimidating. He is not depicted as a grieving man forcing himself to punish his sinful wife. He is depicted as a blatant abuser.

Othello, no matter how successful of a general he is, will always be known as the Moor that managed to marry a white woman. Even though he has so much power, Brabantio cannot not bear the thought of his daughter marrying him. Anyone can say whatever they want about the reasoning behind racism and why it exists but at the end of the day, Othello’s skin color simply does not work in his favor. The difference of skin color in the painting has an affect on how it is perceived. The person with the darker skin gives off a frightening vibe whereas the person with the pale skin appears to be innocent. This is obviously not coincidental.

Image Source:

https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/ownedbymarriage/wp-content/blogs.dir/3931/files/2015/05/othelloe.jpg (Kind of a hot picture, no? #kinky)

The 1995 film version of Othello focused much more on Othello’s jealousy rather than making it seem as if Othello’s negative reaction can stem from multiple sources like in the play. Honestly, I think focusing primarily on jealousy makes the story seem like more of an actual love story and not just a tragedy. Romantic jealousy is irrational and painful; Othello portrays that very well. In Act IV, Scene I, Othello falls into a trance but in the movie, his body begins to shake as if he is having a seizure. It left more of an impression on me to see a man shaking with jealousy rather than to read the words, “Falls in a trance” (Act IV). The scene when he begins to drown Iago in the movie was saddening and frightening to watch at the same time. The images he has of Desdemona with Cassio are a visualization of his fear. He never stops loving Desdemona or even thinks any less of her. Her death is simply necessary to him because he thought she was an unapologetic and unfaithful wife; murdering her was his only option. Based on the movie, I can see how this is a love story. Based on the written play, I see the story more as a critique towards Othello’s character. I do not feel the love between him and his wife; I barely believe it exists. Granted, I am not a Shakespeare expert and probably cannot fully appreciate his prose. Therefore, I may not be picking up on Othello’s genuine jealousy in the play. Regardless of my comprehension of either representation of the work, I am more intrigued by the film than the written play.

Image Sources:

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/07/0702f8a7a73560041a023164439df0f1e45ee1fb4737ebc2f3b301c5b1a2323e.jpg (Let anything else flow through you…..like a rebound maybe #justkidding)

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/56/1290/640/othello-iago-2.jpg (Possible thesis statement: Based on his relentless desire to sabotage Othello’s marriage, one can conclude that Iago is thirsty for Othello.)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9W28tDnJ71c/UDbsUNUYOtI/AAAAAAAAAPo/yXRKryFPF0w/s1600/jealousy2.jpg (Poor guy)

When Iago first shares his suspicion of Desdemona’s adultery, Othello rejects it. In Act III, Scene three, on lines 177-192, Othello tells Iago that he does not doubt the sincerity of his relationship with Desdemona. What I find interesting is that Othello does not automatically begin his response by defending Desdemona. Instead, he speaks negatively of getting caught up by jealousy, “Think’st thou I’d make a life of jealousy, / To follow still the changes of the moon / With fresh suspicions?” (Shakespeare, Act III). It is as if he acknowledges that Desdemona may be unfaithful but that it is not something worth getting caught up about. Granted, he does proceed to say good things about his wife. Othello portrays confidence when he tells Iago that Desdemona willingly and knowingly chose to marry him. I still find it weird that he never blatantly tells Iago that his wife would not cheat on him. A woman’s infidelity in the play is seen as a terrible offense so Othello should be insulted that Iago would even suggest that. I am most confused by Othello’s last line in his response to Iago, “Away at once with love and jealousy!” (Act III). Instead of focusing on his wife’s character, he is focusing on the concept of love and the concept of jealousy. He has already established that he does not want to feel jealousy which is understandable because that might just be too painful for him. But if he is as in love with Desdemona as I am supposed to believe, then I do not see why he would want to do away with love. Love is supposed to be what caused and holds together his marriage. It is possible that he has become so jealous at just the thought of Desdemona cheating on him that he already wants to start talking about how bad love is out of bitterness. Regardless of his reasoning, his reaction to Iago’s suspicion is not as strong as it should have been considering his love with Desdemona is supposedly very strong.

Image Sources:

https://mythesmayhemmemes.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/3t918t.jpg (Literal example of warped male logic)

http://assets.diylol.com/hfs/531/6af/e2a/resized/scumbag-stefano-meme-generator-hey-othello-i-heard-your-girl-is-a-total-skank-4cd40f.jpg (Modern Iago)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Othelloiagomovie.jpg (I feel like Iago just wants to slowly lick Othello’s face)