Great Works I: Remixing Memory

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 in 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.