Human Frailty In Othello Research Paper

Shakespearean dramas are often studies of human frailty. Use Othello to focus a discussion on the extent to which this is true.
“Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we: For such as we are made of, such we be”, here William Shakespeare puts into light the imperfection of humanity, we all have our faults. Shakespeare wrote plays that reflected the society of his era; he explored the extreme possibilities if our human frailty were to take over our better judgement, this is evident in his play Othello. Iago, who is the master manipulator in the play, exploits the weakness and frailty in the characters around him, through his use of the Seven Deadly Sins. These sins were used by the early Christians to educate and instruct believers concerning the human frailty of the tendency to sin. If these sins were committed it created the threat of eternal damnation for the sinner. The reader follows the characters to their tragic end through wrath, pride, envy, lust, sloth,
Iago like the demon Belphegor, seduces people and tempts them by means of laziness, this is prominent in Roderigo who believed that if he kept paying him Iago would deal with Othello and make Desdemona love him. Another is Othello who put blind faith in Iago’s words believing that he is a fellow “of exceeding honesty, and knows all qualities, with a learned spirit of human dealings”, with this false representation Othello did not follow up Iago’s claims. Othello does demand “ocular proof” but all Iago gives him is an image of Desdemona and Cassio together, Othello’s sloth causes him to over look the fact that this is not visible or tangible proof. These characters are so swayed with the promises that Iago offers that they trust him fully to the point where they are willing to put blind faith in him and his actions, Roderigo and Othello’s slothful behaviour was a weakness that Iago was able to take advantage