Who Was Responsible For Othello's Downfall

Othello is a victim who runs ahead of his tempter
Othello is a powerful and thought-provoking play because it demands its audience to contemplate the very nature of humanity. The concept of mankind's inherent evil is explored primarily through the character of Othello. The audience is often left confused as to whether Othello's downfall can be blamed on his character or rather the inescapable evil of man. Of course, in Othello, Iago acts as a catalyst for the disastrous chain of events and can hence be credited with initiating Othello's change in nature.

The main theme of Othello is that of mankind’s intrinsic evil. Shakespeare explores the idea that, despite outside influences, within all people lie unavoidable jealousy, mistrust and cruelty. Shakespeare considers this idea largely through Othello, who is
Early in the play, Othello describes his childhood of military training and experience on the battlefield saying, “little of this great world can I speak more than pertains to feats of broil and battle”. Othello himself acknowledges his naivety when it comes to domestic life because of his harsh upbringing. Othello describes in detail his meetings with “Cannibals that eat each other and the Anthropophagi, men whose heads to grow beneath their shoulders”. Shakespeare uses hyperbole in order to enhance the audience’s understanding of Othello’s brutal past in order to somewhat explain his misunderstanding of his domestic situation and justify his quickness to anger and violence. By exploring Othello’s past in such depth, Shakespeare suggests that Othello has cause to run ahead of his tempter, as he has been raised in a militant manner that encourages and demands distrust and doubt. Shakespeare explains that, to some extent, Othello is a victim of not only humanity’s inescapable capacity for destruction, but also of his own