Preview

Infidelity In Othello

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
898 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Infidelity In Othello
Kara Thompson
Ap Lang
Mr. Wagner
12/20/12
Was the relationship of Desdemona and Othello true love? Throughout the entire, through secrets and lies and murder even until the end one of the biggest questions that arose was the vitality of Othello Desdemona’s love. Although some readers of Othello have argued that Othello and Desdemona’s love was true, a closer examination of the way she shows empathy for him when he tells her stories reveals that he is only in love with the attention she gives him because it alleviates his own personal insecurities.
By examining the abruptness of Othello’s jealousy and judgment of Desdemona’s possible infidelity, it is revealed that he has deeply rooted insecurities. After Iago tells Othello of the possible
…show more content…
Before Cassio was fired Desdemona devoted all of her time to Othello and wanted to be with him constantly, when he was sent to war she even wanted to go with him “So that, dear lords, if I be left behind a moth of peace and he go to the war, the rites for which I love him are bereft me, And I a heavy interim shall support by his dear absence. Let me go with him”. She couldn’t stand to be away from Othello and this made him feel wanted and his insecurities were intern alleviated. This all changed once Cassio lost his job though. Desdemona pledged to get him his job back, “Do not doubt that. Before Emilia here I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee, if I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it to the last article. My lord shall never rest; I’ll watch him tame and talk him out of patience”. This new devotion to Cassio meant that Othello was no longer receiving the same attention and his insecurities were no longer being alleviated. When she was no longer alleviating his insecurities and there was no purpose for her. When he realized this he was overwhelmed with jealousy. He not only wanted to kill Cassio for taking away the one who solved his problems but he wanted to take away her as

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    | Iago ‘only loves’ Desdemona out of revenge and jealously of Othello as he believes he has slept with his wife. The ‘infidelity’ that is occurring behind is back is eating him alive and so he plans to manipulate Othello in beliving Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. ‘Deception’ aids him to accomplish this task…

    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Who Is Roderigo In Act 1

    • 1835 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Othello argues that he did not force Desdemona into marriage but rather married her out of their shared love. The Duke sends for Desdemona to confirm his account, while Othello says she fell in love with him after hearing his life story – a story filled with redemption, adventure, and danger. The Duke sides with Othello, especially after hearing Desdemona confirm Othello’s claims and say she owes the loyalty of marriage to him. Desdemona’s father accepts. The Duke decides to send Othello to Cyprus in light of the impending attack, because of his knowledge of the area.…

    • 1835 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Desdemona after leaving her father to be with Othello and accompanying Othello on his voyage to Cyprus has had a similar motivation throughout the piece. Desdemona has wanted to prove that she is a good wife to Othello. By Act three Scene three Desdemona has noticed something is not quite right with Othello. However, she believes that it is just because of what is happening in Cyprus and because he has just been forced to fire his lieutenant for the time being. Desdemona wants to make Othello happy again and she believes by him making Cassio his lieutenant again he won’t be as stressed. Othello approaches Desdemona several times hinting at the “affair…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What is infidelity? Infidelity is when the spouse is being unfaithful or have sexual relations with another partner. In Act IV, it focuses on the theme of lack of communication. Instead of Othello talking to Cassio and Desdemona, he still listens to Iago's “truths”. In the book of Othello by William Shakespeare, Othello still listens to Iago's lies, loses his temper, and gets physical.…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Iago shows us the power of jealousy and affirms that Othello is abosolutely affected by jealousy…

    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Othello’s path to obsession begins with Iago planting seeds of doubt into his mind, which convinces Othello that Desdemona is being unfaithful. He says to himself, “She is gone. I am abused, and my relief/Must be to loathe her” (3.3.283-84), and later claims that he “will withdraw/To furnish [him] with some swift means of death/For [Desdemona]” (3.3.492-94). These lines reveal that although there has not been any solid proof, Othello’s mind is already constantly occupied by the mere possibility of Desdemona being unfaithful to him. His obsession finally becomes clear when he says “In the due reverence of a sacred vow/I here engage my words,” (3.3.470-71). This line reveals that he is set on getting revenge for being betrayed and thus, has become a goal. It is his goal to get revenge so even when Desdemona after insists that she has done nothing wrong, Othello tells her to “confess thee freely of thy sin” (5.2.61) and that even if she denies it all, it will not change his mind, as he makes clear by telling her “Thou art to die” (5.2.65). Othello’s refusal to listen to Desdemona is what leads to his failure, for it was his goal to kill her no matter what she said and only after she is dead does he learn that she was actually innocent.…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Act IV, scene III of Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia explains reasons for unfaithfulness. Emilia conveys her ideology about infidelity to Desdemona, a character that has not yet been exposed to the idea, through the use of rhetorical strategies such as appeals, imagery and diction to further reinforce her point that infidelity is caused by the husband. There is a plethora of appeals in Emilia’s monologue, many of which involve Emilia’s personal encounters with the idea of unfaithfulness. In Act VI, scene III, Emilia states, “Yes, a dozen, and as many to th' vantage as would store the world they played for. But I do think it is their husbands' faults if wives do fall.”.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Desdemona blames herself for her death to remain faithful and loyal to Othello. Desdemona takes the blame because she wants to protect him from suffering consequences of death. Although Othello has been treating Desdemona poorly, she requests Emilia to give Othello her love because she wants Othello to know how much she loves him. As she was dying, she calls her husband "Kind Lord"(Shakespeare 5.2.139) to Emilia. Desdemona calls Othello kind, as a result of her being a loyal wife. The love of Desdemona is faithful to Othello because she sees Othello for the man he was before his behaviour change. Desdemona also didn't regret meeting Othello. Instead, she admits the fact that she made her husband upset despite her unknowing what she has done…

    • 150 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Amidst the pursuit of an obsession, a person can lose their perception of truth and reality, becoming ignorant and easily persuaded. This fault in character leads a person to the captivating and consuming world of jealously. Shakespeare pursues this idea in his characterization of both Othello and Iago. In the inauguration of the text “Othello”, Othello’s character is conveyed as strong willed and undefeatable, however due to his intense and passionate love for his new wife, Desdemona, Othello’s strength is weakened and he becomes easily persuaded with “honest, honest” Iago’s lies. Due to his obsessive state of mind and the true nature of obsession, Othello’s character becomes weak and malleable, with the assistance of his trusted companion, the deceiving Iago. Othello himself recognizes the jealousy that has arisen and describes it as “ jealousy so strong/ that judgment cannot cure”. This statement highlights Othello’s lose of control over his own perceptions.…

    • 1621 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    It has always been evident that Othello believes that Desdemona is completely faithful; however now that Iago has played with his imagination, Othello has lost his peace of mind. It is simply unimaginable and is essentially “torture” for him. Therefore, his initial reaction was severe and unforgiving, suggesting that Iago prepare for “damnation greater than that.” The diction “damnation” refers to the everlasting punishment that this act would have on Othello. The use of the diction “that” is vague and shows that there is nothing worse for Othello in the world than accusing Desdemona of infidelity. “That” is simple and understated; however very meaningful and significant. Othello suggests to Iago to “make heaven weep” and then “all earth…

    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jealousy in Othello

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Othello's jealousy against Desdemona is perhaps the strongest emotion incurred in the play. The jealousy he experiences turns him insane with rage, and he loses all ability to see reason. The first instance that instills doubt in Othello's mind is Brabantio's warning "Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see:/She has deceived her father, and may thee" (1.3.292-293). This early seed of doubt allows Iago to play on Othello's jealous nature, and concoct a plan to take advantage of Othello. Iago slowly leaks his poison into Othello and soon has the result he desires, Othello is overcome with jealousy. Othello continuously denies his jealousy, but it is apparent that he is losing his mind with the thought of Desdemona's unfaithfulness. He speaks to Iago saying "No Iago;/I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;/And on the proof, there is no more but this,--/Away at once with love or jealousy!" (3.3.189-192) The fact that he believes that his wife is unfaithful with only insinuations put forth by Iago shows the fact that he is prone to jealousy. Soon after, with Iago's "help" he believes to see undeniable proof that Desdemona is unfaithful with the loss of the handkerchief. Othello experiences jealousy so strong that he delves…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Shakespeare ’s play Othello, Iago’s words and actions cause Othello to change and to stop loving Desdemona; as a result, Othello and the people around him plunge into chaos. After much manipulation from Iago, Othello, like a coin, flips sides and hates Desdemona. When Desdemona leaves with Emilia, Othello says that “when I love thee [Desdemona] not, / Chaos is come again” (3.3.91-92). This clearly shows that Othello is in love with Desdemona and has no doubt in her faithfulness. Little does Othello…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Othello got married with Desdemona behind her father, but his love made face Desdemona’s father and take car of her. He truly loved her and trust her as same she loved him, but Iago one of his friend knew Othello’s weak part that was the love for his wife and took advantage of it. Iago was envious of Othello and made him believed that Desdemona was unfear with his other friend, a fact that was false she was in real love with his husband Othello. Iago pretended to be honest with Othello and he said to…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Othello Essay

    • 1073 Words
    • 5 Pages

    From the opening scene of the play, Othello, Iago is driven by envy and the overwhelming need for revenge as a result of being overlooked for a promotion. He deliberately begins to weave his manipulation over Othello for the sole purpose of revenge: “after some time, to abuse Othello’s ear, that he [being Cassio] is too familiar with his wife”. Through the effective utilisation of the technique of a hyperbole and sensory imagery, the responder recognises the severity of the lies that Iago will “pour” into Othello’s ear. As a result of this, the responder is able to comprehend how Iago will go about his exploitation of Othello’s fragile peace of mind with regards to Desdemona’s fidelity. Iago’s horrendous deeds of lying and deliberate deceit ultimately lead to Othello’s and Desdemona’s marriage being filled with conflict which leads to their untimely death. Therefore, relationships are altered as a result of conflict as demonstrated with Desdemona and Othello.…

    • 1073 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Naivety and ignorance is shown constantly by Othello when he foolishly accepts Iago’s ‘proofs’ of Desdemona’s infidelity without question. He is so enraged and jealous at the notion of his wife sleeping with someone else that he looses his sense of judgement and rationality. This could be considered a relatively natural reaction to such a situation, but it ultimately shows a weakness in the human psyche. Again Othello shows poor judgement by not confronting Desdemona about these claims and instead contents himself with Iago’s word. He convinces himself that he is acting in Desdemona’s best interests and wrongfully assumes her to be the “cunning whore of Venice”.…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays