Othello Essay

Passion Pleasure Pain:
A study of passion and reason in Othello

According to Aristotle – a Classical biologist and philosopher – he believed that Catharsis draws out pity and fear in all tragedies. Many of the readers drew themselves to feel clarification, purification, and purgation, which were caused, by passion and reason. His theory plays out in most tragedies especially in Othello. Shakespeare captured many different themes in this play – one of them being passion and reason. The balance of reason against passion caused this theme to centralize the renaissance period defined by ideas. In Othello, the theme of balancing passion and reason is portrayed deeply throughout the play. Shakespeare’s philosophical position in balancing between reason and passion throughout Othello tells the readers that there is an imperfect balance between the two because almost everyone who was rational in the beginning turned out to be irrational and unreasonable. Too much passion can cause one to lose control. The play, gives readers the idea that passion and reason caused many characters to fall into irrationality. Passionate feelings and reasonable thoughts can only lead such characters so far. In this play, readers will find that there are multiple examples of how reason and passion contributes to the moral of the story (should not let one’s feelings get to another person to such an extent that leads them to drastic actions such as plotting against others and killing).

When the word ‘rational’ is brought to one’s attention, many people think of words such as like terms such as ‘logic’ and ‘reason’. Throughout the beginning, readers start to recognize who everyone’s true characters really are. The protagonist, Othello, is recognized in Act I, Scene II. The antagonist, Iago, is recognized in Act I, Scene I. Iago’s first impression is letting the audience know that he is the villain. . “I hate the Moor” (I.III.12). Iago as a person is generally just a coward. He has this attitude because he needs to be able to feel okay about what he is doing in his situation while initiating his plan against Othello. Reason plays a big part in the play and the quotation “I am not what I am” (1.1.66). This observes Iago’s plan perfectly. Some may think that this is completely irrational of Iago. This does indeed cause imagery of a two-faced man because even though he is talking about his plan to get revenge on Othello, he is still going to be “loyal” and “amiable” with him to gain Othello’s respect so that he can win the position of being Othello’s lieutenant. "I follow him to serve my turn upon him" (I.I.42). Some may think that it is completely irrational but Iago was no amateur at his game -- his game being: sneaky and manipulative to those that he thinks deserve it. "Farewell, for I must leave you/ It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place/ To be produced, as if I stay I shall" (1.1.144-146). Iago is trying to convey his "innocence" (he's trying to act innocent even though he is instigating each and every wrong situation). He is trying to explain that if Brabantio sees him, it will not look good if he is with Roderigo, and secondly, if he were called as a witness, it would not look good. If Iago were seen with someone who wants to instigate problems, then everyone would find out that he is up to something. This quotation simply is an excellent example of how Iago thinks with reason and he that he is very intelligent in his revenge. Shakespeare demonstrates his philosophical position balancing the two factors that surround the play through the villain, Iago. Iago is not the only irrational character...

Othello should be characterized as a beastly Moor, but he is actually a very humble and rational character. He is classified to be "Valiant Othello" (I.III.48). The word ‘valiant’ means to be boldly courageous and brave. Othello demonstrates the trait of reason through his amazing ability of self-control. The audience can relate to this because Othello uses rationality and reason throughout the majority of the play. Readers see this through the famous quotation, “"Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them. / Good signior, you shall more command with years / Than with your weapons" (1.2.59-61). Having held up a bright sword is to hold up a sword that implicates that the individual is ready to fight. While Othello tells him to keep up their bright swords, he is basically saying, in sarcasm, which if they hold them up long enough, nothing will happen to them because Othello does not want to fight with them because it does not solve anything. He is very reasonable in this situation because he is showing respect for Brabantio’s age and not his weapons. Although the readers see Othello to be very rational and reasonable, he is not quite as perfect as many seem to think. The balance of passion and reason in the play does not even balance out properly. Either someone has too much reason or too much passion. It will never be the perfect balance. Too much passion took over Roderigo as he continued his obsession for Desdemona even though he knew Her and Othello were madly in love. Roderigo says, “I will incontinently drown myself” (I.III.302). Roderigo is letting over-passionate thinking get the worst of him. It is almost silly to see him drown in his sorrows.

Othello finds himself to let passion take over him later throughout the play. As Iago’s plan starts to unfold, he manipulates everyone along the way. He manipulated Othello into thinking that Desdemona found a new love, Michael Cassio – Othello’s lieutenant. At first, Othello chooses not to believe anything that Iago is saying because he refuses to be jealous. In this he says, “Tis not to make me jealous/ To say my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company/ Is free of speech, sings, plays and dances well” (III.III.185-187). Othello tells Iago that he is definitely not jealous and that he has the greatest woman to be married to. She entertains him and makes him happy, but that was not enough for Iago. Iago needed to plot further. Desdemona’s handkerchief went “missing” and ended up in the hands of Cassio. Othello’s anger towards Desdemona drives him to go mad. He said he would never be jealous, but he was letting his emotions get to him and this was caused by overruled passion. “The Moor already changes with my poison.
Dangerous conceits are, in their natures, poisons” (III.III.326). As his jealousy gets to him even further, it causes him to do something that is all passion’s fault. He cannot stand the fact that a woman had disrespected him, so he smothered his wife in their bed to teach her a lesson. Othello let passion get the best and worst of him. His rationality from the beginning of the play was thrown out of the window when Iago ‘brain-washed’ him. The fact that there is no proper balance between passion and reason simply shows the reversal in the characters. Othello faced recognition and realized what he had done was immature and irrational. Therefore, he commits suicide beside his dead wife.

There are two primary metaphors that are recognized through the study of Shakespeare’s tragedies that deal with the theme: passion and reason. “Virtue! a fig! 'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners: so that if we will plant nettles, or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs, or distract it with many, either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industry, why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills. If the balance of our lives had not one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us to most preposterous conclusions: but we have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts, whereof I take this that you call love to be a sect or scion” (I.III.315-328). It is difficult to understand the meaning of what Iago has said here. He is trying to convey to the audience that everyone has the ability to act the way that they want and that no matter how someone acts, it sets their personality in place. Letting something get in the way of that will only cause more problems and that is why he made such an amazing villain because he was so consistent in his efforts to be sly. The balance between passion and reason simply just does not fit. It causes reason to make one’s sensuality out of check. The balanced scale means that one can’t keep their emotions in proper order. Shakespeare demonstrates a number of themes in this play and passion and reason was one of the themes that failed to balance throughout the play.