English Othello Essay

Ultimately, in this Shakespearian drama, it is the representation of intense human relationship that captivates audiences.

Explore the representation of at least one intense human relationship in 'Othello' evaluating its significance in the play as a whole.

Shakespeare’s plays have often been acclaimed for his representation of the human condition and Othello is no exception. The play focuses on relationships, between lovers, friends, masters and their servants, to captivate the responder and express concerns and ideas of human nature. The intense relationship of Desdemona and Othello is a centrepiece to the play and its destruction throughout the play mirrors the downfall of Othello. It is this relationship that exposes Othello’s weakness and the passionate, intense nature of it is easily manipulated by Iago to become a weapon to be used against the hero and bring about his downfall.

The marriage between Desdemona and Othello is full of controversy. It is through Act 1 Scene 3 that Shakespeare explores the deep love between the pair, so much so that Desdemona is willing to betray her father for Othello. This is the first exploration of the passionate, extreme nature of their relationship, the intense love between Desdemona and Othello proving to be the hero’s fatal flaw which would lead to his eventual downfall. Desdemona’s loyalty to Othello, whilst flawless, is also first called into question in this act, when her father says “She has deceived her father and may thee’, foreshadowing how Iago will turn the nature of the relationship against them both. The drama of the secret marriage between the couple allows for Shakespeare to highlight the passionate nature of Othello, with lines such as “my life upon her faith”, introducing the flawed nature of the main character.

This extreme emotional closeness between Othello and his wife is continued to be publically displayed in Act 2, Scene 1. In the beginning of this act, as the pair celebrates being reunited in Cyprus, the expression of their passion allows for Iago to plot Othello’s downfall. Iago states aside; “O, you are well tuned now, But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music.” It can be seen that this passionate relationship between Othello and Desdemona opens Othello up to be easily exploited, thus exposing his greatest weakness to Iago, creating opportunity for him to destroy the hero.

As the play continues, Iago manipulates both Othello’s passionate nature and the relationship to use against the main character. Having manipulated the innocent actions of Desdemona into something to make Othello jealous, Iago has taken the relationship and turned it into a weapon. He plants the handkerchief that Othello gave Desdemona in Cassio’s bedchamber to make it appear as if Desdemona was not as loyal to Othello as he thought. Through this action, Iago manipulates the intense love Othello has for Desdemona into jealousy and rage, which comes into a public manifestation first with Othello falling into a fit and secondly with Othello striking his wife in public and scorning her. The intense relationship between the two lovers became a weapon for evil and was exploited as Othello’s weakness, creating the climax of the tragedy. 

Despite all this, Desdemona still professes her deep love for Othello. This can be seen as her downfall and the reason why she is killed. She says, in Act 4 Scene 2, to Iago “His unkindness may defeat my life But never taint my love.” This expresses her deep, undying love for Othello, her weakness that creates her to unnatural, extreme loyalty which leads her to follow his commands despite his actions, thus resulting in her death further on in the play. She also expresses this feeling when discussing the nature of fidelity with Emilia, declaring she would never commit adultery, even if it gave her husband the world. Not only is this dramatic irony, that she is so firm in her loyalty even as Othello plots to kill her for alleged infidelity, but it also demonstrates the other side to the passionate relationship, the other half of Othello’s weakness that brings about his downfall.

The final act of the intense, but fatally flawed, relationship of Othello and his wife is the murder of Desdemona. This action not only shows the end of the extreme, passionate relationship, but also is the defining fall from grace of Othello that was brought about through the manipulation of this relationship. Othello continues to be torn between his two intense emotions, his speech swinging between love and the intent to kill. Desdemona continues to deny any form of infidelity, begging for her life in such a manner that only increases the extreme jealousy and rage of Othello, brought about from the extreme love he still feels for his wife. But what is most symbolic of the intense love between the pair is when Desdemona wakes, for a brief moment, and when asked who killed her says “Nobody; I myself” protecting her husband even as he killed her.

The responder watches the development and exploitation of an intensely passionate relationship between Othello and Desdemona. It is highly significant to the play as a whole, as it exposes Othello’s weakness and is manipulated by Iago to bring about the hero’s downfall. The relationship’s end also symbolises Othello’s fall from grace, through the murder of his wife and then his suicide over the guilt for killing an innocent, faithful woman that he loved. Overall, this relationship plays out at the centre of the play, as both a way to develop characters and as a major plot piece and a weapon for Iago.

Comment: Excellent Work! Well structured and clearly and cohesively argued. The only improvement I could suggest would be to put some questions in at relevant points. 15/15


Essay by Torchi.