The Very Best and Very Worst of Human Nature
Othello, you’ve all heard of it. The tragic play created by Shakespeare in the early 17th century that is read and analysed by students around the world, much to their dismay. But there is actually an interesting side to it, one which displays the very best and very worst of human nature. The title character Othello, can represent both the best and worst sides of nature. His leadership and characterisation as a general at the start of the story makes him represent the best of human nature, but he can also represent the negative side of humanity with his easily manipulated mind and impulsive actions. Iago, being the main villain, obviously embodies the worst of humankind, but also the better side of it, displayed by his ingenuity throughout the play.
Although Iago’s motives in the play are malicious, the way he uses small pieces of evidence and many lies to deceive Othello is an exhibition of his great intelligence and ingenuity. Intelligence is one of the main reasons humans have made it this far, and the ‘survival of the fittest’ really shows in Othello. Iago gives solid advice to Othello throughout the play, but twists his words and mannerisms to subtly force Othello into making bad decisions and causing him to take action against the people Iago hates. “And what’s he then that says I play the villain? / When this advice is free I give and honest,” (Iago, Act 2 Scene 3) shows how Iago uses his fake honesty to deceive Othello. He pretends to be a loyal and trustworthy person to get Othello to believe him, but in reality he uses Othello’s love to hurt the others around him. “Virtue? A fig! ’Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus.” (Iago, Act 1 Scene 3). This is one of many quotes that shows Iago trying to convince Othello of his good nature, in this case by telling Othello that humans have the ability to choose who they are. This shows Iago’s intelligence, as he does not need to resort to committing violent acts by himself. Instead, he manipulates others with his mind to achieve his goals.
As strong-willed as the human mind can be, it is also extremely easily manipulated. This is shown in the play with Othello constantly jumping to conclusions when presented with circumstantial evidence by Iago, who takes every opportunity to build up the jealousy in Othello’s mind. “Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmations strong / As proofs of holy writ.” (Iago, Act 3 Scene 4). This quote shows that Iago knows exactly what he is doing, and using tiny pieces of evidence (that might not even be real) to manipulate Othello’s increasingly jealous mind. The evidence Iago presents in the play causes Othello’s mind to wander across to the possibility that his wife might not be faithful. Othello is also very conflicted in his mind, as seen in the quotes “Iago is most honest.” (Othello, Act 2 Scene 3) and “This honest creature doubtless / Sees and knows more, much more than he unfolds.” (Othello, Act 3 Scene 3). The first quote shows the audience that Othello believes that Iago is loyal and telling the truth, even though the audience knows that to not be the case. The second quote is representative of the fact that Othello starts to suspect that Iago is dangerous, but his jealousy blinds him from realising this truth. This shows the very worst of human nature as Othello easily becomes jealous, and is manipulated into killing his wife and himself.
Iago not only represents the best of humanity, but also the worst. His hatred for the others around him is extremely apparent, and his driving force is jealousy. Iago’s jealousy of Cassio’s promotion over him is what leads him to form the plan that eventually leads to the deaths of many. Iago’s evil nature defeats the very foundations of human nature, such as compassion and society. “I hate the Moor.” (Iago, Act 1 Scene 3) is a blunt example of this. His detestation of Othello stems from his racism against Africans, which is unacceptable in modern society. There is a reason for this, society would not function nearly as well as it does if racism such as that was commonplace. Society is also formed on the idea of classes or ranks (which is much more obvious in the military). It is generally accepted that, within the community, you will be in charge of some people (in a managerial role) and be handled by someone with more authority than you. Challenging this authority with violence, as Iago did with Cassio, would lead to a dysfunctional society, as seen in the ending of Othello. “As masterly as he. Mere prattle without practice / Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had th’ election.” (Iago, Act 1 Scene 1). This was Iago speaking about how he despised Cassio, as he got a promotion over him. He also despises Othello, not only because of his race but because he was the one that issued Cassio the promotion. Situations like this are quite common in the modern world, and although it doesn’t usually spark an outrage like Iago’s, it can often lead to a build-up of jealousy.
Othello can also represent the best of human nature, before he is swayed by the jealousy that Iago instils in him. Othello, at the start of the play, is seen as a great army general, and is represented as a great leader. He appointed Michael Cassio as his lieutenant, and although Cassio was a young and inexperienced soldier, it was only Iago that had resentment about this. Iago’s own jealousy of Cassio is partly what made his dislike for Othello greater, which set his plan in motion which led to the killing of many people. The reason that Othello can be seen as representing the best of human nature is that he was looked up to as a leader, something that is an essential quality in human society. The modern day communities of the world could not exist without some form of leadership, as this is the central glue that holds the society together.
Overall, Othello and Iago represent the worst of human nature. They have evil minds and committed shocking atrocities with deception and manipulation at the core of it. Without Cassio’s promotion over Iago, the whole story might not have taken place. Iago and Othello’s main motive was jealousy, which is one of the worst emotions a human can feel. Iago however, also surprisingly represents what can be the best of the human race. Humans have only reached this far by using their brains, and Iago is no different. If only he used his intelligence for something good, rather than different manipulation tactics to trick Othello into carrying out his revenge plan, there could have been a much brighter ending.
Bibliography
Othello: William Shakespeare
Understanding Othello