The Significance of Othello’s Dying Words.
“I pray you, in your letters,/ When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,/ Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,/ Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak/ Of one that loved not wisely but too well” (Othello, 5.2).
These were Othello’s dying words, his final utterances.
It is not until the end of a tragedy that the hero discovers the error of his ways. By which time it is often too late to save himself. The hero is chasing something and ‘in the pursuit of it, he destroys himself and wreaks general havoc’ (Phillips 2011, p. 50). Based on Shakespeare’s original play, the film Othello (Oliver Parker, 1995) takes the audience through a series of events which inevitably lead to the demise of the main protagonist. Othello in his dying soliloquy recognises that it is his pursuit of love that has led to his undoing. But what significance do Othello’s dying words have in the context of the film? By examining Othello’s final utterances, we can see that they do indeed indicate true reflection, even if clarity has arrived much too late.
Early in the film, we are introduced to Iago, the film’s main antagonist. Iago is a soldier who has served faithfully by Othello’s side for many years. We see Iago complaining to fellow soldier Roderigo that Othello has chosen to promote another soldier, Michael Cassio to the position of Lieutenant ahead of Iago. Iago’s fury at being usurped by someone with less experience on the battlefield begins the series of events that eventually lead to Othello’s death.
Roderigo is a useful ally to Iago. Iago convinces Roderigo that if he can assist in getting Othello to demote Cassio, then Othello himself will eventually come undone. With Othello out of the way, this leaves Roderigo free to seek the affection of Othello’s new young wife, Desdemona. We see Othello and Desdemona marry in private as they are both aware that Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, will not approve of their union.
Iago goes with Roderigo to inform Brabantio of their union. By invoking the wrath of Brabantio, Iago is fully aware that the Senate will be notified of the marriage between Othello and Desdemona. Brabantio and his search party seek out Desdemona’s new husband. Othello is found, and he and Brabantio begin to quarrel. However, their quarrel is short-lived as the Duke has sent for Othello immediately.
Feather (2013) suggests that it is Othello’s linguistic facility that secures his defence before the Duke. Othello assures the Senate that his marriage won’t get in the way of his career. Othello explains to the Duke that he and Desdemona are genuinely smitten with each other. At this point, Desdemona arrives to confirm Othello’s words. The Duke rules that the marriage appears legitimate and immediately dispatches Othello to destroy an enemy fleet in Cyprus.
While the failure of his initial plan might be enough for other, less vengeful men to give up, Iago tries another tactic- something more personal. According to Saunders (2004) Iago is growing unsure about his wife Emilia’s sexual fidelity. Why not inflict the same kind of inner turmoil on Othello, his greatest enemy? Iago’s uncertainty about Emilia’s fidelity enables him to believe himself a victim while inducing this uncertainty into Othello’s head causes Othello to become wildly jealous to the point of obsession.
Meanwhile, Desdemona demands to be by her new husband’s side and is allowed to meet him in Cyprus. It is in Cyprus that the puppet master Iago gets to work. Iago manages to convince Roderigo that Cassio and Desdemona are already involved with each other, which leads to Roderigo initiating a drunken fight with Cassio. Iago gets his revenge on Cassio when Othello strips Cassio of his new rank due to the fight with Roderigo.
Next comes a series of events as designed by the villainous Iago. Iago ensures that a misplaced handkerchief belonging to Desdemona can be traced back to being in Cassio’s possession. ‘Othello wanted “ocular proof”’ (Phillips 2011, p. 57) that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair and now he has it, courtesy of Iago’s meddling. At the same time, Iago has manipulated Roderigo into making an attempt on Cassio’s life. Roderigo’s attempt is unsuccessful, and Cassio wounds him. Iago stabs Cassio which causes Cassio to cry out. Othello hears this cry and assumes that Iago has killed Cassio. Assuming that job done, Othello returns home with the intent of killing Desdemona.
Othello reaches sleeping Desdemona and kisses her. This kiss wakes Desdemona, at which point Othello accuses her of infidelity with Michael Cassio. Desdemona is horrified and vehemently protests her innocence while at the same time declaring her love for Othello. Othello does what he came there to do- he smothers her.
Iago’s wife Emilia steps in to speak persuasively of Desdemona’s innocence, but it is too late- Desdemona is already dead. Emilia realises that this sequence of events was instrumented by her husband and tells Othello so. Iago enters and kills Emilia to guarantee her silence. It is at this point that Lodovico and Gratiano arrive.
Othello now has to face the harsh reality that his overpowering love for his beloved wife has caused him to kill her. The events that have led Othello to this point he can recognise as ‘unlucky deeds’ orchestrated by Iago. Othello has a final exchange with Lodovico and tells him that his killing of Desdemona was, in fact, an ‘honour killing’ not one performed in hatred. However, with the declaration ‘Othello, that was once so good, now fall’n’ (5.2.3652–3653). Lodovico seems unconvinced that Othello has acted in honour as he is now ‘fallen’.
Eventually, we come to Othello’s final words:
“I pray you, in your letters,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,
Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well” (Othello 5:2).
Othello’s final words indicate how he wishes to be remembered. In saying ‘When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, Speak of me as I am’ (5.2.3709) Othello is aware that the events of the day shall be relayed far and wide. He knows that Lodovico and Gratiano will need to report what has happened here. Othello doesn’t want to be remembered as an evil murderer.
Othello loved his wife so much that he couldn’t bear her perceived betrayal. When Othello kills Desdemona, he sees it as an act of love to save Desdemona from herself (Bradley 1904, cited in Pechter 1999, p. 141). In declaring ‘Of one that loved not wisely but too well’ (5.2.3711) Othello recognises that he could have acted with more wisdom and not been driven to wild jealousy. Othello’s suicide is as though he has selected his own punishment for the killing of his wife.
The tragic tale of Othello ends with sad words from Lodovico. The great love that Desdemona and Othello shared at the beginning of the film is represented at the end as we see the tragic couple slumped next to each other, dead. Gratiano is tasked with ensuring that Iago is punished. The last words heard in the film belong to Lodovico, just as in Shakespeare’s original play. ‘Myself will straight aboard, and to the state, This heavy act with heavy heart relate.’ (5.2.3741–3742). Lodovico recognises that he must return to Venice and relay what has taken place.
Othello’s downfall can be attributed to both a failure in himself and the persistence of Iago’s interference (Arthos 1958). Ironically, had Othello not been so absorbed with his idolatry of Desdemona, he may have noticed Iago’s actions and avoided disaster (Johnson & Percy 2011). Pechter (1999, p.160) states that ‘Othello’s final self-absorption is projected back through the play into it’s beginning’. Othello’s final words indicate that he has indeed seen the error of his ways, but too late to save himself.
*disclaimer: The above was written by me as part of a University subject that I undertook in late 2019. You will see by the publication date here that the essay was already submitted and graded, results were released, and the term was well and truly over by the time I shared it here. Thanks must go to beautiful Anthony- my friend and proofreader.*
Bibliography (Because, let’s face it, I couldn’t have written this alone).
Arthos, J 1958, ‘The Fall of Othello’, Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 93–104.
Cressler, L 2019, ‘Malcontented Iago and Revenge Tragedy Conventions in Othello’, Studies in Philology, vol. 116, no. 1, pp. 73–100.
Feather, J 2013, “‘O blood, blood, blood”: violence and identity in Shakespeare’s Othello’, Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England, vol. 26, pp. 240–256.
Johnston, A & Percy, DB 2011, ‘How empathy unfolds in plays and movies’, Phi Kappa Phi Forum, vol. 91, no. 1, pp. 24.
Othello 1995, DVD recording, Columbia Pictures, United Kingdom.
Pechter, E 1999, Othello and Interpretive Traditions, E-book, University of Iowa Press, Iowa.
Saunders, B 2004, ‘Iago’s Clyster: Purgation, Anality, and the Civilizing Process’, Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 148–176.
Shakespeare, W 2000, Othello, E-book, Project Gutenberg, Illinois, available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2267
