Everyone seems to be in praise of him, from the Duke all the way down to his troops and the peasants. The duke outright calls him the Valiant Othello (Act 1 Scene 3: 48). And arguably, its hard not to be impressed. He’s the kind of a person everyone wants to be associated with; he is wise and tactical, but also attractive( even in racist times, ‘white’ people wanted to be in a relationship with him) and popular. Even Iago was in great praise of Othello, and the man wanted to destroy him. His stories, of which were plentiful and grandiose, speak a great deal of who he was.
“I ran it through, even from my boyish days
To the very moment that he bade me tell it;
Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances,
Of moving accidents by flood and field,
Of hair-breadth scapes i’th’imminet deadly breach,
Of being taken by the insolent foe
And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence
And with it all my travel’s history” (Act 1 Scene 3: 131–138)
However, while Iago was setting up everything to go down hill, it is not 100% his fault. Iago might have caused the tension, but it was really Othello who let everything go down hill. Othello was flawed. His ignorance prevented him from investigating properly, and lead him to only believing in one person. His arrogance and narcissism leads to the death of many different people.
How did Othello not think to go question Cassio and Desdemona? There were many different possible times in which he could asked Cassio or Desdemona their perspectives. For example, after Desdemona’s handkerchief is ‘stolen’ by Emilia for Iago, Othello could have asked around and searched for how Cassio found it, but yet, he didn’t. It could have went so much more differently. Instead of the revelation happening at the end, after Emilia says:
“O thou dull Moor, that handkerchief thou speak’st of
I found by fortune and did give my husband,
For often, with a solemn earnestness-
More than indeed belonged to such a trifle-
He begged of me to steal it” (Act 5 Scene 2 : 223–227),
there could have been a much earlier revelation, if he had perhaps gone to investigate. Instead, he asked after everyone died and then found out the truth.
Othello’s arrogance and ignorance exposes deeper within him; his jealousy. We can see his lust for Desdemona, and his jealousy being upmost centred in him. It is easily identifiable from the play that he solely wants Desdemona. His desire for her prevents him from thinking logically, and psychoanalytically criticising him, we can identify that had he had less sexual desire, most people would be alive.
This makes me think that the fall of Othello is similar to another character’s fall; the fall of Anakin Skywalker.
In STAR WARS III, Anakin is corrupted by Darth Sidious, and transformed into a beast, who ends up attempting to murder and kill everyone he knows. This is similar to what happened in Othello. In both cases, the true colours of each character are exposed. This all happens until the very end, when they both realise their wrongs and die.
In my opinion, the most appropriate way to test this concept of who is really at fault would be in the court of law. (NOTE: Template for script was sourced) [edit: now that i think about it, this is probably not very historically accurate but it was fun to write :) ]
Bailiff: All rise. The Royal Court is now in session. The Duke of Venice is presiding. Please be seated.
Duke: Good morning, gentlemen. Calling the case of the People of the Venice versus Signor Iago. Are both sides ready?
Cassio: Ready for the People, Your Honour.
Iago Loyalist: Ready for the defence, Your Honour
Judge: Will the clerk please swear in the jury?
Clerk: Will the jury please stand and raise your right hand? Do each of you swear that you will fairly try the case before this court, and that you will return a true verdict according to the evidence and the instructions of the court, so help you, God? Please say “I do”. You may be seated.
Cassio: Your Honour and gentlemen of the jury: the defendant has been charged with the murder of Mistress Emilia and Signor Roderigo, the manipulation of General Othello into murder of Lady Desdemona and assisting his suicide, and the attempted murder of myself, Governor Cassio of Cyprus.
Clerk: How does the defence plead?
Iago Loyalist: The defence pleads innocent.
Duke: The prosecution may call its first witness.
Cassio: The People call Gratiano, uncle of fair lady Desdemona.
Clerk: Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Gratiano: I do
Cassio: Signor Gratiano, on the night of your niece’s passing, where were you?
Gratiano: I was in my quarters, sharpening my weapon when my cousin Lodovico had called upon me. He had stated that there was a disturbance in the street. When we had arrived, we came to find that Iago was amongst the body of a peasant, Signor Roderigo, and you, a wounded Cassio. Lodovico had carried you off after you fainted, and Iago and I had travelled to find Montano after he had sent his wife to the General’s citadel. I wished I had attacked you there, for had I known what you would do to Emilia. When we had arrived there, we came to find that General Othello had murdered his wife. It is here that we found out that Iago had been unfaithful to the General.
Cassio: What told you that Iago had betrayed the Moor?
Gratiano: His mistress, Emilia, had said that he was manipulating the General into murdering his wife after he had planted false evidence of a false affair. It was there that the Moor attempted to kill Iago. We stopped him, but that sly devil Iago had used his distraction stabbed his wife and attempted to escape. We stopped him, only to see the Moor kill himself.
Cassio: Thank you, I have no further questions.
Duke: Does the defence have any questions?
Iago Loyalist: Yes, Your Honour. Gratiano, you say that you came upon Governor Cassio and Signor Roderigo in the alley. What told you that Iago had killed Roderigo?
Gratiano: It was inferred by the General Othello, for we knew he had attempted to kill Cassio and Roderigo, a rival lover, must have gotten in the way.
Iago Loyalist: So, you are telling me that you are blaming Iago for the death of Roderigo without any physical evidence.
Gratiano: Well, um…
Iago Loyalist: That is all, your Honour.
Duke: The witness is excused. The prosecution may call the next witness.
Cassio: The People call upon Signor Montano.
Clerk: Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Montano: I do.
Cassio: On the dastard night, where were you?
Montano: I was emptying my office to make way to you my good sir, when Gratiano, my good friend, and Iago called for my help. He had said the Moor was in trouble so I went to search with him. We found him in his bedroom, with his wife dead. Emilia has spoken to him, and revealed Iago’s doings. I realised that Iago had caused Othello to kill his wife. Othello burst at Iago, but we stopped him. We then saw Iago stab his wife Emilia and run. We stopped him, but it was too late for Emilia. She had died.
Cassio: What made you say that Iago had manipulated Othello?
Montano: It was the way our Moor had spoken and acted. It was outright sadness in his eyes when he had realised what he had done.
Cassio: Thank you Montano. Your Honour, I have no further questions.
Duke: Does the defence have any questions?
Iago Loyalist: Yes, your honour. You say that the Moor told you that Iago was a traitor. Was the Moor not under immense distress?
Montano: Well, yes. He had just murdered his wife because he thought she was in a affair when she was not.
Iago Loyalist: How do we not know he was just attempting to protect himself? The Moor was under many amounts of immense distress.
Montano: Well, um…
Iago Loyalist: We are done, your Honour.
Duke: The witness is excused. The prosecution may call the next witness.
Cassio: The people call upon the Defendant, Iago.
Clerk: Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Iago: I do.
Cassio: You say you found me and the dead Roderigo. No-one else was there when I was wounded. How must have Roderigo died?
Iago: You must have stabbed him; or else this lonely peasant was able to sneak upon a lieutenant.
Cassio: I, I guess I must have. Why did you tell me to hide when talking to Desdemona?
Iago: Othello might have thought you were having an affair.
Cassio: Yet you still him I was?
Iago: Oh, I never told him you were having an affair with her. He could work it out himself, my friend.
Cassio: I am no longer your friend, you devil. I have no more questions, your honour.
Duke: Does the defence have any questions?
Iago Loyalist: Yes, your honour. Iago, you said you never told Othello that Desdemona was cheating on her.
Iago: You are right.
Iago Loyalist: So, Othello was arrogant and ignorant and made the call on his own?
Iago: You could say that.
Iago Loyalist: Thank you. My honour, we are done.
Duke: The witness is excused. Does the defence rest?
Iago Loyalist: Yes, your honour.
Duke: Gentlemen of the jury, I am now going to read to you the law that you must follow in deciding this case. To prove the crime charged against the defendant, the prosecution must prove two things to you:
First, that the defendant killed Emilia and/or Roderigo; and
Second, that Othello was manipulated to kill Desdemona not by his own choice;
If each of you believes that the prosecution proved all two of these things beyond a reasonable doubt, then you should find the defendant guilty. But if you believe the prosecution did not prove any one of these things beyond a reasonable doubt, then you must find the defendant not guilty. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt does not mean beyond all possible doubt. It means that you must consider all of the evidence and that you are very sure that the charge is true.
Judge: Will the jury foreperson please stand? Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict?
Jury Foreperson: Yes.
Clerk: The jury finds the defendant guilty, for the murder of Emilia.
Judge: The jury is thanked and excused. Court is adjourned.
In the end, Othello may have seemed good but really, he was arrogant and ignorant.
O, thou Othello, that wert once so good,
Fallen in the practice of a damned slave. (Act 5 Scene 2: 288–289)