April prompt| drama |

April Prompt 23 -Othello

Celebrate Shakespeare on his birthday, the legend who unveiled human psychology….

Sreeja Saraswati

Published in

Soul Magazine

3 min readApr 23, 2024

But jealous souls will not be answered so.
They are not ever jealous for the cause,
But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monster
Begot upon itself, born on itself.

The story of an African general in the Venetian army who is tricked into suspecting his wife of adultery ; Othello is a tragedy about how jealousy can ruin a relationship. Othello was first performed by the King’s Men at the court of King James I on November 1, 1604. The play is also a pioneering exploration of racial prejudice with an in depth journey into the errors in human concept of right and wrong.

Set in the Venetian Republic, the play follows Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, and his ensign and antagonist, Iago. Othello’s marriage to Desdemona, a Venetian woman, becomes a focal point for Iago’s manipulative schemes. Exploiting Othello’s insecurities about his race and his marriage, Iago sows seeds of doubt in Othello’s mind, leading to tragic consequences. Othello kills Desdemona, later killing himself.

Shakespeare frames much of Othello through the perspective of its Villain, which amplifies the play’s dramatic tension, the negativity that allures. Iago captures, contains that negativity plot that he transfers to Othello.

By outlining his terrible plans ahead of time, Iago indicates what the audience should expect to happen, watching Othello and others gradually succumb to Iago’s foul influence.

WHY IS OTHELLO EVER RELEVANT ?

Jealousy and Suspicion

Jealousy and Suspicion motivates the central conflicts of Othello: Iago being jealous of Othello and Othello getting suspicious of Desdemona. By making Othello feel the torments of jealousy towards Desdemona and her supposed lover, Iago causes Othello to suffer as much as he does. It was a war as usual, when the winner and failed, both lost their dear all.

Deception

Othello portrays that soldier who failed to understand what is right and what is wrong. He failed to see who was honest and sincere to him, while failing to see the deceit and treachery of characters who are tricking and manipulating him. While Othello is naively unable to see that Iago is deceiving him every step of the way, he is also stubbornly convinced that Desdemona is deceiving him even when she is being totally honest. Once Othello makes up his mind that Desdemona is guilty, all her claims of innocence only enrage him further because he is convinced that “this is a subtle whore / A closet lock and key of villainous secrets”.

Justice …. the ultimate Injustice

Othello feels entitled to seek a form of bloody, self-administered justice. As he tells Iago, “my bloody thoughts with violent pace / Shall ne’er look back, ne’er ebb to humble love / Till that a capable and wide revenge / Swallow them up”. He takes charge of punishment and kills her. Othello’s violent plan to achieve justice is rooted in his sense that he has complete ownership and control over his wife, and that he can literally decide whether she lives or dies. This is an entire act of unjust cruelty, making her vulnerable, hopeless and susceptible to violence.