Othello Is a Play About the Desperate Need for Certainty

Othello is a play about the frightening demand for certainty The theme of certainty pervades the play from the opening scence, and as it progresses, the quest for certainty operates more desperate and frantic not only within the minds and actions of the characters, but also within the audience as we become desperate to know and understand the outcome of Iagos malicous plan. Shakespe atomic number 18 introduces the protaginist, Othello, to the audience through the malicious and predujiced tongues of Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio.Iago condemns Othello for favouritism and shows obscenley to Brabantio that Othello is an sure-enough(a) black ram, the devil, a barbary horse copulating with his daughter. Rodergio too describes him as a lascivious moorland and an extravagent and wheeling stranger. This causes Brabantio to feel certian that Othello, repulsive in his blackness, must have seduced Desdemona by withcraft, magic spells or drugs.The sketch echoes aspects of medevil and Elizabe than traditions about the devilish, cruel and lustful nature of moors, and Brabantio would most certainly rather believe these acceptable truths as opposed to reality- his pure and virginal daughter is partaking in a sordid affair. Othellos take desperate plea for certainty is also evident from the offset. Although he refuses to hide from Branbantio and denounce his frabrications, he suggests that Desdemona should present freely how their love came about.Some may argue that Othello holds a number of insecurities about himself and this is a prime typesetters case of him desperatly needing Desdemona to justify her reasoning for marrying him. After on the whole, he displays an incredible vulnaribilty, a free and open nature, that thinks men respectable that but seem to be so. Iago works on these traits and his pretended disapproval of the relations between Cassio and Desdemona rouses Othellos curiosity, thence his insistance that he be told, and finally his fear that Iagos info rmation, got in his duty as an unbiased man, will harm him.At first, Othello appears to be confident of Desdemonas love for him as he declares she had eyes and chose me. Iago in time finds weakness in Othellos certainty and seizing his oppurtunity, advises Othello to watch Cassio and Desdemona discreetly. He adds that, of his own well-founded knowledge, Venetian wives decieve their husbands that Desdemona pretended to fear Othello, when in fact she loved him, and that she decieved her father so completley that he believed she was bewitched. Unable to turn down these, Othello draws the disturbing inference.Suspicion takes root, and is revealed by his hesitant I do not think Desdemonas honest, and his leave out that Emilia be set to watch Desdemona. He is desperate to find truth, and underlying doubts about his conglutination may have escelated by Iagos revelation and Othello is eventually driven to find this certianty in his own shortcomings- his blackness, age and unpolished ma nners. Iagos evil has infiltrated Othellos soul and has induced him, as Iago had hoped, to renounce his baptism, all seals and symbols of redemmed sin. The noble image that Desdemona saw in Othellos mind has become corrupted, and and not before yen is he humiliating her through false prophecy, and he fails to see the unreason of punishing Desdemona for a abomination she has not commited. In the end, Othello is desperate to relieve himself of all guilt and is certain the the demi-devil has ensnared his soul and body.Desdemona is another charcter who clings desperatly on to her certainty that Othello is a kind and loving husband. Out of her generosity and loving-kindness, she continually submits excuses for Othellos harshness somewhat unhatched practice ath puddles his clear spirit- an ironic perception. Othellos vision of her is utterly distorted and she in her faith and certianty to him is unable to percieve his spiritual overthrough. His fierce accusations that she is unchaste and a whore she meets by affirming that she is a genuine and loyal wife, and desperatly wants Othello to believe in this certainty. In her innocece, she finds it impossible to believe that there are women who are unfaithful to their husbands in spite of Emilias down to earth admission.In the last dreadful scence she maintains her whiteness and pleads for mercy. Her chastity, loyalty, her whole- hearted commital to her husbands welfare and to any good deed is the only pure certianty throughout the play, and Desdemona unfortunatly cannot make Othello see this. Emilia fiercy defends Desdemona throughout the play and is certain she would never disobey her husband. Ironically, she admits that she would make her husband a cuckhold in order to make him a monarch, however clings to her husbands integrity as she testifies to his vileness and Desdemonas virtue.