Perhaps Shakespeare only did this because he was under a time constraint (although a five-act play seems like plenty of time to draw out this progression), but it adds another aspect to Othello's flaws. This rapid volte-face indicates the likelihood that Othello's love for Desdemona was not actually love, but infatuation (If you really want to know the differences between love an infatuation, I've got an entire packet from my APTK lesson to offer. No takers? Hmph. Fine then). This infatuation was exacerbated by his paranoia and doubts, leading to insecure jealousy without even open-mindedly hearing Desdemona's defense. Desdemona genuinely loves Othello; he, on the other hand, does not. This disparity between emotions shows that in reality, Othello and Desdemona's marriage was doomed from the start.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thank You, A Promise to Keep Program, for This Blog Post Idea
After finishing Othello, I can't help but think that there was a bit of phoniness in a rather large plot point. Admittedly, I think this was my favorite of Shakespeare's plays which I have thus far read; yet it rather irritated me how fake and shallow Othello's love for Desdemona was portrayed. In the beginning, it seems that Othello is head-over-heels in love with Desdemona and is so happy that he "cannot speak enough of this content./ It stops me here, it is too much of joy" (II.i.191-192). Yet within three days at the most, he has become so jealous that he wants to "tear [Desdemona] all to pieces" (III.iii.432). It could just be me, but a love that can change from "I've never been so happy before" to "I'm gonna kill that woman!" in a matter of a couple days seems rather shallow.
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I read Othello's love as anything but shallow. He says at some point in Act V that it was because he loved her so deeply that he was so hurt by her alleged adultery.
ReplyDeleteYet there's little if any trust between them. Othello goes from madly "in love" with Desdemona to wrathfully planning her murder at the flip of a switch. In a truly loving relationship, Othello may have had doubts, but he hopefully would have at least brought them up to Desdemona and listened to her side of the story. Whether this would occur in a civil discussion or as a result of Othello angrily yelling at Desdemona, her side would have been heard, and it would have been heard with the ears of a man who is not already planning her murder.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to excuse Othello's murderous rage under the excuse of "Oh, it's literature; his actions are only out of a deep pain from his endless love." Realistically, though, that kind of reaction indicates not love, but mental instability. It makes me wonder if Othello's feelings were actually true love, or just obsessed infatuation.