Why did Othello kill his wife, Desdemona, and himself?

Here is the answer and explanation to the question Why did Othello kill his wife, Desdemona, and himself?

Why did Othello kill his wife, Desdemona, and himself?

Othello kills Desdemona because his own personal insecurities and fears are exacerbated by a racist society that distrusts him.

Bạn đang xem: Why did Othello kill his wife, Desdemona, and himself?

An argument can be made that societal prejudice leads to Othello’s actions. He begins the play in a position of power in two ways—through the military and through his marriage. Because Othello is black, this would have been a problem in Venetian society, both when Othello was written, in the early 1600s, and slightly before, when its parent text was first published. Because of his race, the power that Othello gains is viewed as ill-gotten, especially by Iago (who is ultimately his undoing).

If it was only society that questioned the validity of Othello’s position, he may have been able to persevere despite the prejudice. I would argue, though, that Othello’s true fatal flaw is his self-doubt. He is entrenched in racist attitudes so far that he believes the worst in himself. As such, he values his reputation more than his own convictions. When he first considers the possibility of Desdemona’s infidelity, he becomes angry.

Her name that was fresh

As Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black

As mine own face (III.iii.441-3).

The above example demonstrates two issues of importance. The first is Othello’s emphasis on Desdemona’s name. Her name by marriage is his, and a “good” name is the mark of a good reputation. In seemingly dirtying that name, Desdemona has sullied Othello’s reputation. The unfortunate truth is that even though she is innocent, the mere rumor is enough to knock Othello down a peg. He is hyper-aware of this fact. The reason for his hyper-awareness is evidenced by the comparison he makes to his own face. Here, Othello essentially accuses Desdemona of making him seem as “black” as he actually is. Before now, he was white “passing” because of his honor. Now, because of her dishonor, he has to go through life living in the skin he was given at birth— something he had escaped for a time. This moment of self-doubt and the lashing of that self-doubt to his racial identity causes the downward spiral of suspicion and overcompensation that ultimately results in both Othello’s and Desdemona’s deaths.

Convinced by Iago that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him with Cassio, Othello, overwhelmed by his sense of betrayal, murders his innocent wife.

But he quickly comes to realize that he has been deceived, and that his own weakness (or tragic flaw), has caused him to kill the thing he loves the most in the world—and for no reason, as she had never been unfaithful.

As he is, at heart, a good and honorable man, when he sees what he has done, there is really no other recourse for him. It is not even that he will be dragged back to Venice to face the jeers and punishment that society would have in store for him. It’s that he cannot live with himself, knowing what he has done.

One reason that Othello kills both himself and his wife is out of a duty to honor.

Why, any thing: An honorable murderer, if you will; For nought I did in hate, but all in honor. (Act 5, Scene 2)

He believes she has cheated on him and this would be humiliating for a man in his position, should it be made known. If he kills her, then she cannot cheat on him again, or any man.

Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light: If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, Should I repent me; but once put out thy light, Thou cunning’st pattern of excelling nature, I know not where is that Promethean heat That can thy light relume. When I have pluck’d the rose, I cannot give it vital growth again. It must needs wither: I’ll smell it on the tree. (Act 5, Scene 2)

Second, he still loves her and this passage shows us he wants to preserve that innocent memory of her. If he were to let her live, he would have to live with her as a cheater and a liar. Even as she tries to tell him before she dies that she has done no wrong, he does not hear her. He is so determined to believe she had cheated with Cassio. So, he kills her to preserve the good memories of her, as well.

Do you find that the article Why did Othello kill his wife, Desdemona, and himself?

If not, please leave a comment below the article so that our editorial team can improve the content better

Post by: THCS LeQuyDon

Category: question

#Othello #kill #wife #Desdemona #eNotescom