Themes in Othello :: essays research papers

Themes in Shakespeares OthelloThroughout Shakespeares play, Othello, there are more musical compositions interwoven to describe the authors perspective of the true nature of a mans soul. Three themes critical to the play are doubtfulness versus trust, monstrous imagery and the fallible love of man. One central theme of the play is the major contrast of doubt versus trust. For whatever reason, Othellos trust of Desdemona is too sluttish to resist Iagos accusations. As happens in many of Shakespeares works, miscommunication and mistrust lead to "prepostrous conclusions" (1. 3. 323). Othellos heart tells him that Desdemona loves him however the critical Iago can dismantle Othellos trust in his wife by planting seeds doubt through what appears to be rational proof. Having built Othellos curiosity about Cassios supposed thoughts Iago manipulates Othello into seeing a situation between Desdemona and Cassio that does not exist. Be front Othello suspects that Iago is aware of mo re details than he is telling, he begins questioning Iago. "Why of thy thought?"(3. 3. 108), "What dost thou think?" (3. 3. 116). The superficially answered questions cause Othello to make demands for further clarification "If thou dost love me, show me thy thought" (3. 3. 127-28), "give thy worst of thoughts the worst of words" (3. 3. 145-46), then "By heaven, Ill know thy thoughts" (3. 3. 175). callable to Othellos equating of Iagos thoughts with factual knowledge, he is eager to mistrust Cassio and does not fully scrutinize the evidence. It is because he trusts Iago that he trusts the false facts and doubts the virtue of his wife, Desdemona. In addition to inferring Desdemonas unfaithfulness to Othello, Iago alludes to Desdemonas duplicitous deception of her father, Brabantio -- she was able to "seel her fathers eyes up close as oak"-when he reminds Othello that "She did deceive her father, marrying you" (3. 3. 224, 220). A s Othello makes his final desperate attempt at trust by saying, "I do not think but Desdemonas honest," Iago again exploits the line between cerebration (or having trust) that Othellos wife is faithful and knowing (through evidence) whether it is actually true (3. 3. 241). Othello fails to see that honor cannot be subject to empirical proof. Shakespeares exploration of the concept of jealousy leads to the theme of the human minds predisposition to favor the "monstrous." Monsters of the human psyche are self-generating, even without the prodding of an evil manipulator such as Iago.