The Heroism of Othello - Essay Example

The Heroism of Othello In his article “Honest Othello,” Michael Andrews argues that a great part of thetragedy that occurs in this play is brought about in part due to Othello’s deep-seated cultural tendency to be overly superstitious as evidenced in his treatment of the handkerchief. The entire article centers upon the strange inconsistency of Shakespeare as he allows Othello to give two very different accounts of the origins of the handkerchief, both of which serve to illustrate his superstitions. To ensure the reader understands to what he is referring, Andrews first provides the two passages in which the handkerchief is mentioned. The first time it is presented by Othello to Desdemona as he impresses on her the magic of the talisman that was given to his mother by an Egyptian woman. The second time it is mentioned is as Othello attempts to justify his murder of Desdemona, saying Cassius had the talisman his father gave his mother. His review of the available literature on the subject reveals that most critics tend to assume Othello is lying in the first story that he tells to Desdemona as a means of romanticizing his past while few attempt to approach the question from the opposite point of view – that Othello was telling Desdemona what he really believed. Andrews also concludes that the critics have, by and large, managed to trivialize the role that his race has played in the development of Othello’s character. Those that have concentrated on race have frequently taken the idea too far, indicating that Othello is somehow less of a man because of his ‘inferior’ race. “Iago’s temptation of Othello depends upon the kind of naiveté Robeson has in mind; but his impassioned behavior when Iago’s ‘medicine’ works … reflects Shakespeare’s acceptance of the popular notion that blacks are more passionately emotional than whites” (Andrews, 1973: 279). Where this differs from prejudice is in the fact that Shakespeare does not make this a central element of Othello’s character, but only allows it to manifest itself occasionally, such as in the case of the handkerchief. Despite what Andrews may have to say about the absence of a critical analysis regarding the role of Othello’s race and its impact on his character development prior to the opening of the play, this is exactly the subject of Edward Berry’s article “Othello’s Alienation” (1990). Within his article, Berry, too, reviews the available literature regarding Othello’s race, claiming the majority of critics choose to relegate Othello’s race as a personal quirk much like being blonde or having blue eyes; it makes little difference to who Othello is as a character. Berry also indicates a few critics have seen Othello’s race as indicating he is an ‘inferior’ savage at heart and others who claim Shakespeare’s method of debunking commonly held stereotypes regarding the Moors effectively allows Othello to transcend questions of race, again removing it from the equation of who he is. Pointing out how Othello’s race plays a role in developing Othello’s strengths as well as contributing to his weaknesses, Berry attempts to demonstrate how Othello’s race is integral to the tragedy because of how he is perceived by others and how he perceives himself through the eyes of others as a result of race. “Othello’s blackness is not only a mark of his physical alienation but a symbol, to which every character in the play, himself included, must respond” (Berry, 1990: 319). Berry proves his point by illustrating how three characters in the play, Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio, all indicate early in the play the common conception of the black man in European society, “his blackness connotes ugliness, treachery, lust, bestiality, and the demonic. This poisonous image of the black man … later informs Othello’s judgment of himself” (Berry, 1990: 319). By examining how each of these characters conveys their own stereotypes of Othello’s race upon him, Berry is able to illustrate as well how these stereotypes come to be Othello’s conception of himself. While the other critics have focused upon the role race played in the inner character of Othello, in terms of defining him to other characters, to himself and in the development of his character as a natural output of his childhood culture, Leon Golden examines the elements of Aristotelian tragedy within this play as compared to other plays by Shakespeare that attempt to work off of the same theme. Golden proves that Othello presents a classically developed story based upon the true nature of Aristotelian tragedy that is in sharp distinction from the other Elizabethan tragedies that were developed by Shakespeare and other playwrights at the time. He does this by first examining the various essential elements of Aristotle’s definition of tragedy which begins with a sincere imitation of life that is ordered in such a way as to provide “insight into the meaning of the human situation represented in a given drama” (Golden, 1984). To illustrate just what he means when trying to define just how tragedy imitates life, Golden analyzes the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex in terms of its tragic plot development. By examining the important points of tragedy as they manifest themselves through the character Oedipus, Golden is able to provide a succinct synopsis of what it means to be a tragic hero. In analyzing how these ideas apply to Othello, Golden tends to investigate Desdemona and Iago’s impressions and ideas more than Othello’s, yet still manages to convey the idea that the play itself is successful in adhering to the classical ideas of Greek tragedy. This seeming rejection of Othello himself as worthy of study spurs the investigation of just what is meant when one refers to a tragic hero and whether Othello himself qualifies within that context. The theme of the tragic hero is one that runs through much of classic literature, from the ancient Greeks to Shakespeare and beyond. In understanding the concept of the tragic hero, it is important to understand the criteria as set forth by Aristotle (“Aristotle”, 1998). According to that illustrious philosopher, there are six major elements required to make up a tragic hero. To begin with, these heroes (or heroines) must have a noble stature, excessive pride and a tragic flaw. These three character traits combined must then lead our character to his or her downfall, from which they make an admission of their own guilt and are then redeemed in the end. In his final words, Othello confesses that he has “loved not wisely, but too well” (V, ii, 353). This insight goes a long way toward explaining Othello’s character. It is because of where he’s placed his love that he behaves the way he does. He is a hero because of his ability to act according to what love dictates and is brought to his ruin because of where that love had been placed. Generally, heroism refers to a character that embodies our concepts of what is good and noble in the human race (Vest, 2002). Othello is a good example of this as he has risen, through his own hard effort, from the pits of slavery to the General of the Venetian ships. “I fetch my life and being / From men of royal siege [rank]; and my demerits [deserts] / May speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune / As this that I have reached [are equal to]” (21-23). In addition, the Duke himself calls upon Othello at times of great need as in “Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you / Against the general enemy Ottoman” (48-49). However, Othello’s nobility lies not just on the surface level of his position in society, but in his own moral judgment as when he is faced with an angry father and his warlike supporters: “Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them / Good signior, you shall more command with years / Than with your weapons” (59-61). It is thus in his love for Desdemona that his nobility shines through. In this statement, his nobility shines through as he defends his wife’s honor, acknowledges the respect owed to his elders and refuses to cross swords with them. All classic heroes also have an element of excessive pride, which contributes to their downfall as they become unable to discern truth from reality (McAlindon, 2002). Although it is harder to see in Othello because he is working to keep his speech humble, this same pride is evident as one of his foundational characteristics, but perhaps somewhat justly earned. In relating the history of his love affair with Desdemona, he tells the men he was asked by Desdemona’s father to relate his personal history: “I ran it through, even from my boyish days / To th’ very moment that he bade me tell it. / Wherein I spoke of most disastrous chances, / Of moving accidents by flood and field; / Of hairbreadth scapes i’ th’ imminent deadly breach; / Of being taken by the insolent foe / And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence / And portance in my travels’ history;” (132-39). However, his greatest pride is placed in his power to love – his loyalty. A more classical definition of the heroic figure would indicate that this character should have some kind of tragic flaw that leads to their downfall. These kinds of characters are plentiful in Shakespeare’s works, including the character of Othello. In the simple statement made at the end of his life, Othello is pointing out for us what his tragic flaw was as well as the source of his heroism. His greatest pride, his steadfast loyalty for those he loves, manifests itself as his tragic flaw as it becomes obvious that he is incapable of judging which of his contemporaries he should trust with it. This is demonstrated first through his relationship with Cassio. Cassio is clearly Othello’s favorite officer as he promoted Cassio over Iago. While there may have been other qualifications involved in the decision, there also was reason for Iago to believe he should have been promoted over Cassio. However, when Othello finds Cassio brawling in the streets with gentlemen and drunk, he immediately doubts his own wisdom in placing his affections with this man. Though he still has affection for the man, “Cassio, I love thee; But never more be officer of mine” (II, ii, 239-240), he cannot respect him and his confidence in his own judgment is thrown into doubt. Cassio’s time with Desdemona further introduces doubt and suspicion into Othello’s mind. For Othello, the doubt and suspicion growing in his mind regarding a possible relationship between Cassio and Desdemona was started with Desdemona’s own father at the beginning of the play. Othello is warned, “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her father, and may thee” (292-93). Iago, having been witness to this and knowledgeable of Othello’s “free and open nature / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so; / And will as tenderly be led by th’ nose / As asses are” (393-96), uses this doubt and suspicion, as well as Othello’s own love for others, to Othello’s destruction. Desdemona’s continued appeals to her husband to forgive Cassio, while remaining unaware of the insinuations being levied against her by Iago, only serve to increase the suspicion and further calls into question where his loyalties should lie. Finally, Othello’s foolishness in placing his love in Iago proves to be his final undoing. Just as in everything else, once he decides to love Iago, he finds it impossible to doubt him, even when it is Iago who is telling him he should doubt. Othello has determined that only Iago has known him long enough and repaid him faithfully enough to deserve Othello’s love and loyalty. His great mistake lies in believing that because he has granted this tremendous boon (his love) to Iago, Iago must necessarily return the sentiment. It is only at the end, when he finally realizes that he has allowed his affection for Iago to abuse his love for Desdemona, twisting it to the point where it became murderous rage rather than compassionate nobility, seeking to discern the truth of a situation as was demonstrated at the opening of the play. In this realization, he also discerns that his treatment of Cassio has been equally manipulated thanks to his misplacement of loyalty and trust. It is only as he confronts the results of his action that he understands that his choice on whose love to have faith in was unwisely made. Through his demonstration of a noble nature in his previous deeds, his current position and his ability to deal well with others even in a tense situation, Othello is quickly established at the outset of the play as a noble man precisely established to become a tragic hero. As the story progresses, it becomes more and more apparent that the aspect he takes greatest pride in remains his ability to love others and to both give and receive respect and loyalty, setting him up for a perfect rendition of the tragic flaw scenario brought forward by Aristotle. True to form, Othello’s love becomes twisted and manipulated, due in large part to the fact that he chooses to place his love and trust in one long-term underling, Iago, over another, Cassio, as well as over the words and actions of his wife. This decision, as Othello himself said, led to his downfall and places him firmly within the canon of the tragic hero. Relating the art to life, Shakespeare’s Othello reflects many of the social issues that were important during the time of its writing. According to Daniel Vitkus (1997), this period in time was characterized by a generalized fear of forced conversion. “According to Protestant ideology, the Devil, the Pope, and the Turk all desired to ‘convert’ good Protestant souls to a state of damnation, and their desire to do so was frequently figured as a sexual/sensual temptation of virtue, accompanied by a wrathful passion for power” (Vitkus, 1997: 145). This deep-level understanding of society’s most urgent concern during this period illustrates how Othello can be read as an examination into the effects of allowing oneself to be tempted into experimenting with otherness. Desdemona dares to flaunt social custom and follow her heart, only to be murdered most cruelly by the husband she adores while still essentially on their honeymoon. Othello attempts to find a means of living peacefully among the Europeans of Venice, but his success at doing so incites the jealousies of other men. Othello’s willingness to listen and learn from those around him also eventually lead to his complete and total destruction. Iago, the villain of the story, takes up the role of the persuader, eagerly attempting to convert Othello to his own way of thinking and, only with his success, does he finally begin to realize the error of his ways. On perhaps a shallower level, Shakespeare’s play also addresses the Elizabethan society’s lack of knowledge regarding the people to their south. Most people in Shakespeare’s society had little conception of what being a Moor meant. They were aware that the people had darker skin and were from a country far away and much different from their own, but just where those differences were and how they compared with the ideals of English society was only guessed at. As was illustrated in some of the literature reviewed, other writers working at the same time as Shakespeare had a tendency to present black people as much more savage and emotional than white people, which somehow made them inferior in some fundamental way. Shakespeare’s portrayal of Othello places him within a human context that allows him to be both similar and different, a ‘white’ man as well as a black man. Through this portrayal, the playwright manages to convey to his audience the importance of looking at the man first and the race later. Works Cited Andrews, Michael C. “Honest Othello: The Handkerchief Once More.” Studies in English Literature: 1500-1900. Vol. 13, N. 2, Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama, (Spring 1973): 273-284. “Aristotle.” Critica Links. The University of Hawaii, (1998). April 30, 2008 Berry, Edward. “Othello’s Alienation.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. Vol. 30, N. 2, Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama, (Spring, 1990): 315-333. Golden, Leon. “Othello, Hamlet and Aristotelian Tragedy.” Shakespeare Quarterly. Vol. 35, N. 2, (Summer, 1984): 142-156. McAlindon, Tom. “What is a Shakespearean Tragedy?” The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Tragedy. Ed. Clare McEachern. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, (2002), pp. 1-22. Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice.” The Complete Pelican Shakespeare. New York: Penguin Books, 1969. pp. 1018-1060. Vest, Rob. “Shakespearean Tragedy in Othello: The Moor of Venice.” Late Plays of Shakespeare. (2002). April 30, 2008 Vitkus, Daniel J. “Turning Turk in Othello: The Conversion and Damnation of the Moor.” Shakespeare Quarterly. Vol. 48, N. 2, (Summer, 1997): 145-176. Read More