Character Analysis in Othello - Book Report/Review Example

The last scene is where Othello finds out that he has killed his wife because of a series of misunderstandings. The first major revelation about Desdemona’s innocence results in an emotional outburst in which Othello just says “O! O! O!” (Act 5, Scene 2, line 200) and the stage direction indicates that he “falls on the bed.” This exclamation is an indication that he cannot put any words together. He seems to have lost his reason, and this emphasises his guilt. It was the extreme emotion of jealousy that caused him to murder Desdemona in the first place and it is also extreme emotion that prevents him from maintaining a dignified attitude in this last scene.

Later in the scene Iago and Cassio reveal more details about the events that have taken place, including Iago’s betrayal of his master by planting the handkerchief in such a way that it made Desdemona look guilty. Again Othello utters short prose syllables, as he struggles to catch up with what is being explained to him. He exclaims “O villain!” (Act 5, Scene 2, line 315) when he finds out about the letter regarding the plot against Cassio, and then “O fool! fool! fool!” (Act 5, Scene 2, line 327) which appears to be spoken to Cassio, but no doubt should be understood as Othello suddenly realizing how foolish he has been.

After these inelegant outbursts, Othello makes a formal speech in verse, asking for the bystanders to tell the world what really happened, and confessing his faults at having loved “not wisely but too well” (Act 5, Scene 2, line 346). The verse form is controlled and eloquent, revealing his willingness to accept responsibility for his actions, and commemorating the “pearl” (Act 5, Scene 2, line 350) that Desdemona was in his life and his wretchedness at throwing her away. This literary language re-establishes him as a noble and educated man, and contrasts quite markedly with the barely literate mumblings of the prose sections of his dialogue in this scene. So What? Analysis.

Shakespeare has been rather unfair on Othello in the first part of the scene, because his inability to verbalize his own thoughts makes him look stupid and weak. Other people have obviously been manipulating him all along, and he cannot understand why they should do such a thing. Above all, he loses control, fainting and gibbering, when one might have expected a man in his senior position to be able to work things out intellectually and take decisive action. The longer he hesitates and exclaims, the more he appears to be the illiterate foreigner that Iago and his friends make him out to be.

The incoherent and fragmented utterances that he makes emphasize his weakness and victimhood at this point. In the verse section, however, Othello redeems himself to some extent. He shows deep regret, and represents himself as an abject failure, unworthy to have received the love of a good woman. Where Iago is spiteful and deceiving, Othello is truthful and honest. He loses consciousness again, but this time as a result of his own decisive act of suicide, demonstrating consistency in word and deed and taking on all the blame for Desdemona’s death, even though it is perfectly clear that he has been deliberately deceived by others.

He is more noble than any other character, and it is a great irony that in doing this he proves that he is a fitting partner for Desdemona. This analysis of a switch from prose to verse has illuminated the two sides of Othello’