Comparing Shakespeare's Obsession In Moby Dick, And My Last

In Shakespeare's Othello, Herman Melville's Moby Dick, and Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess the main characters are all consumed by an unhealthy obsession that leads to tragic results for those around them. Obsessions are all consuming, and takes all of one's focus. An example of this is Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. His flaw is that he has became consumed with the idea of the whale and let it guide his every action. He lived his life for the sole purpose of this animal. This is an allegory to man’s constant pursuit for the unattainable. It is also a representation of one’s need for a purpose to feel life has meaning. That meaning is something many search for and they fall short of attaining the closure that comes with knowing that. The obsession’s shown in literature don’t stop with Captain Ahab. In Shakespeare’s Othello obsession is not a foreign theme. …show more content…
It can be destructive if wasted on the wrong person as in the case of Othello and Iago. When a loved one is the betrayer the sting is that much deeper. Othello’s love for Iago blinds him to the true nature of the man he believes to be his most ‘honest’ confidant. The Irony of Shakespeare is present as he continuously has the characters refer to Iago as honest so that the audience is reminded of the fact that he is far from it. Robert Browning also demonstrates destructive love that leads to betrayal in his poem My Last Duchess. The jealousy shown by the narrator as he speaks about his deceased bride is one stemmed from a lack of trust. He alludes to his disapproval of her open and friendly nature towards others and obviously treats it as if these traits are negative. His love for her is more the love one would have for an item rather than the love one would harvest for a person. His obsession with keeping what’s his is what leads him to the eventual killing of his wife as he feels his love for her isn’t enough to keep her from