Reality In Othello

Gaius Phaedrus, a Roman author, had said, “Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” While reading Othello, this quote recurred in my mind as the realities of many situations differed from what is experienced by the characters in the play. Similar to the characters, I also have a tendency to conclude that something is real, when it is false, based on how it appears. By recollecting events in the play and my life in which the appearance of a situation overshadowed the reality, I began to wonder, “What causes these appearances that alter reality?”
I thought of a possible answer by examining Roderigo, a character oblivious to the reality. In the play, Iago appears to help Roderigo obtain Desdemona’s love, but …show more content…
In the play, Roderigo would have drowned himself if Iago did not suppress the reality of the situation. Admittedly, Roderigo, who initially confessed, “I will incontinently drown myself” (1.3.302), only survives because Iago makes it appear that Desdemona will love him if he has enough money. In the same manner, although, the coverage of reality did not save my life, it prolonged my happiness at the sleepover before I faced the reality. In other words, my parents were well aware that revealing the reality of the situation would deject me and ruin my entire stay at my aunt’s house. For this reason, my parents asked my aunt to disclose the truth later that week for the greater good. As can be implied, in both instances, false optimism is the effect of an appearance that differs from the reality. False optimism, which is obtained from ignorance of the truth, acts as a motive to survive, gives hope, and evokes happiness and fosters sanity. This brings forth the notion that allowing a misrepresented appearance replace the reality in inevitable situations, rather than worrying about an uncontrollable occurrence is acceptable as it promotes false optimism during difficult