Death In Othello's Death

Arguably one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, Othello closes in a cloud of calamity. In the end, five people are dead, more are wounded, and the villain is alive but is sentenced for life. Set in Venice in the late sixteenth century, Othello tells the story of a Moorish general by the same name. Othello elopes with Desdemona, a senator’s daughter, much to the displeasure of Roderigo, who is in love with her. Iago, one of Othello’s ensigns, resents Othello for promoting a man named Cassio over himself. In retaliation, Iago begins plotting Othello’s downfall by first convincing Roderigo to alert Desdemona’s father Brabantio, who is infuriated. Iago continues plotting against Othello, all the while disguising his actions as intended to help …show more content…
Once Othello promotes Cassio instead of Iago to the lieutenant position, Iago becomes committed to the relentless suffering of Othello in order to retaliate. Moreover, Iago hates Othello because of the inherent racism of Venetian society as well as the fact that he believes Othello is having an affair with Emilia, his wife. However, the circumstances that synthesize into the conclusion of the play turn out unbelievably well for Iago, as he could not have premeditated for all of the events of the final act to come together in the way they did. If Othello and Desdemona are Adam and Eve, then Iago undeniably acts as the serpent in their story. Iago manages to manipulate everyone else into acting in such a way that assists him in his ruining of Othello, and the ending of Shakespeare’s tragedy is a direct product of Iago’s duplicity and the way in which his plots converge to create the perfect storm (Hopkins). Iago is able to gain Othello’s trust to such an extent that he gets Othello to invest in the idea of Desdemona’s infidelity so completely that Othello murders her. Othello’s trust in Iago was so absolute that after Emilia reveals Iago’s deception, Othello cannot comprehend that it was all a lie. Having just murdered his wife based on what he was led to believe by Iago, Othello desperately attempts to justify his actions. When Emilia vouches for Desdemona’s faithfulness, Othello claims that “Cassio did top her. Ask thy husband else. O, I were damned beneath all depth in hell but that I did proceed upon just grounds to this extremity. Thy husband knew it all” (Shakespeare 5.2 137-140). Othello essentially says that he banishes himself to hell if all of his actions, including the murder of his wife, was based upon a lie and therefore completely unwarranted. Since this turns out to be the case, Othello’s suicide carries out his words, as he shows such remorse that he