Last Scene in Othello

The Last Scene in Shakespeare's "Othello"

In the final scene of Shakespeare's "Othello" there is a great amount of dramatic action which leads to an appropriate ending to all of the action of the play. Othello, still under the influence of Desdemona's beauty, smothers her because he thinks this is the only way to get justice. Before Desdemona dies, Emilia hears her say that no one is to blame for her death. Emilia discovers that it was Othello who killed her and convinces him that he was wrong with his suspicions and is shocked to find Iago was behind it all! All Iago's plots are discovered and he kills Emilia! Othello overtaken by sadness and guilt kills himself.
The scene begins with Othello entering Desdemona's room as she sleeps she wakes up and realizes it is Othello. We witness their final conversation were Desdemona gets more and more frightened, also more and more mentally and physically claustrophobic. She pleads for Othello not to kill her just now and give her some time to get Cassio in and for him to prove she was not unfaithful with him. Othello tries to make Desdemona feel ragged with guilt and admit that she had an affair, but obviously she didn't and has no idea what Othello is speaking about so cannot let him hear what he wants to hear.

"If you bethink yourself of any crime Unreconciled as yet to heaven grace, Solicit for it straight." V, ii, 26-28

I think here he wants her to admit it to give him more justification for what he is about to do. Then to maybe make him feel less guilty afterwards. Othello soon kills Desdemona. During this Othello is interrupted by a knock at the door from Emilia telling them of the fight between Roderigo and Cassio, this helps Shakespeare to lower the already high tension, then to rebuild it to an even higher point than it was before.
When Emilia enters the room finding Desdemona dead she asks who has killed Desdemona and she simply replies,

"Nobody. I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. O farewell." V, ii, 126-127

Then Desdemona dies. Even though Desdemona has said Othello killed her but his guilt and remorse comes out when he admits he killed her but justifies it by saying that Desdemona was a whore and a sinner but when everyone is now crowded into the bedroom Emilia reveals that Iago was behind it all. So now the guilt is passed onto Iago for Desdemona's death. Emilia is shocked at the extremity of Iago's evil.

"Villainy, villainy, villainy! I think upon't, I think – I smell't. O vaillainy!" V, ii, 189-190
The extent of his evil fills up her mind and she even says she can smell it! Iago then kills Emilia and runs but is quickly captured and brought back. Othello wounds Iago then he realizes that Iago is a devil who has made a great nobleman into nothing but a murder, "I look down towards his feet; but that's a fable. If that you be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee."
Iago then replies, "I bleed, sir, but not killed." V, ii, 283-286

This in other words means that Othello recognizes Iago as the devil by a twin conventional reference of the cloven feet of the devil and that he cannot be killed. Iago acknowledges this in his reply to Othello.
After this Othello has to do something which makes amends for his crime. This leads him to forfeit his life. He, Othello, started off as a greatly respected nobleman, a man of great physical and moral courage but Iago's anger and jealousy that he was not given the promotion that was handed to Othello and with a suspicion that Othello had to had an affair with Emilia led Iago to deceive Othello and make him a man with the morals of a criminal. Although in his death Othello's speech, which was similar to his first speech, helped restore some of his dignity and respect,

"I pray you in your letters, When you shall these unlucky deeds relate Speak of me as I am, nothing extenuate Nor set me down aught in malice. Then you must speak Of one that loved not wisely, but too well; Of one, not easily jealous, but being wrought Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand … threw a pearl away Richer than all his tribe." V, ii, 336-344

In this Othello states that he loved believing other people rather than talking to the one person whom he loved.

By Kevin Matthew Francis Stewart
5G