Preview

Othello Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
746 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Othello Essay
Eng 102
The Guilty Conscience Is As Bad As A Guilty Act.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, I've come here today to present you with a man who wants to justify the murder of his wife. I will show you how unjustified his act and his thoughts were in this not so spontaneous crime. Othello is on trial for murder and I would like to remind you that he has admitted full and absolute blame for this and you should not heed that lightly. Under the circumstances his mental state will come into account, but do not be bewildered by his claims of psychosis as any man could have had these thoughts befallen upon him and not taken action. This act of murder was premeditated, therefore making it first-degree murder. In a passing conversation earlier with Iago, Othello suggests that Desdemona "shall not live". (Othello, 4.1.170) He goes on to describe how he should murder her as a passing thought. As Othello has stated here "Hang her! - I will chop her into messes. - Get me some poison, Iago, this night. " (Othello, 4.1.174,184,188) Iago goes on to suggest that Othello shouldn't poison his wife but rather strangle her in bed. Othello continued to speak with Iago about how he was going to strangle his wife because of her supposed adultery against him. Even though Iago is an accessory to this crime for his manipulation of Othello's thoughts and his suggestions on how to kill Desdemona, Othello is still at fault for the proceeded crime. Mens rea suggests that Othello knew murdering his wife was wrong and yet he did so out of spite. His actus reus suggests that in killing his wife he was distraught and did act in the heat of passion, yet still mens rea proves him guilty of this act and his malice aforethought. His psychological state is that of every other man with a jealous, green monster on his back. He is not warranted to any plea of insanity as he acted on a conscious and well planned thought, which does not concede in insanity. Othello once more admits to his guilty
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Othello Essay - Character's and Their Obesessions
    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Othello Essay - Character's and Their Obesessions

    Othello’s path to obsession begins with Iago planting seeds of doubt into his mind, which convinces Othello that Desdemona is being unfaithful. He says to himself, “She is gone. I am abused, and my relief/Must be to loathe her” (3.3.283-84), and later claims that he “will withdraw/To furnish [him] with some swift means of death/For [Desdemona]” (3.3.492-94). These lines reveal that although there has not been any solid proof, Othello’s mind is already constantly occupied by the mere possibility of Desdemona being unfaithful to him. His obsession finally becomes clear when he says “In the due reverence of a sacred vow/I here engage my words,” (3.3.470-71). This line reveals that he is set on getting revenge for being betrayed and thus, has become a goal. It is his goal to get revenge so even when Desdemona after insists that she has done nothing wrong, Othello tells her to “confess thee freely of thy sin” (5.2.61) and that even if she denies it all, it will not change his mind, as he makes clear by telling her “Thou art to die” (5.2.65). Othello’s refusal to listen to Desdemona is what leads to his failure, for it was his goal to kill her no matter what she said and only after she is dead does he learn that she was actually innocent.…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Essay Outline For Othello The Moor Of Venice
    • 3133 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Essay Outline For Othello The Moor Of Venice

    Just after Othello killed Desdemona, Iago’s wife Emilia came in to explain about the attack on Casio that involves Roderigo as well as Iago. While Emilia explains she sees Desdemona. She questions Othello about what has happened. Othello tells Amelia that her husband helped him to recognize what a good liar Desdemona was and exposed her cheating. Amelia exposes that her husband Iago had Desdemona’s handkerchief and that her husband lied to him (Othello) about the handkerchief and that Desdemona was a good wife to him and did not cheat on him. The plot twists and turns demonstrated the drama. At the climax of the drama when Othello has smothered Desdemona with a pillow and she awakens for a moment to declare that she killed herself. Her death is quite dramatic and fits yet another characteristic of tragic…

    • 3133 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Manipulation In Othello
    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Theme Of Manipulation In Othello

    Iago leads Othello to accept as truth what he wants him to, but knows that the idea of Desdemona’s will be powerfully in Othello’s mind if he believes it. Believing Iago Othello plans to kill both Cassio and Desdemona.Othello says, “Get me some poison, Iago; this night. I'll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty un provide my mind again. This night, Iago” (IV.i 204-206). Iago says, “Do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated” (IV.i 207-208). Iago also says “And for Cassio, let me be his undertaker: you shall hear more by midnight” (IV.i…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Othello Comparison Essay
    • 3071 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Othello Comparison Essay

    How is the theme of suffering portrayed in ‘Othello’, ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’?…

    • 3071 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Othello and O
    • 1126 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Othello and O

    In Othello, the setting is in 16th century Cyprus during a war with the Turkish Empire. The language used in respectful and nice compared to “O”. Brabantio calls Othello to the summit and questions him what sorcery he has used to take his daughter Desdemona away from him. Desdemona denies the fact that Othello used any sorcery and says that there love is true and that she left her father for her husband and he left his family for her mother. In this play Desdemona is married to Othello. Iago’s reasons of jealousy are that Othello promoted Cassio to Lieutenant instead of him and that there’s a well-known rumor that Othello has slept with his where the truth hasn’t been brought to light. Nobody is aware of neither Iago’s nor Rodrigo’s intentions. Othello has epilepsy and Iago doesn’t help until Cassio walks in. Desdemona is slapped by Othello and no one can believe that the well-known respected general would do such a thing. Othello makes Iago his blood brother and Iago tells him to kill Desdemona and he will kill Cassio for him. But Iago Sends Rodrigo instead of doing it himself to kill Cassio but fails wring and Rodrigo gets injured and runs away than Iago comes and stabs Cassio in the leg then goes and kills Rodrigo. When Othello kills Desdemona, Emilia comes in and see’s that Desdemona is dead and Othello confessed to his crime so Emilia cries out murder where everyone came in including Iago where he starts to argue with Emilia and tells her to be quite but she doesn’t listen and then he…

    • 1126 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is The Unprotectedness Of Women In Othello
    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Is The Unprotectedness Of Women In Othello

    Ruth Vanita, the author of “Proper” Men and “Fallen” Women: The Unprotectedness of Wives in Othello, explains how Elizabethan and Jacobean writers included the murder of an adulterous wife by her husband in a majority of their plays. She attempts to prove that Desdemona and Emilia both died as victims of spousal abuse due to their alleged infidelity. According to the accepted social norms, both Desdemona and Emilia deserved their murders because of their infidelity to their husbands. Emilia betrayed Iago by blatantly defying him in order to prove Desdemona’s innocence; while Desdemona, although always faithful, betrayed Othello through her supposed infidelity with Cassio. Since men regarded their wives as property, they had to discipline them and could resort to violence in order to teach them a lesson.…

    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Critical Lens Essay on Othello
    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Critical Lens Essay on Othello

    Adrienne Rich once said, "Lying is done with words but also with silence". This means that lying isn't only when one tells something false, but also when one does not speak at all, the truth included. This is generally true. A text that illustrates this quote would have characters who do not reveal the truth at a time when doing so would be important. Othello by William Shakespeare satisfies this quote with characters like Emilia and Iago.…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Jealousy and Manipulation in Othello
    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Jealousy and Manipulation in Othello

    “ Get me some poison, Iago; this night! I’ll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unprovid my mind again.” Iago’s manipulation is so great that Othello would kill the one he loved so much. Ruthless Iago knew that the only way to make the situation much worse was to convince Othello to murder his beloved with his bare hands. This away he could not get away with this action and he thought this would bring Othello to his own grave. So, Iago said “Do it not with poison, strangle her in the bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.”…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Examples Of Tragic Flaws In Othello
    • 1585 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Examples Of Tragic Flaws In Othello

    Othello is easily persuaded and this leads him to put his trust in the wrong people. He unfortunately gets ensnared into Iago’s devious plan. Othello treats Iago as a trust-worthy friend who he has known for a long period of time. When Iago realizes that Othello believes the story about Cassio’s relationship with Desdemona, Iago decides to take the scheme further. Iago places horrid images in Othello’s mind that turn Othello into a rash man. Othello’s tragic flaw ultimately leads to his destruction. Othello’s personality vastly transforms due to the madness. Othello ironically mistrusts his loyal wife Desdemona and good friend Cassio. When Othello places Desdemona on her deathbed, he states, “Be thus when thou are dead, and I will kill thee/And love thee after” (V.ii.20-21). At this moment in the play, Othello’s actions are ironic. Originally, Othello worried that Desdemona would stab him in the back, but he is the one who betrays his beloved wife. Othello is brought to this action because Iago places extreme jealousy within…

    • 1585 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Motivation Of Iago In Shakespeare's Othello
    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Motivation Of Iago In Shakespeare's Othello

    Othello is driven to murder the woman he loves through the coaxing of Iago. Iago is not satisfied with only accusing Desdemona of sleeping with Cassio, but continues further to even accuse Othello of sleeping with his wife, Emilia "Twixt my sheets H'as done my office" (Shakespeare 1.3. 378-79). Of course these actions are to achieve his goals, but even more so, these accusations help to validate his actions, acting on behalf of his greed and personal interest, to himself. For it is always easier to put blame on someone else instead looking inward for resolve. The motivations of revenge and jealousy lead him to these actions against Othello and perhaps these motivations are more human nature than any…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Iago Manipulates Othello, Cassio and Roderigo
    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Iago Manipulates Othello, Cassio and Roderigo

    Iago's manipulation was proved effective when Othello grew hatred towards Desdemona and decided to kill her. For example, "If thou dost slander her and torture me, Never pray more; abandon all remorse; on horror's head accumulate...Greater than that"(III, iii, 368-373), is what Othello says when he begins to doubt his wife Desdemona. Othello uses this hyperbole to describe his anger at the possibility of Iago lying about his wife being disloyal. Othello declares that the Earth will be confused with horror at Othello's actions in such state of madness. Regardless of the fact that Othello gets mad about what Iago tells him, in his mind he doubts Desdemona and that is confirmed when he asks Iago for proof. Othello later says "O, that slave had forty thousand lives! One is too poor, too weak for my revenge"(III, iii, 442-443). Again, Othello uses a hyperbole by referring to Cassio as a slave and saying he has forty thousand lives. As jealously strikes Othello, he trusts Iago a lot and plans to kill Desdemona. Iago poisoned Othello's mind into thinking that Desdemona betrayed him and Othello starts to hate everyone. As Professor Andrew Bradley writes, "Evil has nowhere else been portrayed with such mastery as in the character of Iago". Professor…

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    How Othello Changes Essay
    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Othello Changes Essay

    The First person that I Will tell you about is Othello and he has changed from act one, two and three is that he is starting to believe that everything that Iago tells him and he is also really questioning Desdemona loyalty to him because he thinks that she is cheating on him with Cassio and he doesn't want to trust Cassio and does not like him for what Iago is telling him and he is playing right into Iago hands. The second person that I will be telling you about is Iago and he has changed from act one, two and three is that he has Othello believing everything that he tells him and that he is always right and that he is the right person for the job that cassio was fired from. He is also telling Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio and that they have been doing this for a while now. The third person that I will be telling you about is is Roderigo and he is still from act one two and three to act four is that he is still very gullible and that he still is doing what Iago tells him and that he…

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    To What Extent Is Iago Responsible for Othello's Downfall
    • 1326 Words
    • 6 Pages

    To What Extent Is Iago Responsible for Othello's Downfall

    Othello’s notable tragic flaw is, as Iago states himself, “The Moor is of a free and open nature”, meaning that he takes people and things at face value, not expecting any hidden vendetta or betrayal. This can be emphasized since Othello was interpreted by Shakespeare as being a soldier since he was seven years old. This would mean that he would expect to recognize his enemy simply by looking at his face, and not expect any attack from his supposed allies. This is where the audience gets the impression that Othello is hopelessly naïve, which can be seen at how he describes the man who hates him the most, “my ancient: A man he is of honesty and trust.” In the following quotation Othello asks Iago to look after his most prized possession: his wife, Desdemona. This moment can be considered significant as it could symbolize Othello placing Desdemona’s and his own life in Iago ’s hands. “Honest Iago, My Desdemona must I leave to thee.” One example of Othello’s tragic flaw leading to his downfall is when he mishears the conversation between Cassio and Iago, and by his own thinking, contemplates murder. “How shall I murder him, Iago?” Although Iago does succeed in convincing Othello to kill Desdemona, there is no quotation before Act 4 Scene 1…

    • 1326 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analyzing the Change in Othello's Character
    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analyzing the Change in Othello's Character

    Iago’s plan to bring down Othello finally starts to lift off when Othello begins to be physically violent towards Desdimona. For Example, after Othello finds out about the handkerchief, he slaps Desdimona across the face. Othello’s Jealousy and anger is finally bursting. His mind-set has been overruled by Iago’s plan. Secondly, Othello strangles Desdimona. The anger and jealousy that has been bottled up in Othello leads him to killing his own wife.…

    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Othello shows weak human judgement
    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Othello shows weak human judgement

    Othello wrongly judges Iago’s stories to be true and doesn’t even think of questioning anyone else. He foolishly believes that Iago is an honest and honourable man, and is too blind to see through Iago’s façade. This display of weak human judgement ultimately leads Othello to wrongfully murdering his wife.…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More