othello Essay

Nickeisha Gray
Dr. Ximena Gallardo C.
November 18, 2008
Othello Essay
D. I have always felt that I have never read a more terrible exposure of human weakness -- of universal human weakness -- than the last great speech of Othello. What Othello seems to me to be doing in making this speech is cheering himself up. He is endeavoring to escape reality; he has ceased to think about Desdemona, and is thinking about himself.
--T. S. Eliot (1934) from Elizabethan Essays.
I disagree with T.S. Eliot I felt Othello was very strong, courageous, and brave. He over came a lot of obstacles in his life. Othello never showed weakness. Othello was a solider in the beginning of the play. He fights battles to protect his country. He had been through a lot of military battles and war fare. He married Desdemona even though she was not in his category. Othello enter wars not only for himself but for others and the love he has for Desdemona. He was a noble man; Othello was a tragic, romantic, and heroic man.
Othello downfall was that he allowed Iago to manipulate him into believing that Desdemona was having affair with Cassio. Othello trust everyone and that was one of his downfalls. He believes everyone is fair and honest. He allowed his better judgment to get the best of him. Othello felt he was doing the right thing by killing Desdemona. Othello felt he was protecting every man from Desdemona. Othello was thinking with his heart and not with his mind. He loved too hard that’s what I believed. Everyone makes mistakes, he is only human. When someone is deeply in love they don’t think with their brain. There heart over takes their better judgment.
Othello last speech was remarkable. Reading his speech brought me to tears. He poured out his heart and soul. He was a true man, everything he did he felt was for the good of mankind. I love his speech and Othello will always be remembering as a noble and wise man who allowed a fool to influence him. His last words were not to cheer him up, but to admit what he did was wrong. He listens to a fool and now the love of his life is dead. Othello wanted everyone to remember him not as a murder but as a general of their country who did good deeds. Othello stated, “Speak of me as I am, nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice, then must you speak of one that loved not wisely but too well”.
Othello wanted to confess everything before he took his life. Othello dying is not about escaping life. He dies because he could not bear to live without Desdemona. Desdemona is Othello light. She is the reason for breathing and waking up every morning. Othello loved Desdemona with all his heart and soul. I felt Othello could not be able to with himself knowing that he let his ego over take his better judgment of Desdemona. However Othello was far from weak. He was a hopelessly in love fool.