Camille Jacobson Western Fiction and Literature Othello
Novels and plays often depict characters caught between colliding cultures – cultures – national, national, regional, ethnic, religious, institutional. Such collisions can call a character’s sense of identity in question. Select a novel or play in which a character responds to such a cultural collision. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the character’s response and explain its relevance to the work as a whole. The two settings in Othello by William Shakespeare, Venice and Cyprus, are used to challenge the protagonists sense of identity and surface his inner self. Venice is a place of law and order where Othello’s love with Desdemona flourishes and he is a free and we ll-respected man. But in Cyprus it is like a whole different world. This is where all the drama and conflict arises because it is a wild place. The untamed nature of this lawless land challenges Othello’s sense of identity. He changes from a reasonable man to a rage filled murderer. The play begins in Venice and all goes smoothly while there. Iago can plot and attempt to get Othello into trouble there by warning Br abantio that Othello was going to marry his daughter. This outraged Brabantio because Othello is a Moor and his daughter is white so there is disapproval and disbelief that she could really like him. So Br abantio storms towards Othello and demands that he go “To prison, till fit time of law and course o f direct session call call thee to answer” (I.III.85-87). (I.III.85-87). He wishes to proceed in the proper recourse re course by taking Othello to court, looking for proof, and then making a proper verdict and thus sending him to prison. This is the e pitome of lawful action. There is no hidden agenda or sly plan to get even with Othello here, just confrontation. Othello is not wor ried here saying that “My services…shall outout-tongue his complaints” (I.II.18-19). (I.II.18 -19). He knows that here reason and his status will overrule Brabantio’s wild accusations. His honest and moral identity prevails. The Duke attests to this when he vouches “there “there is no proof, without more wider and more overt test than these t hese thin habits and poor likelihoods…” (I.III.107-109). (I.III.107 -109). The actions that Othello is accused of do not fit his identity and further there is no proof.
So when asked “Did you by indirect and forced courses subdue and poison this young main’s affections?” Othello simply responds “I do beseech you send for t he lady … And let her speak…” (I. III. 111-115). Reason and law continue to prevail in Venice where conflicts are solved by simple confrontations. Desdemona arrives and tells everyone the tr uth about her real love for Othello so t hey can finally dismiss these false accusations. The Duke then tells everyone “To mourn a mischief that is past and gone is the next way to draw new mischief on…” (I. III. 203-204). Basically he is concluding this attack of Othello by telling Brabantio to get over his disbelief and move on because it is true. This quote is almost foreshadowing for what tries Othello’s character in Cyprus; he dwells on mischievous misinformation that becomes his own downfall. Cyprus is a place that almost immediately shows to be chaotic and lawless. During the first night that the characters arrive Iago sets up a plan to have his dimwitted accomplice Roderigo provoke Cassio into a fight. Iago maintains his persona of an honest caring officer by yelling at Cassio, “God will, lieutenant, hold! You’ll be ashamed forever” (II. III. 150-151). However, it was precisely Iagos plan to shame Cassio out of his position. When the drunken Cassio attacks Roderigo and then Montano who was telling Cassio to calm down, it draws the attention of Othello who had to be dragged from his marriage bed to see what was happening. When no one says how the fight began, Ot hello yells “the best of you shall sink in my rebuke (II. III. 198-199). He is already losing his temper to this land where evil plans do prevail, and so the calm headed man from Venice is already fading. And out of his tem per, he fires Cassio from his position rather than taking a more reasonable course of action such as a warning or even a punishment. His firing of Cassio is the beginning of his downfall and loss if identity. Next Iago tells Cassio to appeal to t he beautiful and gracious Desdemona for his title back. Cassio thinks this is a brilliant idea and sets up a meeting with her alone. Iago mentions the secre cy to Othello as Cassio makes a not so stealthy exit from De sdemon’s room by saying, “I cannot think it that he would steal away so guilty-like, seeing your coming” (III. III. 38-40). It is here that Iago plants the seed
of doubt in Othello’s mind to fester into an unhealthy obsession. And rather than asking her about it as the Othello of Venice would have surly done, this lawless place breeds injustice and Othello is dragged from his former identity into rage and j ealously. He agrees to stalk her movements with C assio and observe them. This lends itself to further misinformation as Iago can take control of the setting and plant evidence. He sets up a meeting with Cassio for Othello to observe and Iago know that “ As he shall smile, Othello shall go mad…” (IV. I. 100-101). Iago has taken complete control of Othello and has him watching and imagining Cassio talking about his wife and smiling and laughing. When Iago comes to see what Othello thinks after seeing this conversation Othello yells, “Ay let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live!” (IV. I. 175-176). He has completely lost himself by this point, wanting to murder his true love without asking her once about it. He smothers his love and only a few moments later discover he had allowed himself to be dec eived by the treacherous Iago. This crushing realization and the loss of his love made Othello attempt taking his own life at the end of t he novel symbolizing his absolute detest for his self-discovered loss of identity and a will to expel it at all costs. The change in the setting of the novel is a necessary and purposeful switch from order to chaos. Othello was a happy man in Venice with all his problems being solved by simple confrontation and the acts of higher justice. But in Cyprus, evil is allowed to prevail due to the lack of order and mistrust that pollutes the minds of even the best men in the right situations. Indeed, as Lodovico rem arks, it “…would not be beliv’d in Venice,” (IV.I.236).
