Corruption In Othello Essay

Everyone has their own values, and is hoped that these values can be held when their integrity is challenged. In Shakespeare’s, Othello, characters experience self corruption and decay that ultimately alters their moral and logical values for the worse, which is due to their emotional responses, when troubling situations are presented. Characters, such as Othello and Desdemona, have allowed these emotions of jealousy and love to affect their own self perceptions of morality and logic. A depiction of moral decay or corruption can be seen through Othello’s confrontations throughout the story. He has allowed his feelings of jealousy to blind him so much, that he has come up with unnecessary justifications for killing the woman he loves. For example,

In his jealousy he has given into doubt and later a sureness of Desdemona’s sins. For example, when speaking to Iago, in regards to Desdemona’s dishonesty, he responds to Iago in saying, “For she had eyes, and chose me. No, Iago; I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And on the proof, there is no more” (3.3.220-222). Othello is confident in his statements of her love, but he begins to show doubt in his mention of proof. Him mentioning proof brings doubt, because he is accepting the possibility that there might be proof to be seen of Desdemona’s dishonesty. Othello, after killing Desdemona, even comes to a realization of his actions when he says, “Then must you speak. Of one that loved not wisely, but too well; Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme” (5.2.402-405). Othello is becoming aware of his irrational acceptance, and has begun to know that is was his emotions of jealousy are what corrupted his love. He has realized this at a moment when his actions had already been followed through. Once he had competed his actions and there was an absence of jealousy and anger, he had become fully aware of what he had done. This had brought him a regret and hindsight, that he otherwise would not have though of in his emotional