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Does Othello Love Desdemona

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Would you kill your significant other because your friend suggested they were cheating? In a marriage trust is everything, therefore solid evidence of your spouse cheating would need to be an obligation before ending the commitment. Desdemona is loyal to Othello throughout their entire marriage, he should have trusted her over Iago. Othello seems to be a better friend than husband as he is trustworthy of Iago’s lies. He is devoted to Iago’s plan and decides that he will go through with the killing of his own wife. Jealousy cannot over power genuine love, therefore Othello doesn’t love Desdemona, however he simply loves how much affection she has for his struggles. Othello doesn’t deserve sympathy because he doesn’t know how to genuinely love …show more content…

Even with the impression that Desdemona is cheating, it doesn’t justify Othello physically putting his hands her. Iago uses Othello’s jealousy to an advantage is when Cassio suspiciously hurries away from Desdemona in result of seeing Othello and Iago enter the room. While Cassio and Desdemona are talking they see Othello and Iago enter, therefore Cassio decides he should leave to avoid any awkwardness, however Iago takes this opportunity to make it seem as if Cassio leaving is something it’s not at all. When Othello tries to confirm that it was Cassio who rushed off, Iago sneakily replies “Cassio, my lord? No, sure, I cannot think it/ That he would steal away so guilty-like/ Seeing …show more content…

Othello is enraged when he finds out that Desdemona lost his handkerchief, a sign of her loyalty. “That’s a fault. That handkerchief/ Did an Egyptian to my mother give,/ She was a charmer and could almost read/ The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it/ “Twould make her amiable and subdue my father/ Entirely to her love, but if she lost it/ Or made gift of it, my father’s eye/ Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt/ After new fancies. She, dying, gave it to me/ And bid me, when my fate would have me wived,/ To give it to her.”(3,4,56-65). Othello believes that the handkerchief means she is his and is loyal to him, but once she loses it, she

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If Othello had directly questioned Desdemona about her relationship with Cassio or told her about his insecurities about her faithfulness, their fate could have been avoided; however, Othello’s ignorance of Desdemona’s loyalty and Iago’s deceitfulness prevents him from reasoning and intensifies his rage towards Desdemona. Similarly, Desdemona’s failure to speak out against Othello’s unjust behavior or to tell the truth about the lost handkerchief enables Othello to believe Iago’s slanderous opinions, for there is no verbal evidence to say otherwise. The possibility of redemption for the couple is most possible in the end when had Othello not have been consumed by anger or had Desdemona not been overwhelmed by grief and despair, their conflicts could have been

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Iago was really trying to convince othello that Cassio is not and honest and that he is sleeping with Desdemona.this characterizes Iago as a deceitful person who tricks people into believing what is not true. In Iago’s second attempt to convince Othello, he tries to convince him by appealing to his logos by saying “she did deceive her father, marrying you; and when she seemed to shake and fear your looks, she loved them most” (III,iii,233-235). This is another way by which Iago is trying to tell Othello about his wife. He is trying to put doubt into the moors mind. This reveals Iago’s deceitful nature when he is placing these doubts into Othello’s head by asking she deceived her father, why not deceive you too?

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At this point in the play Iago had told Othello just enough to make him start to doubt his relationship with Desdemona. Iago realized that the small details would begin to drive Othello mad and he would believe anything, even if it was not real evidence of a relationship between Desdemona and Cassio. Othello will eventually let the Jealously take over and kill his wife over the lies told by

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810 Words | 4 Pages

It is comments like these that causes the fear in the people on the other side of the relationship. Desdemona starts to recognize behavioral changes in Othello and she is willing to do anything to save their relationship. Desdemona dropped and lost her handkerchief that Othello gave her as his first gift for her. Othello asks to see it and Desdemona responds “It is not lost, but what an if it were?” (III.

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943 Words | 4 Pages

When Desdemona loses her handkerchief, “The resulting chain reaction leads to her brutal murder at the hands of her enraged husband” (Arogundade). The meaning and the magic of determining fate that the handkerchief possesses is all in Othello’s mind, making him vulnerable to anything odd that he perceives. This loss drives him mad and brings him terrible grief. The bond that the handkerchief provides for the two lovers is actually a curse picked out by fate. This handkerchief, meant to bring good fortune to their love, became a key factor in

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1767 Words | 8 Pages

It is derail-able and eternal which provides Othello with intensity and not direction that gives Desdemona an access to his heart and not his own mind. Different types of love give various meanings between the different characters (Joan, 29). In this scenario, Othello finds that in marriage, love is as a result of building trust and recognition which when not taken into consideration might lead to warfare among the partners in a relationship. The immediate relationship and attraction between Othello and Desdemona work upon passion and his wife build a steadfast passion which is devoted to strength and speed which her husband, Othello cannot in equal. As a result, Iago falsely often professes love relationship and friendship between Cassio and Roderigo and in turn, betrays them all.

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First deception being between Desdemona, Othello, and her father with the elopement. Next, The lack of communication between the two characters signifies the type of relationship Othello and Desdemona had. Despite the fact that each were loyal to each other, it proves to show how unhealthy their relationship truly was, and reflects how it was in the beginning as well when they eloped and how much it was a bad idea. Iago, however, remained sovereign over their relationship, allowing the loves to fall right into his trap. However, Iago is not the only one that is to take all the blame.

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731 Words | 3 Pages

Also, “Othello views the handkerchief as a symbol of Desdemona’s fidelity, in a sense, each time it is “handled,” Desdemona’s purity diminishes in Othello’s estimation. ”(Huq,

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817 Words | 4 Pages

The Handkerchief – The symbol of Othello’s love for Desdemona. Also the crux of his jealousy/ Iago’s primary tool in planting the seed of jealousy. Themes: Manipulation-

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In the story of Othello, the handkerchief is of vital importance to the plot. This object was a major piece in the game that Iago played by manipulating Othello and convincing the audience of Desdemona's infidelity. Furthermore, this symbol brings to light unto Iago, Desdemona, Othello and the character of Emilia, and is such of vital importance to the overall characterization. This handkerchief has the symbolic meaning that reveals Othellos social background, his treatment of his wife, and the remaining characters feelings toward her husband.

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1338 Words | 6 Pages

I never gave him token” (Shakespeare 5.2.58-61). Desdemona has been nothing but truthful and honest with her husband and even though he does not believe her, she continues to give her honesty in stating that she has not cheated on Othello with Cassio, therefore proving her loyalty. By making such a statement, her goal is to verbally please her husband in hopes that he would be rational and realize she has not been disloyal to him as she loves him and does not believe in adultery. Othello is convinced that Desdemona is adulterous therefore Desdemona wants to change his mind about her untrue acts adultery by reassuring him that her loyalty still stands as it has from the beginning. Similarly to Desdemona and her loyalty to Othello, Emilia is just as loyal to her husband, Iago.

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674 Words | 3 Pages

In Othello, Shakespeare uses the handkerchief, given to desdemona by Othello, to symbolize the love and relationship between the couple. The handkerchief is Desdemona’s most prized possession, and she almost never lets it out of her sight, demonstrating her loyalty towards Othello. Once Iago gets the handkerchief, it becomes “handled” by ay almost every character, which reflects a significant problem existing within the marriage” (Huq). After Iago persuades Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful, the entire marriage spirals downward. The handkerchief reverts from displaying love between each other, to displaying the corruption in their marriage.

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876 Words | 4 Pages

Due to the fact that there is not a single relationship in Othello that demonstrates true friendship, the tragedy unfolds and results in all characters ' demise. This can be seen when Othello vilifies Desdemona for being a disastrous wife and says, "I will withdraw, To furnish me with some swift means of death, For the fair devil [Desdemona]. Now art thou my lieutenant" (3.3 543-545). As a result, this shows how arguably the most sacred friendship is not even true in between Othello and Desdemona. Othello is notably naive in this instance due to the fact that he puts his wife on death row based on the suspicion Iago planted.

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970 Words | 4 Pages

But, Othello did not seem to think so. This caused Iago to feel like he wasn 't appreciated and he vowed to get revenge on Othello. He got his revenge by working Othello 's mind to believe that Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio. After Iago got Cassio drunk one night, Cassio lost his place as lieutenant. Iago suggested that he go plead to Desdemona to show her he is a good man, and then she would convince Othello.

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1040 Words | 5 Pages

In this instance, it is again the characters that apply the meaning to the object through their language. Othello interprets the handkerchief as an object of power within his relationship, according to scholar Harry Berger; "[Othello] interprets [the loss of the handkerchief] as misuse of the generous gift of power he has bestowed on [Desdemona], the apotropaic power to ward off the contamination of their coupling by moderating the sexuality she arouses. This...alienated power, together with the sexuality he both desires and fears, makes Desdemona her captain’s captain and her general’s general" (Berger 238). Iago even recognizes this and mentions his commander’s new “general” (Shakespeare, 2.3.333-334). This power is specifically assigned to the handkerchief by Othello when he says it has the power to subdue him entirely to her love (Shakespeare 3.4.70).

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