Examples Of Judgement In Othello

Making a good choice results from having good judgement and, likewise, making a bad choice results from having bad judgement. In Shakespeare’s Othello, the title character Othello demonstrates an extraordinary case of deficient judgement; he believes a false accusation against his wife’s fidelity and then chooses to murder her based upon this purported unfaithfulness. While shocking in and of its self, Othello’s occupation makes this lack of judgement even more surprising; as Governor of Cyprus, Othello’s office would require this judicial capacity. Since Montano considers Othello a worthy governor of Cyprus and its people adore him, it seems likely Othello did in fact possess this requisite good judgment prior to committing his egregious error.

As Hoover Jordan comments in his article “Dramatic Illusion in Othello,” Othello “is simply amiable in thinking the best of his fellow men” (Jordan, 1950). Consistent with his position as a man of justice, Othello maintains the attitude fundamental to the legal system: people are innocent until proven guilty. With his astute understanding of human nature, Iago understands Othello’s trusting personality and how he can take advantage of it. In the last scene of the first act, where he first envisions how to cause Othello’s demise, Iago recognizes that Othello “thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are” (Shakespeare, I. iii.429-431). Thus Othello’s strong disposition to trust people poses a vulnerability to his judgment, since he readily follows those in whom he trusts. Iago knowingly and purposefully capitalizes on this vulnerability to work Othello’s

However, Iago’s scheme requires that Othello trust him at a deeper level than just Othello’s general receptivity towards people, since it requires that Othello trust his word over the word of others. As Jordan notes, Othello makes an “obtuse…decision to place his reliance on Iago rather than his wife” (Jordan, 1950). But why does Othello make this decision to trust Iago so deeply? The past history between Othello and Iago serves as one possible answer. Iago relates to Roderigo in the first scene of the first act how he and Othello served together at “Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds Christian and heathen” (Shakespeare, I. i. 30-31). Thus Jordan explains Othello’s decision by arguing that “Othello chooses to believe the one he has known the longer” (Jordan, 1950). Therefore Iago’s deception takes advantage of the strong trust Othello has for Iago based upon their longstanding