Sacrifice In Othello

Moor of a Murderer: Othello’s Role in The Death of Desdemona

In Shakespeare’s Othello, the main character Othello kills his wife by smothering her to death and claiming it to be a sacrifice. There are multiple deaths in Othello, the most prominent however is Desdemona’s death. For centuries scholars have argued over whether her death was a murder or a sacrifice. Evidence from the play and other sources blatantly point to Othello Murdering Desdemona in jealous blood.

When Othello first plots Desdemona’s death, he believes he is saving Desdemona from the racist backlash the public will brand her with if word of her adultery got out. Iago says at the very beginning, “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” (I.I.88-9),

“I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs” (I.I.116-7). This quote is yet another example of the brand placed upon Desdemona by the people and how the decisions she made would affect her for the rest of her life. Desdemona’s father accuses Othello of bewitching his daughter by saying, “She is abused, stol’n from me, and corrupted By medicines bought of mountebanks” (I.III.762). WHile defending his right to be married to Desdemona, Brabantio raises the fact that Othello is weak-minded and suffers from a disorder. Cohen states in his article, The Neuropsychiatric Syndrome of a Psychomotor Seizure Disorder in Shakespeare's Othello, The Moor of Venice, ““The Moor is certainly not of " weak mind " ; he displays a gift of knowledge as well as courage in battle. By his portrayal as an epileptic, his suspiciousness, labile mood, violent aggression, and gullibility are all made more believable to the audience” (Cohen 41). When Othello believed he might just

From the beginning Othello has loved Desdemona and saw nothing but her beauty, understanding and his love for her; “Nearly all male murderers claim that (a) they committed the murder out of love, and (b) it was a result of loving too much” (Ben-Zeev 1). When Iago decimates his views of Desdemona, it is amazing to see how quickly Othello goes from, “I love thee” to “She’s gone, I am abused, and my relief must be to loathe her. Oh, curse of marriage that we can call these delicate creatures ours and not their appetites” (III.III.802). When Othello first assumes Desdemona has been unfaithful he immediately blames females and their “sexual appetite” as a whole. This shows his slightly radical point of views and how he is quick to jump to conclusions without full and solid evidence. “Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned to stone. I strike it and it hurts my hand. Oh, the world hath not a sweeter creature, she might lie by an emperor’s side and command him tasks” (IV.I.818). Othello begins to plot her death and his thirst for vengeance increases. His perception of her completely changes in the span of Iago telling him the “truth” and later that evening. “I will chop her into messes” (IV.I.820). This is not something said before committing a sacrifice; this is something said