Similarities Between Titivillus And Othello

Finally, neither villain is apprehended at the end of their respective plays, but both survive their resolutions in one form or another. After Titivillus lies to the sleeping Mankind, the demon announces to the audience: “Farwell, everychon! for I have don my game,/ For I have brought Mankynde to myscheff and to schame” (605-606). In this way, Titivillus disappears unscathed and unharmed following his deception of his victim. Furthermore, at the end of Mankind, when Mercy saves Mankind from his despair, Mercy orders Mankind to “[b]eware of Titivillus with his net, and all of his envious will,/...Let him [Titivillus] not have his will!/… -God send yow good perseverans!” (895, 897-898). As a result, since Mercy tells Mankind this, Titivillus proves to be a recurring and everlasting villain that cannot be defeated directly. Instead, Mankind can only resist Titivillus indirectly through being steadfast in his labor despite the many obstructions and hardships with which Titivillus tries to burden Mankind.

Rather, upon learning Iago has deceived him into killing his wife, Othello says, “If that thou [Iago] be’st a devil, I cannot kill thee” (5.2. 295) and subsequently wounds Iago; however, after being struck, Iago states, “I bleed, sir, but not killed” (5.2. 296). Here, since Othello can wound Iago, Iago does not prove exactly to be the actual embodiment of a demon like Titivillus, yet, since Iago does not die, he assumes a similar primordial status of pure untouchable evil. In this way, despite Iago’s obvious mortal and assailable body, his metaphysical villainy cannot be directly overcome by Othello due to its abstract