The Many Flaws of Othello
Although one may seem perfect in characteristic traits, as a human there will always be underlying flaws that shape and differentiate every one of us. To allow these negative traits to manifest and grow out of hand would result in devastating consequences. In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, the downfall of the main character, Othello, was a result of his own weakness and inability to withstand Iago’s manipulations. Iago, the antagonist of the play, helped reveal to the reader various flaws in Othello’s character as he used them to his advantage. However, Iago was only responsible for exposing these weaknesses; therefore Othello’s downfall was ultimately the cause of his own personal problems. Othello could not uphold his higher-order thinking and thus acted irrationally, he could not control his emotions and lost sight of the truth, and he closed his mind to other possibilities and wrongfully trusted Iago’s lies which led to his demise.
The first cause of Othello’s downfall is in his irrational behaviour, brought upon by a loss of higher-order thinking. The irrational thoughts that flood Othello’s mind as he worries about his complications shows how he is unable to control himself, thus causing his character to slowly deteriorate. “Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content!/ Farewell the plumed troops and the big wars/ That makes ambition virtue! Oh, farewell! ... Farewell! Othello’s occupation’s gone,” said Othello (Shakespeare, 3.3.364-373). It is shown in this quote Othello’s wrongful method of thinking. He jumps straight to conclusions instead of properly analyzing the situation which eventually causes him to succumb to the false information. Another example; “I greet thy love,/ Not with vain thanks, but with acceptance bounteous,/ And will upon the instant put thee to’t./ Within these three days let me hear thee say/ That Cassio’s not alive.” (3.3.485-489) Othello’s impulsive behaviour is present once again as he...