Othello's Downfall Analysis

Who is responsible for Othello’s downfall? I believe the fact that Othello got jealous easily makes it easy for him to get manipulated. Moreover, he trusted a man under his command and believed whatever Iago told him, showing his naïve. These make many presume Othello himself is responsible for his failure. In my eye he should hold the responsibility to his own downfall. That Othello avoided assigning any blame to Iago finishes him off. In the end, Othello made terrible mistakes that were not intentionally cruel. However these mistakes amounted to unintentional cruelty. He is responsible in this regard.

Othello was responsible for his own downfall as he was easily manipulated by Iago showing him to be gullible and naïve. Iago manipulated

However, it becomes clear that Othello never fully accepted the fact that he was worthy of her choice. Othello 's love for her is more than a simple affection so that Othello became susceptible to Iago 's manipulations. It reveals an almost surprised element to have been chosen as seen in Act II, scene 1: It gives me wonder great as my content to see you here before me. Oh, my soul’s joy! If after every tempest come such calms, May the winds blow till they have wakened death, And let the laboring bark climb hills of seas Olympus-high, and duck again as low As hell’s from heaven! If it were now to die, 'Twere now to be most happy, for I fear My soul hath her content so absolute That not another comfort like to this Succeeds in unknown

This shows that there are clearly many other opinions. The critic Bradley, for instance, sees Othello as ‘a noble creature’. He says the play is about ‘Iago’s evil intention and Othello’s self-defeating idealism’. Leavis (also a critic) states the play is about ‘Othello’s blindness’. Both critics have valid points for what they state. Bradley says that Othello is a trusting person, “His trust, where he trusts is absolute” though Leavis objects to this, “We must add that this is true only of his trust of Iago, not of his wife”. Leavis states that Othello is more responsible for his downfall than Bradley does. Where Bradley excuses Othello’s behavior, Leavis blames him for it.

In conclusion, there appears an ambiguity about Othello 's behavior. He was a general, dignified and upstanding yet gullible, passionate and naïve. I think that Othello is responsible for his action although I do not think all those murders would have happened if it wasn 't for the meddling of Iago. Therefore the influence of Iago can never be discounted and no clear conclusion could ever be made involucrate the