Reckless Decision-Making In Othello In Shakespeare's Play

throughout Shakespeare’s play. Othello displays this in the plays opening when he elopes with Desdemona, without her father’s permission, disregarding the consequences:

Highly significant, too, is the fact that he does not seem to feel any remorse for this most peculiar procedure. When at last he has to face the irate Brabantio, he gives no explanation, offers no apology for his conduct. Everything in his attitude shows that he is completely unaware of infringing the mores of Venetian society, the ethical code of Christian behavior, and the sophisticated conventions of polite morality. (Scott 432)

The audience is immediately presented with reckless decision making from the play’s protagonist. Othello is displayed throughout the play as

Once again Othello’s lack of self-awareness is brought to light and he cannot recognize jealousy or bias within himself. (Iliff 8) Consequently, when Othello learns of his misplaced trust, his mental state starts to deteriorate. He can not conceive that he has been duped by the man he trusted more than anyone. Othello trusted Iago more than his own wife, and when he realizes this, he plunges into utter madness. Therefore this realization leads to him taking his life:

Othello descends quickly into madness after realizing how thoroughly he had been deceived and, in his despair, he commits suicide. This could denote Othello’s devastating inability to manage and regulate his emotions, and consequently his behavior, appropriately…Second, Othello’s decrease in emotional intelligence at the end of the play may essentially be what prevents him from recognizing the fundamental solution of his conflict and, thus, what leads him to believe that ending his life would be the only fitting resolution. (Cundiff

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