Examples Of Commitment In Othello

Commitment has a positive connotation; commitments to marriage, family or extracurricular activities may be the first things that come to mind upon hearing commitment. Commitments, however, can be good or bad. When individuals are unsure about their circumstances and then are deceived and manipulated by others, they may commit themselves to a course of action which results in extreme and rash decisions. These rash decisions often end in regret and anguish. Othello from Shakespeare’s Othello is a great example of this idea. When Othello is unsure about Desdemona’s faithfulness and he is further deceived and manipulated by Iago, he then commits to punishing Desdemona which results in a rash decision to murder her. His deed later causes him immense

At first the thought that Desdemona is not loyal vexes Othello and he seems to reject the implication. He says, “If she be false, O then heaven mocks itself; I’ll not believe it” (III, iii, 280-281); Othello has the highest opinion of Desdemona and thinks of her as an angel. His perception of her being angelic and placing her high on the Elizabethan Chain of Being emphasizes how much he admired and trusted her. His movement to doubt her shows an unbalance on the chain of being that foreshadows the ensuing chaos and disasters. Othello’s opinion only becomes twisted as Iago manipulates him with his lies. Othello becomes unsure of Desdemona’s virtue as Iago further deceives him. He states “I think my wife is honest and think she is not” (III, iii, 385-386), an uncertainty which Iago preys upon and exploits. Othello’s confusion develops a need to know more, and a suspicion that gnaws at him. As Iago plans, Othello “changes with [his] poison”(III, iii, 326), thus acting and thinking uncharacteristically. Poison can symbolize deception, corruption or betrayal, thus the use of the word poison to describe Iago’s lies is effective in that there is deception in the lies that Iago uses, betrayal of the Othello’s tragic flaw of trust, and corruption of Othello’s thoughts. This poison works until Othello wholly believes that Desdemona is untrue.

Othello waivers in his decision as he is about to perform the act. Othello tries to justify her murder by reasoning, “It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul” (V, ii, 1); He believes he must kill her because of her acts of adultery and so that “she’ll betray ... men” (V, ii, 6) no longer.
Othello eventually fully commits with the conviction that he can return her to her former glory saying, “If I quench thee … I can again thy former light restore” (V, ii, 8-9). The light imagery is used to symbolize her life, but also may symbolize her goodness and purity. Putting out Desdemona’s light, will not rekindle the light of her goodness.
Othello’s decision to kill Desdemona brings him great regret, anguish and sorrow as he finds that Desdemona was loyal to him the whole time.
When Othello is unsure about Desdemona’s faithfulness and he is further deceived and manipulated by Iago, then he commits to punishing Desdemona which results in a rash decision to murder her. His deed later causes him and those around him immense regret and anguish. When individuals are unsure about their circumstances and then are deceived and manipulated by others they may commit themselves to a course of action which results in extreme and rash decisions. These rash decisions often end in regret and anguish. Human nature wants individuals to have a plan, be sure, Thus commitment must not be taken lightly, but pondered