Shakespeare's Othello: For Love Or Ambition?

Friendship and Marriage in Shakespeare’s Othello: For Love or Ambition?

Othello is a classic Shakespearean tragedy: one involving love, friendship, betrayal, and death. While friendship and marriage are initially introduced as noble and innocent, betrayal and manipulation point to the fact that marriage and friendship are used as tools for ambition and upward mobility than for love. In this play, betrayal between friends and army comrades, is always catalyzed by a manipulation of romance for upward mobility in Venetian army ranks. Brabantio’s relationship with Othello, not only betrays his obvious racism, but exposes the fact that he views Desdemona’s marriage to Othello as a threat to his social rank. Shakespeare’s Othello exposes the tension

Roderigo’s desire for Desdemona leads him to conspire with Iago to divulge details about Othello and Desdemona’s elopement to her father Brabantio, who believes that the ‘Moor’ is unworthy of his daughter, because he holds the esteemed position of senator: “I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are making the beast with two backs…You are a senator” (Pechter 7). Iago, Desdemona and Roderigo all agree that Othello does not deserve Desdemona, not only because she is the daughter of a senator, but because he is Moorish which diminishes his status, though he is an acclaimed general in the Venetian army. Othello, however, feels that because he is a high ranking member in the army and an upright and honorable man, he is worthy of Desdemona, something nobody else can see. It is important to note that Othello is a prince in his country, but that status does not translate in Italy because of his race: “When Othello’s marriage is challenged, Othello rests his defense upon his abilities, his rank, his virtue, and his service to the state. As the attitudes of Iago, Roderigo, and Brabantio make clear, none of these is relevant to the most fundamental threat he poses: that of miscegenation” (Berry 324). Berry emphasizes that despite Othello’s upright character, he cannot transcend his status as a Moor, a status that not only dictates whom he can and cannot marry, but one that constantly makes him an easy target for manipulation. Othello’s love for Desdemona is not seen as genuine, but as opportunistic, as it would have the ability to raise his status, much to the detriment of Brabantio. Marriage and romance become inevitably tied with social class and societal