The Two Sides of Othello

William Shakespeare introduces the title character of the play Othello as a man who is well respected by the citizens of Venice. Othello is an esteemed military man whose conquests have added to Venice’s glory. He has always lived in the public eye and been held in high regard. When he is confronted with the possibility of his new bride’s infidelity, Othello does not know how to confront and control these new emotions. Othello’s lack of understanding of his personal self and emotions leads to his downfall and tragedy within the play. Shakespeare uses Othello to illustrate that one’s public reputation holds no merit if he is unable to understand and confront his emotions and personal actions.

In Act I, Shakespeare establishes Othello’s public persona. Othello has served in the military since he was seven years old, and his life has been one of “feats of broils and battle” (1.3.89). As he explains to Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, Othello gained the favor of Desdemona through his heroic tales of the battlefield and of the dangers he overcame. Instead of appealing to Desdemona on a personal level, Othello intrigues her with his accounts of military courage. Desdemona learns of Othello’s public demeanor, but nothing of his private life. Prior to their marriage, Othello does not show an interest in Desdemona and therefore he does not attempt to woo her. Instead, Desdemona falls in love with Othello’s public identity. Othello has relied on his public reputation, and he has not had to face complicated personal relationships and emotions.

Shakespeare first alludes to Othello’s need to hide behind his public persona in the first scene of the play. Iago says, “But he, as loving his own pride and purposes, / Evades them with a bombast c...

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...rous rage. His public persona is one of high reputation and standards, and Othello refuses to be shamed so publicly by his new bride. It is in this downfall of Othello’s public image that he allows his personal self to give way to his passions and emotions. It is likely that he has never had to face these emotions before, and being a military man has not prepared him for the life of a domesticated husband. Instead, Othello succumbs to his jealousy and passions, which could have been great to woo and make love to Desdemona, but he was too busy carrying out his military duties to prove that love would not get in the way of his military needs in Cyprus. Othello is an idiot.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Othello. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Writing. 3rd ed. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Boston: Longman, 2010. 772-885. Print.