Shakespeare's Othello

"Othello" is a wonderfully constructed tragedy. At its core, we have Othello, an experienced black general, who is however terribly naive off the battle field and puts his trust in anyone who seems remotely honest. After his marriage to Desdemona, a white senator's daughter, Othello departs with her to Cyprus to fight the Turcs. Once there, however, his ensign Iago proceeds to torment him by suggesting that Desdemona is unfaithful to him; Othello believes him and thus leads the play to its tragic ending. What is played upon here is the subtle difference between semblance and truth - Othello trusts too easily the ironicaly called "honest Iago" and only believes what he sees. He demands proof, but the "proof" that Iago gives him is nothing more than a subtle game of illusion in which Iago seems honest and Desdemona unfaithful. Language plays an interesting part also, with Othello believing every one of Iago's sly suggestions and interpreting Desdemona's innocent replys as proof of her infidelity. The play is constructed around two couples: Othello and Desdemona, Iago and his wife Emilia. Both are jealous men, Iago believing his wife has been unfaithful to him with the general - and yet Othello isn't, like Iago, evil by nature, just a weak trusting fool. Desdemona and Emilia are both innocent of these charges, and yet the former is more pure and naive than the down to earth Emilia.What is remarkable in this play is the tension between conflicting forces or themes: between the honest Othello and the evil Iago; between the "angel" Desdemona and, in turn, the "devil" Othello/Iago; between illusion and truth; jealousy and trust; appearances and proof; good and evil, black and white. Like King Lear, like OEdipus, Othello is blind to the truth and only realises it too late.