Othello Is Passions Fool
Othello is Passion’s Fool When a Shakespearean character becomes “passion’s fool” because of his love for a woman, his ability to reason and discern truth from deceit is weakened. ... In Hamlet, Macbeth, and especially Othello, we see the passion for women and the affect it takes upon the men. In Hamlet, Claudius is “passion’s fool” and Horatio is not. ... In Othello, we notice that the majority of main characters play the role as “passion’s fool.” Critics such as John Arthos see Othello as having two parts: A beginning which seems comical until the point where Othello became internally conflicted over whether or not he can trust his wife, Desdemona. ... At this point in the play, Othello and Desdemona are passionately in love. ... At this point, Othello is happy with his life and marriage. ... ” (II, 1, 223-225) and in response to that Othello says “Amen to that, sweet powers! ... Othello is not the only Shakespearean play in which excessive passion causes the downfall of a character. ... In Macbeth, we see passion take over the character of Macbeth as we saw in Hamlet and Othello. ... The character of Othello changes dramatically from Act one to Act five. In the beginning of the play Othello is desperately in love with a woman who feels the same about him. ... The marriage isn’t the only sure thing in Othello’s life. ... In act 1 Othello shows his happiness and comfortable position in society when he says “Not I. ... However, at the end of the play Othello has changed. ... He realizes that he has become passion’s fool because of his love for Desdemona and knows that this is the reason why he has fallen. He goes from loving Desdemona an believing in love to hating passion and we see this when he says “What should such a fool/ Do with so good a woman” (V, 2, 234-235)? (Cronin 7-9) Some of the major themes in Othello are Jealousy, envy, and hatred. ... Critics argue what Iago’s motive for bringing the relationship between Desdemona and Othello down is. ... There is a theme throughout Othello that shows the opposition of these emotions and love but these emotions root from love. ... Iago despises love because he is envious that he cannot have what Othello and Desdemona have, according to The French Academie. ... His hatred is sparked even more when Othello appoints Cassio as his military lieutenant. Now Iago passionately hates Othello even more and strives to bring him down. ... Iago then urges Reoderigo that Desdemona loved Othello for his “fantastical lies”, that she loved him too violently: “When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be, again to inflame it, and to give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favour, sympathy in years, manners, and beauties; all which the Moor is defective in” (II, 1, 228-233). However, Iago is passions fool and will fall because he is easily played.