29th March 2019
“Othello – we do not approve of his behaviour, but we pity him”. How
far do you agree with the statement?
To an extent, I believe it would be accurate to say that although we as an
audience do not approve of tragic protagonist Othello’s behaviour, we strongly
pity him due to the pains he has endured under Iago. It could be suggested that
we do not pity him in particular moments of anguish, such as during the murder
of Desdemona, however overall, his actions create pathos, heightening the
tragedy.
In Act 1 Scene 1 of ‘Othello’, Othello is illustrated to be not only a cultural and
racial outsider, but also a “thie[f]”, who “rob[s]” Brabantio of his daughter and
uses poison to lure in “his delight”. Both “thieves” and “robbed” have negative
connotations, and immediately suggest that Othello is dangerous, perhaps
foreshadowing the tragic ending; from these descriptions, we do not approve of
his behaviour. Othello is also referred to as “thick lips”, a racial slur which
emphasises his racial and cultural differences, and an “old black ram”. The
colour connotations of “black” imply a racial difference and filth, ugliness and the
devil. Rams, known for their deadly horns, symbolise aggressiveness and power,
suggesting that not only is Iago jealous of Othello’s power, but that he doesn’t
think highly of him, instilling angry, animalistic characteristics into the
audience’s mind. Othello is also described as a “lascivious Moor”, and this
epithet fits the stereotype of how black men were viewed as lustful, sexual men
in Jacobean society. The use of “Moor” and “thick lips” also takes away Othello’s
identity, creating a false image of the man, and one which the audience are
uncertain of. From these descriptions, as an audience we immediately do no
approve of his character and behaviour and no pity is evoked, however as soon
as we meet Othello, this changes.
When the audience first meet Othello in Act 1 Scene 2, Shakespeare creates
chaos as he throws the audience into a state of confusion. In the dramatised
version (1), when Othello enters, the light surrounds him, and it has been framed
so that Othello is in the centre of the screen, suggesting his power and status.
The light immediately suggests positivity, greatness and the complete opposite
of what Iago and Roderigo both described him as. This is instantly reflected in
the play, as Othello is depicted to be a calm, brave and great individual. He
calmly tells Iago to “let [Roderigo] do his spite” as his “services which [he] has
done the signiory shall out-tongue his complaints” which suggests that not only
is Othello self-assured, but also that he’s noble, honourable and a sincere
gentleman; this is the complete opposite of the character in which Iago has
portrayed him to be, and therefore leaves us pitying Othello. In his speech, he
regularly speaks in an iambic rhythm which reflects his certainty as he knows
what he wants to say and is confident within himself; this is accentuated through
his use of long sentences, as seen in the earlier quote, which contrasts to Iago
(antagonist) who is constantly uncertain in what he’s saying. Once again, pathos
is created as we feel pity towards Othello, a noble, confident general, for being
wrongly interpreted, and the tragedy is heightened.
Conversely, towards the end of the play, I begin to question how much I agree
with the statement, as the tragic protagonist leaves me not approving of his
behaviour, but also not pitying him. When Othello loses his temper and finally
decides to murder Desdemona, no pathos is evoked as we now view the once
calm and noble general as an aggressive murderer, confirming Iago’s
(1) Othello. Directed by Trevor Nunn. 1990
