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Love in "Othello"
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A complete A* A-Level essay on the theme of Love in Shakespeare's play, "Othello" for Pearson Edexcel English Literature A Level.
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To fully understand Shakespeare’s presentation of the theme of love in “Othello”, it is necessary to understandits role and significance in the play, and what Shakespeare is using it to express. Love is an omnipresent theme,
in which, can be seen through practically every character and their relationships in the play, explored through
romantic, homoerotic, platonic and unrequited love. This drives the plot, largely due to Venetian women's
stereotypes as being disloyal, meaning that despite Desdemona's genuine romantic love for her husband, Othello
still believes she has been promiscuous. Shakespeare subtly hints at female relationships or friendships being
stronger than those between women and men; platonic love is stronger than romantic love, since Desdemona
and Emilia's relationship bears out right until the play's close, whereas Desdemona and Othello's relationship is
what causes the tragedy.
Firstly, at the start of the play, romantic love is presented through the relationship between the newly-weds,
Desdemona and Othello. In Scene One, Othello states that if he "were now to die, 'twere now to be most happy".
The superlative "most" marks this scene as being the peak and epitome of their happiness, possibly hinting at the
fact that from this point onwards, this love can only deteriorate as it is at its greatest point at the beginning of the
play. Additionally, Desdemona's genuine romantic love for Othello is further evident through her risking her
reputation for being with him. Her statement "I do perceive here a divided duty", shows this; reputation in the
Elizabethan era was of high value (observable through Cassio and Othello later in the play). When taking her
circumstances into account (being white, reputable and of high status), we view Desdemona's submission to a
black man (rather than her Duke father) as defiance to both her family and society. By doing so, she risks her
reputation and status for her genuine romantic love for her husband. This genuine romance is furthered by the
constant iambic pentameter used throughout the two's conversations at the start of the play: "look if my gentle
love be not raised up"; "what would you ask me that I should deny". Shakespeare famously uses this pentameter
in his sonnets, of which express deep romantic love as it mimics a heartbeat sound, hence re-emphasising their
genuine romantic love. Furthermore, as the play progresses, love and loyalty become synonymous and hence we
can observe love through loyal acts. Othello's comments on his wife, and states that "like the base Indian, threw
a pearl away". This simile implies that Desdemona is not only beautiful and of great value to him, but also, since
white has connotations of purity, he believes she is loyal. Similarly, the strawberries on Desdemona's
handkerchief represent purity; they were carved onto stone pillars outside cathedrals as they allude to the Virgin
Mary. Boose even states that the red and white is "emblematic proof of the marital blood pledge", showing the
occurrence of consummation. As a result, it is evident that Desdemona has genuine loyalty to, and love for, her
husband. However, as the play progresses, Othello believes her to be disloyal and having a lack of love for him,
hence leading to the play's dramatic and tragic ending through unrequited love.
This unrequited love is highly evident by the end of the play through Desdemona and Othello's relationship, as
their relationship has deteriorated. Othello eventually agrees with the views of Burton and Coryat, who state that
"wives are slippery, often unfaithful", and "open their quivers to every arrow". Othello, despite his wife's love
for him, threatens to "tear her to pieces", while he "gnaw[s]" and "foam[s] at the mouth" (which confirms
Africanus' view of black "wrath"). This point in the play marks the deterioration of their love to a point of no
return. While Othello presents his hatred of his wife, Desdemona continues to express her love for him, right up
to the play's tragic ending. While Emilia blames men "if wives do fall", Desdemona acts as a dramatic foil,
hence meaning she believes women are responsible for their own suffering – shown at the end with her
statement that there is "no such woman" who could cheat on her husband, and her last words ("I, myself") being
self-depreciating. She must have genuinely believed this as she states it on her deathbed (Jacobeans would have
valued this vow as she would go to hell if it was a lie, reinforcing wedding vows where women have a duty to
“honour and obey” to the point where she’s willing to sacrifice her soul). The contrast between the attitudes of
Othello and Desdemona to each-other present the theme of unrequited love, in which, causes the tragedy.
Meanwhile, as Desdemona and Othello's romantic love deteriorates to cause the ending, Emilia and
Desdemona's platonic love bears out right until the play's close. The two's friendship may be deeper than
initially presented by Shakespeare. One of Emilia's last words in her final monologue was to "lay me by my
mistress's side". The act of being buried next to a loved one is typically reserved for that of a romantic couple,
such as a husband or a wife as it was believed that your souls would rest together and be united again in the
afterlife. This emphasises Emilia's eternal devotion to Desdemona. In the Elizabethan era, women traditionally
had a duty to obey their husbands, so Emilia's devotion to Desdemona rather than to Iago highlights her defiance
to the patriarchy and her love for Desdemona. Similarly, while Desdemona's last words are self-denigrating due
to her "duty" to Othello, Emilia's last words are in defence of Desdemona, telling him that his wife was "chaste",
further showing their strong platonic love. This love is further presented through the willow scene, where both
women are united in song, "willow, willow, willow", synonymously victims of the savage and brutal patriarchy.
Singing is critically regarded to be the peak and epitome of emotion in Shakespearean plays, further showing the
extreme platonic love between these two women, which stretched throughout the play's entirety.
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