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  • Essay / Death as Sacrifice: "Othello" by William Shakespeare

    "I must cry, / But they are cruel tears," Othello says near the end of his soliloquy in Act Five, Scene Two, just before kill Desdemona. Traditional Shakespearean murderers do not shed tears before killing their victim; In Shakespeare's Othello, however, the Moor is an ambivalent man who justifies his actions through a cathartic release of his emotions. Shakespeare employs techniques including clever use of soliloquy, use of repetition in diction, and tangible symbolism which together support his important underlying theme of Othello: preserving the ideal of justice. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The clever use of a soliloquy in Othello's speech creates intimacy between the reader and Othello; this helps to understand Othello's preservation of the ideal of justice. Because the speaker is speaking to no one other than his soul, we, the readers, play the role of a mirror reflecting his image, while assuming our own perspective. In doing so, we feel much closer to him than if he were speaking to another speaker and the reader was simply watching from a stranger's perspective. Shakespeare reminds readers that Othello is not happy with his decision, and so when he says, "Let me not tell you, chaste stars" (line 1), he does not want the stars to hear from Othello himself why he wants to commit such a crime. He is uncomfortable telling not just any stars - but chaste stars - about Desdemona's alleged infidelity. Here we literally enter his mind. In a very palpable way, the reader feels more of this insight in Othello's mind through his determination. When Othello says, "Yet she must die, or she will betray more men (line 6)", he is implying that he is killing Desdemona for his own good and that by committing this murder he is doing justice to all those men. to whom she would have been unfaithful. When he says, “Turn out the light (line 7),” Othello is speaking to himself – obviously as happens in the soliloquies – but also to the “mirrored” reader. As he asks us to turn off the lights, while he himself goes to “put out the light” (line 8) by killing Desdemona, the reader feels a sense of closeness and intimacy between him and Othello. Othello will then question himself, “Shall I repent, (line 10)” from which we, the readers, feel empathy for him as he expresses remorse. Shakespeare wrote such an important line in order to convey the ambivalence in Othello, whose mixed feelings of obtaining justice and remorse create an image of Othello not as a merciless beast, but as a human just like the reader himself- even. This clever use of soliloquy is almost a tête-à-tête between Othello and his conscience, a role that the reader assumes by default. Since Othello shares his feelings with his conscience and ultimately with the reader, he conveys true emotions that make the reader sympathize with his actions. The reader immediately feels this sympathy for Othello even more powerfully. When he states, “I will kill you, / And I will love you afterwards (lines 18-19),” his love knows no bounds and even the death of Desdemona herself cannot extinguish his love for her. As he speaks to the sleeping Desdemona, he offers her recompense for her murder – loving her even after her death. The reader understands how much Othello loves Desdemona and how much it hurts him to kill her. However, justice must prevail and his death is certain since Shakespeare implements Othello to preserve.