Michael Eza

Othello: A Warlock Or A Warrior



Posted: Tuesday, October 04, 2011

by Michael Eza

Othello: A Warlock Or A Warrior

The handkerchief in Othello is perceived as something different to each person who touches it, but for Othello, Desdemona and Iago it represents magic, devotion and power respectively. Michael C. Andrews argues in his article “Honest Othello”, that although Othello is an honest man, he does believe in magic and comes from a different land with different beliefs and customs than the rest of the characters in the play; because of this he must at times be dishonest in order to appear acceptable and appropriate. Andrews uses the handkerchief in Othello to show Othello as dishonest by citing that he gives two accounts of where the handkerchief has come from. In one account Othello tells Desdemona that it is essentially filled with magic and acquired by his mother in Egypt, but in another he gives to Gratiano, he states the handkerchief is an ancient family heirloom. Iago knows what the handkerchief represents to Othello and because of this he sees how it can be used as a weapon against Othello. Meanwhile Desdemona believes it is a sign of Othello’s devotion and symbol of his love, which in a way it is. Despite the fact that Andrews believes the handkerchief is seen by Othello to be a magical love-charm, he argues against the idea that Othello believed the handkerchief to have any power over Desdemona’s love to him. Andrews instead remarks that the handkerchief will assure that Othello will remain in love with Desdemona.

Othello’s first gift to Desdemona is the handkerchief. This to Desdemona may have, at the time, been a simple sign of affection as people of her status were often privy to presents of all kinds from many people, suitors or not. But Othello knew the importance of the gift at the time he gave it to her and in giving it to her; he has dedicated himself to winning her heart. To Othello, who came up from the ranks of being a slave, this is the proper and most assured way of winning the affection of a loved one. He needs the magic aspect to believe it is possible to win her heart and he doesn’t see any reason as to why the father would need to be present during this matter. To Othello this is a normal way of wooing a mate, but it is contrary to at least two beliefs or customs of European society. The first is that magic of any kind was blasphemous in Europe during Shakespeare’s time and blasphemers were often captured and tortured by the members of the Spanish Inquisition, this is probably why he made no mention of its origins when he gave it to Desdemona. Furthermore, Othello did not win the approval of Desdemona’s father Brabantino before he began to woo her, nor did he have her father’s blessing until after the wedding. The government officials and even Brabantino himself seem to accept these actions as cultural differences, but ordinarily Brabantino would have had the right to choose who his daughter married, but for that choice he would have had to pay a dowry, which it seems is left undone in this play. This is the beginning of Othello’s showing of a dishonest character.

As the play continues Othello’s character turns from ignorant or secretive to dishonest and murderous. Andrews mentions that Othello can honestly say that he did not use magic to control Desdemona, but when he is directly questioned by Gratiano about the origins and implications of his handkerchief his reply is “It was a handkerchief, an antique token / My father gave my mother” (Andrews 273). This may not be an outright lie, as in Europe the custom and law stated that women could not own property; therefore Othello’s father would have had to have purchased it for her, but Andrews mentions this is an unconvincing argument. Andrews instead cites that Othello feels, at the moment the scene occurs, a natural desire to hide any notions that might contribute to Gratiano’s or Branbitino’s beliefs in his barbarism.

Othello has a large ego at the beginning of the play and Andrews mentions that the more recent critics of Othello have used this as a key to interpreting his actions. Othello’s ego and pride cloud his vision at first. In the first scene he is so secure in his stations that he has no idea why he is being summoned to the Duke, but this summoning is the beginning of a breaking down of his ego. Iago is the perpetuator of Othello’s loss of pride throughout the play, and he uses the handkerchief to achieve power while deceiving everyone else. Iago, unlike the others characters in the play, is aware of Othello’s superstitions and customs and because of this he is able to use them against Othello’s better judgment. Andrews cites two instances where Iago uses Othello’s superstitions to deceive him of the truth. The first is the description of Cassio’s dream and the second is the current whereabouts of the handkerchief. Andrews mentions that although both pieces of information are effective in tricking Othello into jealousy; the dream causes Othello to lament while the news of the handkerchief causes Othello to seek retribution and to vocalize his intentions, as such “I’ll tear her all to pieces” (Andrews 280). Despite the actual truth of the matter, Othello believes he is in earnest because of both his ego and misinformation and these factors are what create the monster that emerges out of Othello, and not his own fruitions.

Othello’s character certainly does deteriorate as the play progresses, but I am inclined to believe that Othello is more naïve or ignorant than he is dishonest. Despite that, his naivety, ignorance and misinformation make him appear dishonest to those he holds court with, and this view of him slowly overtakes the court and finally Othello, himself. The proof of Othello’s true honesty is in his dying words. As Andrews mentions through quoting Nevill Coghill Othello’s defeat is his trust in his people, “the greatness in defeat of a noble but erring nature” (Andrews 274), not a realization of his dishonesty. Othello realizes he had been dishonest, but this realization is not why he kills himself. He kills himself because his trust and true beliefs allow him to become dishonest, so it is not himself he is disappointed in, but the world he lives in.

Works Cited

Andrews, Michael C. “Honest Othello”. Studies in English Literature 1500-1900. Vol. 13. No. 2 Spring, 1973. Online.

Shakespeare, William. Othello. ~1603.
Michael is an activist who has helped solve problems with the environment, children's health and he has helped to find missing children.

Take a look at some of his stories and feel free to comment, like, or high 5 them. He generally writes about all sorts of topics, most of his recent topics are about teaching, writing and poetry.

Love the words! Wryte Stuff.
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