Indeed, the tragedy of the play could have been prevented by recognising Othello’s controlling behaviour towards Desdemona as violence arising out of societal attitudes as much as Othello’s personality. The commission noted that too little effort is devoted to preventing the occurrence of family violence in the first place. Because Othello is resistant to believing in Desdemona’s guilt, Iago has more fuel to persuade him. That Othello’s “virtue” is more real than his race and color is an odd conclusion to draw from a play in which his race and color are frequently emphasized[5] and remain constant from beginning to end but in which his virtue is undermined, in his own eyes entirely lost (V.ii.245), and in our eyes and those of the characters on stage (cf. Firstly, when Othello strikes his wife in public, then when he kills her, and when Iago stabs his wife, Emilia. Copyright © 2010–2020, The Conversation US, Inc. Othello and Desdemona by Alexandre Marie Colin. …you’re robbed. Othello Analysis . Othello does not "act" like a stereotypical "moor" or black man of Shakespeare's times. Unfazed by Othello’s threat that she “were best” to remain silent, Emilia calls out for help, bringing … 2. Othello is furious at all the “evidence” of Desdemona’s affair, and considers the proof sufficient because it is from Iago. Othello publicly insults & strikes his wife “subtle whore” “impudent strumpet” “devil” Othello believed that his wife cheated on him and as a result he kills his wife as shown by Othello when he says “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” (5.2.6). "Otherwise, I tend to go within myself and just think about all the negative things that happen in the show. Othello suicides not because he killed Desdemona, but rather because he killed her on the mistaken understanding that she had desired and loved another man. Does Shakespeare’s play suggests that Othello’s gullibility, irrational jealousy, and murderous violence stem from the fact that his ethnicity differs from everyone else in the drama? We didn't want that. From Shakespearean Tragedy by A. C. Bradley. Nabben was determined to ensure Desdemona's death could not be seen as act of submission. Factors shaping it include gender inequality and community attitudes towards women: Stereotypes about men and women are reinforced through practices such as social tolerance of discrimination and the idea that violence against women is sometimes justified by women’s behaviour – for example, if a woman has sex with another man. "We wanted to make her death more realistic and have her fight for her life, which doesn't usually happen. The National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line –1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault. (3.3.265) This influence of Iago has the effect of making Othello feel unworthy of his wife and thus more suspicious and jealous of her supposed relationship with Cassio. The character of Othello is comparatively simple, but, as I have dwelt on the prominence of intrigue and accident in the play, it is desirable to show how essentially the success of Iago's plot is connected with this character. Ray Chong Nee, who plays Othello in the upcoming Bell Shakespeare production, wants the conversation to turn to something he believes is more urgent: domestic violence. "We wanted to make it clear Othello is a pathetic figure, not an honorable man.". Women and children, like men, are socialised in a world where such beliefs are embedded in language, the family and other common social institutions and practices … often women believe that the violence is their own fault. "I can't describe how awful it feels sometimes," says Chong Nee. "We also have a set of physical exercises we do every day, lots of contact-based push and pull," Chong Nee says. The Commission shows the causes of family violence to be complex. I feel that if we don't put that violence on the stage, then we are helping to keep violence from being spoken about.". "Hugs are good," Chong Nee says. In his essay, ‘Shakespeare and the Ethnic Question’, Sukanta Chaudhuri notes that ‘Othello’s jealousy bears a singular violence or aggression that, in performance, almost compulsively assimilates itself to his Moorish features.’ 10 Faced with ‘the real thing’, critics … "And at every curtain call, the first thing I do is ask Elizabeth if she's OK. We do it with just a look. This also means it has been incorporated into the Dramatica Story Expert application itself as an easily referenced contextual example. When Othello lost his love, his life turned to chaos. We know from the play’s full title, Othello: The Moor of … Playing the scene night after night during the production's six-month national tour has been hard, says Chong Nee, who, by the final show on December 4, will have acted the murder of Desdemona more than 120 times. ", The actors and crew are supporting each other through the inevitable emotional side-effects of playing such a scene. He admires and loves his wife, but he can't believe that she would be in love with him. We always take a second before we bow to check in with each other. "We all agreed that her death shouldn't be softened. There should be no honour in it, Evans believes. Othello cannot stand uncertainty; it drives him to destroy his sanity. The abuse escalates again when Othello publicly strikes Desdemona. Othello was one of very few black men in Venice and Desdemona was a very young and very beautiful white woman. ... Iago gets Othello suspicious and he can't tell him right away he won't have evidence to back his suspicions and needs the plan to develop more. We are left without a tragedy and just a murder. Handsome and successful Cassio is a threat to Iago’s masculinity. Jealousy runs the characters’ lives in Othellofrom the beginning of the play, when Roderigo is envi-ous of Othello because he … However, once he makes a decision, he is again the military man, decisive in action. Othello is presented as a violent husband who is insecure as he is quick to strike Desdemona when she received news from her cousin Lodovico. Lodovico witnesses the violence but does nothing to intervene or later on question Othello for his behavior despite warning from Iago that Othello… Nor his claim to be “an honourable murderer… For naught did I in haste, but all in honour.”. A view of family violence as an act of male entitlement, reflective of social beliefs of women as property, removes the tragic glory from Othello’s suicide. ... gives his "jewel" the implication is a warning to treasure the jewel as he has or "else". "First, we cut the moment when Desdemona is near death but wakes up and forgives [Othello]," Evans explains. Othello then plans to murder Desdemona and Cassio. Desdemona herself struggles to identify or understand her abuse. Othello was one of very few black men in Venice and Desdemona was a very young and very beautiful white woman. Othello’s tragic fate is tied directly to his overblown pride and his unwillingness to see the actual truth, only the truth he believes in. We cannot accept his claim that he was “one that loved not wisely, but too well”. And the play makes Othello quite as conscious as any one else of his diversity of race, though it is to other causes that he assigns his want of grace and culture. Log in, register or subscribe to save articles for later. In the final murder scene Othello terrorises Desdemona by directing her to pray, saying: Desdemona: Kill me not, kill me tomorrow, let me live tonight, but half an hour, while I say one prayer. throughout his works, particularly those of love, death, and betrayal. I am fighting for my life. Iago’s abuse of his wife Emilia, for instance, is not commented on or apparently even noticed by the other characters. When charged before the Senate with the abduction of Desdemona, Othello's defence consists of a frank and free admission that he had taken Brabantio's daughter, and an apologetic account of his "whole course of love." Working with fight choreographer Nigel Poulton, Chong Nee and Elizabeth Nabben (Desdemona) created a scene that graphically depicts a woman being killed by her intimate partner. Killing Desdemona: the domestic violence in Othello. 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