Othello protagonist Essay

The protagonist of the play, Othello is a man trapped by his own weaknesses rather than a victim of circumstance. Even though the situations that Othello finds himself in are not ideal and contribute to his downfall, it is his own fatal flaws that end up destroying him. In act 3 scene 3 Iago starts to plant a microbe of doubt in Othellos mind about his wife Desdemona and her infidelity. Iago proceeds to ask Othello, Did Michael Cassio, when you wooed my lady, know of you love? This question immediately causes Othello to become suspicious.Iago then follows with a series of rhetorical questions that enrage Othello as surface increase the doubt that is building up in his mind. By the end of this scene we see one of Othellos weaknesses present itself, jealousy. This particular flaw becomes one of the major contributions to Othellos downfall. By the end of the play jealousy has clouded his judgment and taken over his perspective on everything. At first Othello insists that he needs proof of the alleged affair but quickly changes his mind. Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage.Act 4 scene 1, Iago informs Othello that Desdemona and Cassio have slept together and he has seen that she has given Cassio the handkerchief Othello gave her when they first fell in love. All this news that Iago keeps telling him sends Othello aside into a rant, Ist possible? Confess? Handkerchief? O devil After this his falls into a trance. This is the moment when all Othellos insecurities, fears and aversions as well as the obvious lack of judgment that a leader is assumed to have combine to create this kind of epileptic fit.In this scene point directions are used to help the reader understand what is going on for a dramatic effect. Two of Othellos flaws that cause this downfall are indignation and gullibility. These feelings enabled Iago fill his head with lies that caused him to get so worked up that he lost control. In act 5 scene 1 Iago had convinced Othello that he would shoot down Cassio and that Othello had to kill Desdemona. Othello begins this scene with a soliloquy, reflecting and attempting to justify his decision to kill her. Othello refers to Desdemona as jobless. Put out the light and then put out he light. So sweet we neer so fatal. Othello describes how she was so sweet but her actions caused so much pain. Before he kills her, Othello makes sure she has prayed or confessed so that she will go to heaven. I will not kill thy unprepared spirit. Othellos blind faith in Iago is the flaw that leads all his other weaknesses to leaven to the surface and in the end the inevitable happens. Othello, once a great man, falls. Desdemona speak for one last time in the play. A guiltless terminal I die. This quote enforces the reality of what has just taken place.This innocent woman was a victim because of another mans weakness. In this play it is create what jealousy and misguided trust can do to a person. These weaknesses, along with others, are th e reason for Othellos downfall. Each flaw produced another weakness or doubt. The fact that Othello was manipulated to be part of Iagos plan for revenge only accelerated the speed of his demise. The fatal mix of passion, jealousy, insecurity as well as how easily he could be manipulated caused Othello to be a man snared by his own weaknesses.