Why Is Othello A Villain

Sheltyn Carvalho

Othello

In the play of Othello written by the great William Shakespeare, people would argue that Othello was very much a villian after killing Desdemona for thinking she was unfaithful to him. Well I am here to explain why I disagree with that statement, even if he gives us every reason to think he was such a bad person. Back in that time of the 16th-17th century men had a lot more power than women so things that would fly then wouldn't be okay now. So if you had read or watched the play you would realize that Othello had a lot of say in everything that went on, even in his wife Desdemona’s life. Then for someone with so much power to find out his wife was unfaithful to him it was obviously not pleasant.

One reason I’d say that Othello was not a villain is because in the play his very fellow but secretly jealous companion Iago, someone he trusted obviously more than his own wife manipulated him and his mind by making him go crazy and always telling him that his wife had been cheating with Cassio the loyal captain to Othello. Othello would always confront Desdemona about it and she would always say that she would never cheat. But it

Now seeing it in Cassio’s hands makes him believe that Desdemona has an affair with Cassio and gave it to him as a gift. But what really happened was Emilia found the handkerchief after Desdemona had dropped it and gave it to her husband Iago to return to Othello. But Iago had something else in mind which was plant it in Cassio’s room. That's when Iago quietly asks Cassio about the real affair between Cassio and Bianca who is a courtesan which lead to Othello seeing the handkerchief in his possession. Nothing more needed to be said or seen for Othello to finally do something about it which is kill his wife and order Iago to kill