2/26/2017 0 Comments Communication is KeyAs any Shakespearean tragedy, the reader can't help but be frustrated by the tragic result of Othello, The Moor of Venice. But who is to blame? It is easy to jump to the conclusion that Iago is the one that we should blame for this tragedy, but can the full blame be put upon him? Who could have stopped it, and who contributed to the outcome? The answer is... Just about everyone Sure, Iago was the one who set up everything, made sure that everything was carried out just how he wanted it to, and even found some luck along the way; but everyone else made it extremely easy for Iago's plan to work. The biggest problem is that nobody communicates with each other, so they are all blind to the things that Iago is doing. For example, nobody understands what Othello is going through, and nobody tries to talk to him and just assumes that his stress is just state business. This absurd interaction is shown when Desdemona, Lodovico, and Othello are all in the same room and Desdemona asks "What, is he angry?" (IV.i.259) to Lodovico when Othello is in the room. She easily could have asked her husband if he was angry, but she acts like a classic Shakespearean character and makes things complicated. If only Desdemona would have talked to her husband and understood what was going on, she could have prevented not only her death, but the destruction of her love. The entire tragedy could have been saved if many key characters would have just talked to each other. Iago's schemes couldn't have succeeded if characters were not as gullible and if they communicated. Othello and Roderigo were two extremely gullible characters. Roderigo goes along with Iago's plans even if he doesn't even believe that Iago is right. In Act 2 Scene 1, when Iago convinces Roderigo to make Cassio look like a villain, Roderigo doesn't even believe that Cassio is in love with Desdemona. Roderigo repeatedly expresses that he thinks that Iago's claims are incorrect, but he still goes along with his plans (II.i.235-293). Roderigo is extremely weak; but if he wasn't, Iago couldn't make anything work because Roderigo is the tool that makes any action happen. Such is the case with Othello. Othello is easily convinced by anything that Iago says, even when Othello believes strongly that Iago is lying. When Othello comes to Iago and expresses his anger that he believes Iago lied to him, Iago persuades Othello with a completely bogus story about Cassio having dreams about Desdemona (III.iii.383-482). Othello is able to be persuaded by absurd statements that have absolutely no evidence, which turns into his motivation for killing Desdemona. Just like Roderigo, Cassio is a weak character. Cassio may be a great wooer, but apparently he can't talk to Othello himself about getting his lieutenancy back. Cassio instead talks to Desdemona, creating a great opportunity for Iago to basically point out "Hey Othello, Cassio is over there wooing your woman! Don't talk to anyone about it though, I have all the information!" Emilia is a complex character. It is hard to tell if she even loves Iago or not, because she acts differently throughout the play. She follows Iago's orders to steal the handkerchief, which would be a sign that she loves him. She then tells Desdemona how she would cheat on him if it would make him a king (IV.iii.85-87), and then finally she reveals the truth about the handkerchief once Othello has killed Desdemona. If Desdemona had revealed the truth about this act earlier, she could have prevented Desdemona's death, and possibly her own. STOP LISTENING TO IAGO! Almost all the conflict in Othello could have been prevented if everyone would have communicated with each other, and stopped listening to Iago's nonsense. Roderigo and Othello should not have believed Iago and did what he said, and they were the key factors in the tragic outcome. Desdemona should have communicated with her husband, and Emilia should have revealed the truth about stealing the handkerchief. Overall, if the characters of the play would have talked to each other and drew connections as to what Iago was doing, they would have been able to reveal the villainous acts of Iago.
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