Othello's defense or no?

[angelusblanc]

Hello, I am struggling very much with my thesis, in fact at his point I have no topic whatsoever. But it lead me to do a lot of thinking at least, I think the problem might be trying to find definete answers which Shakespeare seems to love eluding.

So, in talking about Othello, how much should we blame him?

Would Iago be able to convince even a not so jealous person, let alone someone like Othello, who is basically an outsider to society?

Also what do you think of the inital way of Othello's relationship is presented with Desdemona. Do you think until Iago needles him around, Othello is obsessed with Desdemona's sexual nature? Or do you think he sees her more of a good time companion, someone who listens to his stories (in fact someone pointed out to me before that Desdemona is able to listen to Othello's stories, which is usually told between males, due to the fact because she has no mother and thus while serving as the hostess within the house, she is able to listen in on a rather conversation between friends.) I myself see their initial relationship as based on sympathy, Othello is warmed by Desdemona's interest in him and her sympathy for his adventures. Whereas for Desdemona, Othello is supplying her with adventure she is unable to live herself. Maybe she likes living vicariously through him. Initially then, before their marriage at least, they are more like friends then lovers, "the amorous rites" aren't their concern rather than the company of each other.
Later on of course we see that dynamic fall apart and see Othello get obsessed with the sexual nature of the relationship, which seems to complicate things.

But do you think that Iago was able to convince Othello is due to the weakness of relationship or due to Othello's own construction of himself in unstable. Iago, I think gets him to question himself, and lead him to see himself not as the hero of his previous adventures, which is who Desdemona fell in love with, but rather as the black old outsider, which leads him to suspect Desdemona's love too, seeing that someone like Desdemona were to fall in love with the moor suggests something unnatural, sexually deviant in Desdemona too. Or rather because Othello loses belief in himself and doesn't love himself, he is unable to believe in Desdemona's love as well and vice versa.
At least that i what I take from it.

Also, I think Iago is the luckiest s.o.b. on the earth, he has the perfect timing. No matter how I look at it, Iago's ability to convince would have won over almost anyone. (He actually is able to dupe almost everyone in the play, some time or another)

So what do you think? How guilty is Othello? How guilty is Desdemona in letting herself to be killed? Iago is guilty Was the fault in their love. I rather see their lost potential as a tragic lost.

[Iain Sparrow]

If I had to sum up the character of Othello, and his relationship with Iago; it would be that Iago gives Othello just enough rope to hang himself. In fact Iago gives every character their share of rope. Being that Othello is an adventurer and soldier, a meat and potatoes kind of idealism, he is estranged and naive concerning Venetian Culture and Iago plays to that vulnerability, Othello the outsider.
One must wonder though, why is Othello's trust in Iago so absolute?.. perhaps Othello is a latent homosexual.