Shakespeare’s Othello – Part II
by Dr. White on July 31, 2024
Act One of Othello shows the whole world in disorder, and it all begins with a single decision. Desdemona, the beautiful daughter of Brabantio, falls in love with the black Moor Othello. They elope and marry. They do not seek the permission of the father, knowing that he will not allow it. This is the first critical mistake. This decision disrupts a household. This disruption spills onto the streets with near bloodshed, to the senate where the Duke is in need of the services of the mercenary Othello, and thus refuses to admit much less help solve the problem, and the disorder moves to the outside world. The second critical mistake of Othello and Desdemona is their denial of their physical bond to one another and thus deny the fact that they have now become one flesh. This is the very heart of this tragedy. This is a story of fragmentation, of not being whole, and the destruction it causes on individuals and the world. While the love of Othello and Desdemona is pure, it is flawed because of their decisions. Brabantio warns Othello that if his daughter can deceive her own father, she can certainly deceive her husband.
