A destructive love Essay --

A destructive love Othello is such a character who is portrayed as a tragic hero through his high ranking in army, jealousy caused by racial inferiority, and credulousness for the villain Iago. In Shakespeare’s play, The Moor of Venice, jealousy is the major component constructed though out the entire play and eventually leads to Othello’s downfall and ultimately destroys his marriage with Desdemona. The play is a story of a black hero in the white community at an era of alteration from racist past to a less biased future. During this social transform period, a black Moor is able to be promoted over other white men and therefore Othello is in a higher ranking than most of white people in Venetian society. However, during this period of alteration, many social disciplines and social understanding are arbitrary. On one side, the society promotes a certain degree of racial equality by having black Moor appointed as general. On other side, Othello is alienated in Venetian society because most Venetians see him as an outsider whom is protecting their country. Therefore, Othello only gains respect for his bravery in fighting the war and his reputation for being a skilled general in the army and nothing else like his lieutenant, Cassio is, who comes from an upper class and white race family and has strong social skill. Othello is clearly aware the fact that he is not being recognized as part of Venetian society, yet he cannot do anything to the existing class prejudices. But not only that he is fully aware of presented racial prejudices, this racism has somewhat made him feel racially inferior to other light skinned people around him. Othello’s racial inferiority is intensified when he is being compared to Cassio ... ...,† his jealousy of honor has blinded his mind and he wrestled with a rising feeling of impotence, self-pity and vengeance. Yet, this jealousy also blinds his mind when Desdemona tries to defend herself before Othello smothers her. Othello firmly believes his wife has cheated on him, and he confirms his deed by telling himself that he is defending his honor. Therefore, I believe that right before Othello kills Desdemona, he himself is too afraid that he is wrong about Desdemona because he firmly confirms himself the purpose of this monstrous murder with an apparently upright reason. However, his self-affirmation is crushed as Emilia reveals the truth about the handkerchief and the fact that Iago has plotted all these traces to mislead Othello. Othello’s loss of his one true love is like â€Å"the base Judean, threw a pearl away/ Richer than all his tribe† (5.2.352-353).