Today in class we were talking about Othello believing that Desdemona was cheating with Cassio all because of Iago saying she was. I was just wondering why Othello trusts Iago more than he trusts Desdemona and I would like to know your thoughts on this.
Desdemona and him had to go through a lot of trouble to be together, which shows how dedicated she is to him and how much she loves him. But then all of a sudden Othello doesn't trust her anymore and thinks that she is cheating because Iago said she was. How can he just throw away that trust and believe someone else?
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I can honestly say, that if anyone gave me the slightest notion that i was being cheated on, i would jump at it. Not because i want to believe it, and not because i would think that it was happening, but because i would be worried, and i would be hurt. Nobody wants to hear that. I think that Othello is doing what every normal human being would do. He is questioning love and trust. And nobody ever has perfect love and trust in a relationship.
And we all know how manipulative Iago is. He is just working his magic, yet again, to work in his favour.
Even though Desdemon and Othello had so many obsticals to begin with they really haven't been together very long. Othello should maybe trust Desdemona more, but she is young and he doesn't know what she could be influenced into. Iago is also very convincing when he wants things to go the way he planed. Iago sets Dedemona up a lot to give Othello evidence so it isn't as hard to believe about her infadelity. Dedemona is a kind person towards Cassio and that may seem like she wants more than friendship if you tried to convince someone in that direction.
I agree with desiderata in that it's human nature to question your partner when it comes to infidelity. Although I do believe that in this case Othello might be over reacting. But on the other side of that we might also see it as unreasonable because we know that Iago is manipulating the situation. Othello still views him as a good friend and trustworthy adviser, whom he believes would not betray his trust.
"Why did I marry? This honest creature doubtless sees and know more, much more, then he unfolds"
Othello after speaking with Iago
Act 3, Scene 3 lines 242-243
Once again Desiderata has many excellent points,
But to jump to the point of seeking out piece of evidence simply to sabotage the relationship is a drastic leap.
Relationships have always been told to us as being built upon trust and confidence and it is clear that Othello does not believe in Desdemona.
mind of the day and time a womens word was much less then that of a mans And Othello still has no reason to believe that Iago intentions are Ill.
I agree with what Desiderate and ihasturdle are saying. If i had the slightest notion that i was being cheated on, maybe i wouldnt jump at it the way othello did, but i would surely jump at it. I would just want to find out what is going on, even if it isn't true. And i also think that Othello should trust desdemona more, even though it may seem suspicious that she is friendly with Cassio. But that doesn't mean she is cheating, or planning on cheating on Othello. She just needs that person to have as a friend, and she isn't finding that in Othello at the moment.
I have a hard time grasping the fact that Othello would trust Iago more than his own wife. I think that Othello should have talked to Desdemona before jumping to conclusions. If she denied that she was cheating on him and he was still unsure then maybe he should have observed or tried to find some proof that she was doing anything wrong. If he really doesnt trust Desdemona then maybe they shouldn't have been married in the first place. They worked so hard to be able to have a relationship in the first place and Othello was willing to throw it all away on a false accusation.
Marriage is supposed to be based fundamentally on trust. Othello and Desdemona must have understood this on some level when they took their vows, no matter how harried and impulsive the decision was. Did Othelo made a vow of love and trust with Iago? Don't think so. So Othello should logically have trusted his own wife more than Iago, no matter how persuasive Iago might have been. When you marry someone, you take their side, believe their story, no matter the circumstances. That's what marriage is about, no?
I love this question, it's a funny topic.
I'll have to both agree and disagree to what most people have been saying about "jumping at the sitch" when they first find out. But if I was in Othello's shoes, I definitely wouldn't be reacting the way he is. Which is over reacting! I would listen to what my friend (in this case Iago) has to say about the situation. Then the first person I'd talk to would be my boyfriend or husband (in this case Desd). I'd listen to what he had to say. Then I would obviously believe him because, I mean, til death do we part?!
BUTTTTTT, if my friend (Iago) has enough evidence that he cheated on me, then id believe him.
It kinda depends on how the person reacts when you ask them if they cheated on you. If it was true you'd be hesitant because so much would be going on in your mind if you should tell that person that you did or not & also thinking how that person would react.
Overall, Othello is just over reacting and isn't looking at both sides of the situation.
It's so hard to respond now, especially since basically everyone had really great points about this topic. I do agree with desiderata that I too think that I would jump at it if i thought i was being cheated on. I think that that kind of betrayal is something that really screws up relationships. Then to top it off if you have someone like Iago doing their best to make you be decieved into beliveing that your bf/gf is cheating on you, really doesn't help at all. Though it would be nice to simply blame the whole thing on Iago( yes it was mostly his fault) it was also Othello's fault for not trusting his wife, let alone asking her opinion/side of the story.
It is a very strange idea to think about, that one's view of the person they are married to can change so quickly, but in understanding a bit about the story and the time period, it kinda makes sense. Back in the late sixteenth century, women weren't treated as being equal to men, therefore, their opinions and their thoughts were not taken quite as highly as mens' were. Also, due to the fact that Iago is supposed to be Othello's "Right-hand Man" compliments the situation in which Othello quickly believes what Iago is saying to him.
In truth he trusts Iago more than he trusts Desdemona because she is a women and back then women were considered the lesser sex. So why would you believe someone who is considered inferior. I hate to say it but it's true. Everyone has made very good points, it is hard to have a relationship. It's hard to find that trust in people.
trust is a huge thing yes, but then it can be easily broken. people lie, that's a fact of life. some people lie to protect other people, and some people lie to protect themselves. if someone you know tells you that someone you trust has done something like cheat on you, although you trust them, it puts their loyalty into question. anyone could be lying in this scenario. either the person who told you, or your friend. Othello did make a mistake by not going to Desdemona, but in that sort of issue, sometimes that is the hardest thing to do. i know that if it someone told me i was being cheated on, i couldn't help but wonder if it were true. and then i'd start looking on the accused person differently. i can understand Othello's reaction.
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