Othello - factors attributing to his downfall

Iago, the strong and persuasive villain, is in many ways responsible for the downfall of Othello. While Iago's motive are not clearly stated, he does express his hate for Othello, "I hate the Moor" (Iago: act ----) and implies he wants revenge on Cassio and Othello because he didn't get the position of left lieutenant. Iago uses his ability to understand different people, identifying their motives and weaknesses, and using this skill to manipulate them for his own gains. His deceptive nature is evident through out the play with constant

The play is set in Cyprus, far from the civilised society of Venice, which has an impact on Othello’s tragic downfall. Othello is not originally from Venice and was never at ease with the customs and manners of the cultured people. In Cyprus he can escape these influences and confinements, particularly with his position as General. Although Othello is not conscious of this different environment and its influence on his behaviour, it is pointed out when Lodovico visits from Venice and witnesses the abuse Othello displays toward Desdemona – “Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature….graze nor pierce?” (Lodovico, act 4,sc1, 257-61) Lodovico identifies the immense change in Othello who he once knew as noble. He also displays a tone of great surprise and astonishment that Othello is behaving this way, and that would never be seen in Venice.

A great deal of Othello's flaws come from his self view as being an outsider, which in turn made a great contribution to his downfall. He is very insecure about his age (compared to Desdemona), his appearance, his speech, and his culture, which all lead him to the belief that he does not fit into the Venetian society - "Rude I am in my speech, and little blest with the set phrase of peace" (Othello, act1,sc3, 81-2). Othello, having grown up in North Africa, far from societies like Venice, needs to feels accepted among the Venetian, even though he has the high position of General. This makes him very vulnerable to Iago imparticular, as he can easily identify Othello's insecurities. It is these insecurities that lead Othello to believe that Desdemona would betray him with Cassio because Cassio is a polite man who was bought up in the sophisticated city of Florence, unlike Othello. Throughout the play, Othello is constantly worrying about his reputation, which results from this idea of him needing to fit in. This is seen when Lodovico and others from Venice witness his public outrage and physical abuse toward Desdemona in Cyprus. This creates panic for both those who saw the incident and within Othello himself, because he feels publicly humiliated and has lost his self-respect, and is also wondering about job security.

Othello's flaws and weaknesses within himself contribute a great deal to his downfall. He is very prone to jealousy, mainly because of his insecurities about his background and fitting into the Venetian society. Othello was very easily made jealous of Cassio. While Iago was very persuasive, Othello's jealousy once prompted, drove him to

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