Is Othello Naive

656 Words3 Pages
Is Othello Naïve

In the dramatic stories of William Shakespeare each of the heroes has a flaw. This flaw contributes to the hero’s downfall. In Othello, Othello has certain traits that make him naïve. Iago is able to use these traits against him and create a false image for Othello. This image and story that Iago creates helps bring Othello down. Othello is an honest man. He is highly respected and favored by the general public. He is proud, strong, and a fierce general. He has a great influential power over people. For example he was able to stop Brabantio from killing him by saying Hold your hands, both of you of my inclining and the rest. Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it without a prompter" (Act I scene II lines 80-83). Even though Othello has been exposed to many evil through wars, he is still naïve to the corruption of individuals. Othello is a trusting man who trusts everyone. He puts his trust into Iago because Iago pretends to have Othello’s best interest. Iago knows he can use Othello’s trust against him to bring him down. Everyone has their enemies and Othello should have been smart enough to not trust his peers to a certain extent. Although Iago’s motives are varied the point is to destroy Othello. Othello is not observant enough to realize corruption around him because he thinks he is respected by all. Othello is also an insecure character. He is a moor and the people of Venice do respect him but they are a bit nervous at times because he is different. His insecurities should have been about the people around him trying to bring him down and judging him instead of his wife deceiving him. The fact that Desdemona loves his regardless shows she is a moral woman. This should have been considered by Othello more than the words of Iago. Othello being naïve is a surprise because warriors of his kind should always be on the watch for

More about Is Othello Naive

Open Document