Othello shows weak human judgement free essay sample

I agree with the statement that Shakespeare’s play Othello demonstrates the weakness of human judgement. The demise of both Othello and Iago is due to each one’s weak judge of character, and poor judgement of situations. Othello falls from a position of power and nobility to a debased shadow of his former self, as a result of Iago’s cunning plans. Yet had Othello a better sense of judgement Iago’s schemes would not have worked. One of Othello’s biggest flaws is his poor judge of character. Othello is convinced of Iago’s honesty right up to Iago’s final moments of freedom. He is a complete dupe to Iago’s plans. He immediately turns to Iago for answers when Cassio stabs Montano,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I know, Iago Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio.† Othello wrongly judges Iago’s stories to be true and doesn’t even think of questioning anyone else. We will write a custom essay sample on Othello shows weak human judgement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He foolishly believes that Iago is an honest and honourable man, and is too blind to see through Iago’s faà §ade. This display of weak human judgement ultimately leads Othello to wrongfully murdering his wife. Naivety and ignorance is shown constantly by Othello when he foolishly accepts Iago’s ‘proofs’ of Desdemona’s infidelity without question. He is so enraged and jealous at the notion of his wife sleeping with someone else that he looses his sense of judgement and rationality. This could be considered a relatively natural reaction to such a situation, but it ultimately shows a weakness in the human psyche. Again Othello shows poor judgement by not confronting Desdemona about these claims and instead contents himself with Iago’s word. He convinces himself that he is acting in Desdemona’s best interests and wrongfully assumes her to be the â€Å"cunning whore of Venice†. Again Othello shows a very weak sense of judgement when he places Cassio in a position of power by telling him to ensure that celebrations didn’t get out of hand. He judges Cassio to be a trustworthy and responsible person. Cassio is aware of the fact that he does not take to alcohol very well, yet he is easily coaxed into drinking by Iago, â€Å"I’ll do’t, but it dislikes me† As a result of the drinking, Cassio becomes involved in an argument and fatally stabs Montano. The fact that Cassio is aware of his drinking problems but still gives in to having a drink so easily is a damning indictment on his character, and shows how some people can be easily manipulated because of their poor sense of judgement. Jealousy is one of mankind’s greatest flaws, as shown by Othello. Jealousy consumes Othello and turns his love for Desdemona to hatred and contempt. It sends him into such blind anger that he loses all sense of rational judgement, causing him to make impetuous and impulsive decisions. Such so that he publicly disgraces Desdemona and feels content to murder her for the good of mankind, â€Å"Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men† This jealousy causes Othello to act impulsively on circumstatial evidence, and results in him making fatal judgements. Othello is not the only flawed character in the play, Iago shows pretension and poor judgement in his dealings with Emilia. Iago appears to have everyone under the influence of his schemes and is confident of his success, yet he completely overlooks his wife. He believes her to be a simple woman that will do his bidding despite how she is treated. This is a fatal judgement by Iago as Emilia is the one who exposes Iago’s plans and ultimately dooms him to die, â€Å"Disprove this villain if thou be’st a man† Iago’s arrogance causes him to judge Emilia wrongly and discount her from his otherwise successful plans, showing weakness in his character. Love is also a consuming force and in this play it causes Roderigo to act completely irrationally. He pays Iago with heaps of money to help him woo Desdemona. Roderigo is obviously blinded into thinking that Iago is a trustworthy and honest person. He becomes so debased by the fact that Desdemona keeps turning him away that he agrees to murder Cassio for no apparent reason â€Å"I have no great devotion to the deed,   and yet he has given me satisfying reasons† Roderigo shows no moral standards and places no value on human life. This shows us that love and rejection are have big effects on human judgement. Racism is a glaring problem amongst the characters of the play. Othello is clearly affected by it and feels that he must prove himself equal to everyone else. Iago cleverly feeds Othello’s insecurity by constantly reminding him that he is racially distinct. He points out the obvious differences between Othello and Desdemona. He tells Othello that Desdemona will eventually regret that she hasn’t chosen someone of her own ethnicity and will desire someone,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"of her own clime, complexion and degree† This overt racism towards Othello shows how judgemental and prejudiced people can be and is certainly a naive and ignorant disposition. Clearly weak human judgement can be seen throughout this play by all the characters which shows that everybody is flawed and weak human judgement can be seen in anyone.