Othello: The General & The Devil

In the United States, almost every high school student will have read 2-4 plays by William Shakespeare by the time they graduate.  I personally got to study “Romeo and Juliet” and “Julius Caesar” my freshman and sophomore years.  These were great introductions to the works of the man who is widely considered, including by me, to be the greatest writer in the English language.  I later took a course studying his works when I attended Brigham Young University–Idaho and got to study even more of his work in-depth and gain a greater appreciation for the man’s unparalleled literary genius.

Of all the works of Shakespeare that I have had the privilege to read, my favorite is his Tragedy of Othello:  The Moor of Venice.  The main thing that sets this apart from his other works isn’t the characteristic mastery of language.  While that is certainly on display, it is the incredible understanding of human nature and, from a theological standpoint, the nature of the Devil that makes this my personal favorite of Shakespeare’s plays.

The Britain of Shakespeare’s time was theologically defined by a too often violent conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism, and Shakespeare would have at least been familiar with The Bible.  As such, he would have been familiar with the Book of Exodus where God addresses Moses and refers to Himself by saying “I am that I Am”.  Shakespeare creates one of the immortal villains in all of literature with the character of Iago, who in the very first scene of the play states “I am not what I am.”  This statement is open to interpretation, I personally believe that Shakespeare is establishing that Iago is a villainous character similar to the Devil, and that Iago knows and embraces that.

Alan Menken, the great composer of stage and screen, talks about songs such as “Somewhere That’s Green” from Little Shop of Horrors and “Part of Your World” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid as “I want” songs where a character expresses their desires, and sometimes motives, that set them on their journey through the story.  Shakespeare does the theatrical equivalent of this with Iago in the third scene of the first act when he soliloquizes his manipulative usage of Roderigo, his jealousy and hatred of Othello, and his plan to use Othello’s “free and open nature, That thinks men honest” against him to lead him to ruin.

As Iago implements this plot, Shakespeare shows his audience a devastatingly accurate depiction of human nature as he details Othello’s fall from a high-ranking and widely respected figure in Venetian society to the bottom of the proverbial barrel.  Iago, who Othello believes to be a loyal friend and comrade looking out for his best interests, is alongside him for the entirety of his dissent, and is its persistent catalyst. 

I am an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The first books of The Book of Mormon were written by a prophet named Nephi who left Jerusalem with his family 600 years before the birth of Christ.  There is a passage where Nephi describes the nature of the Devil by saying that he “...leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21, emphasis added). Iago embodies the “carefully” part of this passage as he patiently and methodically plants seeds of doubt in Othello.

Iago himself is jealous of Othello and his lieutenant Cassio, who was chosen over Iago himself despite Cassio not having actual combat experience, and seeks to ruin Othello by bringing him down to his level.

The Devil, also known as Lucifer or Satan, is depicted in different theologies as an angel who rebelled against God and was banished to Hell.  He then became the personification of evil and works to bring mortal people down to his level by tempting them to rebel against God, becoming like him and being brought down to his level in the process.

Othello is initially reluctant to believe Iago’s accusation that his (Othello’s) wife Desdemona has been unfaithful to him with Cassio.  Despite his doubts, Othello continues to keep Iago close to him, and gradually gives in to Iago’s prodding.  This causes the two to effectively switch roles with Othello becoming Iago’s subordinate.  This very accurately depicts what happens when a person invites someone or something into their lives with the person beginning as the master, but then gradually the invited guest becomes their master.  This can happen in real life in the form of a human usurper, or an addiction.

As an Army veteran, it is abhorrent to me that Iago uses his position as Othello’s standard-bearer, and as a fellow soldier who has fought by his side (a “battle buddy” in modern military terminology), to manipulate and bring him down.  From the very beginning in the Army, recruits are taught that your unit is like your family and that the only way for it to succeed is if every individual has each other’s six, a military term meaning that everyone watches out for each other.  Iago takes this noble, even sacred, concept and perverts it by using it to gain Othello’s trust and then dragging him down to ruin.

This is similar to Satan’s efforts depicted in the New Testament of The Bible to tempt Jesus Christ, when Satan quotes scripture to Him in an effort to get Him to essentially deny His own divinity and worship Satan.  Iago further embodies the Devil by bringing down a good man by taking something scared to him and perverting it for his own end.

Many people are fascinated by Shakespeare on a variety of different levels.  Most people dwell on Shakespeare as a master wordsmith and storyteller, some cynics even refuse to believe that he really authored the works attributed to him.  I am fascinated with him as a wordsmith and storyteller, but also for his great understanding of human nature and behavior that shows in many of his works as he develops his characters and makes a constant deep dive into their actions, and the motives behind them.  I feel that “Othello” is the best example of this, and the level of understanding of human nature and psychology that Shakespeare demonstrates in this play makes me wonder what he was doing during the period of his life known as his “lost years” where it is unknown where he was or what he was doing.

 I can’t recommend the works of William Shakespeare enough.  While there are some of his plays that are better than others, I have yet to find one that I haven’t enjoyed on an academic or entertainment level.  If you are interested in checking out a cinematic adaptation of “Othello”, I recommend the 1995 film directed by Oliver Parker.  It is a great adaptation, and I feel particularly notable for, like the amazing 1964 film “Becket”, being driven by two amazing performances.  In the case of “Becket” the performances are Richard Burton as Thomas Becket and Peter O’Toole as “His King” (Henry II).  In the 1995 film “Othello”, the performances are Laurence Fishburne as the title character and Kenneth Branagh, in what is in my opinion a career-best performance, as the villainous Iago.

If you would like to discuss “Othello” or share your favorite Shakespeare play with me, then please send an email to Steve@culturedgrunt.com.  Don’t be intimidated by the works of Shakespeare, rather read works with good footnotes and embrace them, be challenged by them, and let yourself be emboldened and elevated by them.