Othello, in Love? Essay

Was the relationship of Desdemona and Othello true love? Throughout the entire, through secrets and lies and murder even until the end one of the biggest questions that arose was the vitality of Othello Desdemona’s love. Although some readers of Othello have argued that Othello and Desdemona’s love was true, a closer examination of the way she shows empathy for him when he tells her stories reveals that he is only in love with the attention she gives him because it alleviates his own personal insecurities. By examining the abruptness of Othello’s jealousy and judgment of Desdemona’s possible infidelity, it is revealed that he has deeply rooted insecurities. After Iago tells Othello of the possible infidelity that has occurred, Othello immediately starts to get jealous and angry. He begins to admit some of the insecurities he has, â€Å"Maybe because I’m black and I don’t have nice manners like courtiers do, or because I’m getting oldà ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The insecurities that Othello has directly relate to the abruptness of his jealousy. Othello believes that he is lesser because he is â€Å"black† and â€Å"old†. Of course he, an ugly, old, outsider cannot compare to the young and beautiful Desdemona. He compares his self image with her image and automatically believes that he is not worthy of her. This terrible self image forces him to believe what Iago has told him even without proof. The abruptness of jealousy proves Othello has insecurities. If it was true love Othello would not have been so quick to assume that Iago’s claims of infidelity were true. An examination of the way Othello becomes intrigued by Desdemona because of her undivided attention toward the stories he told shows that the attention she gives him alleviates his insecurities. When Othello is in the court room talking to the duke, trying to prove his love for Desdemona, he mentions that â€Å"She loved me for the dangers I had pass’d, and I loved her that she did pity them†, Othello clearly says that Desdemona’s interest in him only derives from the fact that she is intrigued by the stories of his adventurous past and Othello’s interest in Desdemona derives from the fact that she loves his stories. Othello clearly understands that Desdemona loves him for his previous adventures and not for a romantic reason. Othello uses Desdemona’s fanaticism as a way to alleviate his insecurities. By Desdemona complementing Othello, it makes him feel better and wanted. It distracts him from his insecurities therefore Othello’s â€Å"love† isn’t true. He thinks that he is in love when truly the feelings he has are that of fulfillment of what is lost by his insecurities. Othello being driven into madness has less to do with Desdemona’s possible infidelity but more to do with her no longer being there to alleviate his insecurities because of her shift from undivided attention to Othello to her undivided attention to Cassio in attempt to get him his job back. Before Cassio was fired Desdemona devoted all of her time to Othello and wanted to be with him constantly, when he was sent to war she even wanted to go with him â€Å"So that, dear lords, if I be left behind a moth of peace and he go to the war, the rites for which I love him are bereft me, And I a heavy interim shall support by his dear absence. Let me go with him†. She couldn’t stand to be away from Othello and this made him feel wanted and his insecurities were intern alleviated. This all changed once Cassio lost his job though. Desdemona pledged to get him his job back, â€Å"Do not doubt that. Before Emilia here I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee, if I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it to the last article. My lord shall never rest; I’ll watch him tame and talk him out of patience†. This new devotion to Cassio meant that Othello was no longer receiving the same attention and his insecurities were no longer being alleviated. When she was no longer alleviating his insecurities and there was no purpose for her. When he realized this he was overwhelmed with jealousy. He not only wanted to kill Cassio for taking away the one who solved his problems but he wanted to take away her as well, â€Å"Oh, that the slave had forty thousand lives! One is too poor, too weak for my revenge†¦ Damn her, lewd minx! Oh, damn her, damn her! Come, go with me apart. I will withdraw to furnish me with some swift means of death for the fair devil†. If Othello was in love with Desdemona as a person and not just the attention she gives him then it would be safe to say that the love they shared was true but because he felt as though the only solution was to kill her proves that their relationship was not true love. Othello is only in love with the attention Desdemona gives him because it alleviates his own personal insecurities. Desdemona distracts Othello from his insecurities and makes him feel better and wanted. When Desdemona no longer alleviated the insecurities he had his only course of action was to kill Desdemona and Cassio. If their love would have been true he would not have been so quick to make the decision to kill Desdemona.