Love Between Othello And Desdemona example essay topic

Love in it's purest form can be a creative force, but if it is impinged upon elements which cannot be controlled, it becomes obsession, which is destructive. This is clearly proved in Shakespeares' "Othello", and related material, which deal with love being a creative force, and obsession being a destructive force, but when love merges into obsession it can become bitter and disturbing. When love is pure, it is creative, because it fulfilling and joyful. In Othello, the creation of the bond between Desdemona and Othello is beautiful. It is passionate, romantic and honest. "She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them".

This description of their love, depicted by Othello, is enchanting. Their love was based on a purely romantic image. In (Act I, Sc., L 127-169), Othello says a beautiful speech about how he and Desdemona united. They share a creative love that can fight many obstacles just so they can be together. When they are united as one, they don't need anyone to accept them, because they will always have each other. Their love is creative, because Desdemona could have chosen any man, but she chose Othello, who is from a different race and who is a great deal older that her.

And it wasn't their looks that attracted them to each other-it was their hearts. Desdemona fell in love with Othello's intriguing stories of bravery and endurance, while Othello fell in love with Desdemona's innocence. The love between Othello and Desdemona is very poetic. "If after every tempest come such calms, may the winds blow till they have wakened death. And let the laboring bark climb hills of seas Olympus-high, and duck again as low as hell's from heaven. If it were now to die, 'there now to be most happy".

The language used in this quote from Othello shows how beautiful, dedicated and overwhelming their love is. He would go through hell, as long as she would be waiting on the other side for him. It's overwhelming, because Othello never thought it was possible that he could be loved this way, and that Desdemona would return his love. A contemporary version of this is clearly seen in the song "3 Little Words" by Nu Flavor.

"I was waitin' for a sign from you hoping you'd feel the same way, too. When you looked at me and smiled my heart was goin' a thousand miles". Just like Othello, the singer wants to have his love returned, and he wants to be noticed by his love. Emilia's love for her husband, Iago, leaves her nothing but regret and deep despair. Emilia, out of love for her husband, Iago, betrays Desdemona and steals her precious handkerchief. Emilia does this "to please Iago's fancy" (Act, Sc., L 290-295).

By the time Emilia realises her horrible mistake, Desdemona is dead which could possibly be partly due to Emilia's misgivings. Similar aspects of love being impinged upon elements which cannot be controlled are revealed in "Here on Earth" by Alice Hoffman. March leaves her husband for her long-time love Hollis, not realising that he is corrupted by obsessive jealousy and rage. By the time March realises her horrible mistake, there's no way out. Cassio's love and admiration for Othello leaves him constantly striving to regain Othello's love and respect.

Even after being dismissed by Othello, Cassio still loves and shows the utmost respect for Othello by saying "I would rather sue to be despised than to deceive so good a commander with... so drunken... officer". Cassio's love is creative, because he doesn't let it become impinged by hate or bitterness. Similar circumstances are seen in Alice Hoffman's "Here on Earth", when Alan's love and admiration for his father leaves him constantly striving to regain father's love and respect, trying to follow in his father's footsteps until his love becomes corrupted because of the obsession for his adopted brother Hollis. Alan's father treats the two brothers equally, which makes Alan more and more angrier.

Obsession is a destructive force, as can be clearly seen in the novel Othello. One of its main characters, Iago, is blinded by obsession, which leads to him being a devious schemer of destructive and evil happenings. "I hate the Moor". This is clearly the driving force behind Iago's obsessive nature, which is clearly revealed in his first sililoquys in Shakespeare's Othello.

In Iago's first soliloquy we learn that it is his desire for revenge that urges him on to carry out his plan. "It is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets h'as done my office". Iago wants revenge even though he is unsure whether his wife has committed adultery with Othello. Iago just uses the rumour as an excuse. He hates the Moor, and he will do anything he can do to feed his destructive nature. Thus do I ever make my fool my purse; For I mine own gained knowledge should profane If I would time expend such snipe For my sport and profit (Act I, Sc., L 37 4-377).

Iago comments on how he is using Roderigo as part of his devious plan. He doesn't care that he is being selfish, and turning Roderigo into a poor man. Iago is prepared to use the good qualities of other characters who trust him, then twist their trust and regard for him and use it to make revenge reality. "He holds me well; the better shall my purpose work on him". Iago plans to use the respect Othello has for him to his advantage, which shows Iago's evil nature. Iago plans to use Cassio's charm, manners and good looks to frame Cassio and Desdemona together in an adulterous manner.

Iago wants to destroy Cassio just so he can get his job. "Hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light". This proves how destructive Iago is, especially since he knows his plan will bring pain and misery to others. The novel "Mother Love, Deadly Love" by Andrea Peyser contains similar aspect of obsession. Susan Smith's love is rejected when Tom Findlay ends their relationship, because he doesn't want to raise her kids. In reaction to this, she drowns her children.

She deceives the whole world by saying someone has stolen her car with her children in it. She appears hopeful that her children are still alive, but it is truly just a cruel plan of hers so she can get away with the murder. Her obsession for Tom caused this monstrosity to happen, and left the entire nation glued to their television sets, praying for a happy ending to this tragedy. In Iago's second soliloquy, Iago's obsession with revenge is revealed more than in the first soliloquy. He thinks that both Othello and Cassio have committed adultery with Emilia, and he becomes quite paranoid and repetitive of these ideas. "I fear Cassio with my nightcap too".

He's obsessed with the thought of who's having sex with his wife, and this idea is pushing him to become condemnatory. "Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me... and practicing upon his peace and quiet, even to madness". Iago's plan is becoming more detailed with the intense build-up of his obsession, and he is focusing on how he will carry it out. This can be seen in contemporary pieces such as Alice Hoffman's "Here On Earth". After living as a poor young boy on the streets, having to beg each and everyday, as an adult Hollis becomes obsessive, hungry for power and revenge. He becomes the richest man in the county, after ending his ruthless career in the racehorse industry.

He was paid by racehorse owners to kill their horse for compensation. After paying off his debt to Alan, he buys the town in which he and March grew up in, which buys him immediate respect from the same local residents who looked down on him when he was a young man. He notices that the townspeople come to him when they need money for something, but he's still not happy. He wants March, but when he asks her to come to him, she turns him down. When March and Hollis finally reunite, their obsessional love for each other lead to adultery, and a torrid affair.

March is so caught up with Hollis that she ceases to care about anything else, that she has a husband that loves her dearly, and that her teenage daughter Gwen has fallen in love with her cousin, Alan's son Hank. March stops looking after her daughter and even stops looking after herself, because all she cares about is Hollis. She doesn't even lift a finger when Hollis starts beating her and her daughter. Just like Iago feels about Othello, Hollis wants March to thank him, love him and reward him.

Thank him for actually taking her back, and waiting all these years for her. Love him because he's so powerful and important, and reward him for never forgetting her. Of course, things don't go according to plan. In (Act II, Sc. I, L 296-299), Iago tells how his jealousy for Othello is eating away at his insides. The jealousy is eating away at Iago and making him deadly.

This can also be seen in the novel "Here on Earth", by Alice Hoffman. Hollis, a main character, becomes so obsessive over his wife that he becomes blinded with jealousy whenever March, his wife, would visit her friends and be independent. He cuts off the water at her home so that she has to live with him, he sabotages her car so that she can't travel into town, he intercepts her mail and cuts off the telephone communications, just so March will definitely never be able to leave him. He becomes so overwhelmed with obsession for her that he destroys her life. Feelings of insecurities, in the characters, further develop out of their love or attachment to a certain character. Othello's love for Desdemona was so deep he could not bear the thought of another being with her.

He felt insecure in his own position and this added to his insanity. Brebantio, Iago and finally Othello see the love between Othello and Desdemona as unnatural. Desdemona finds herself and her self-worth in question after Othello's cruel treatment to her. She says " And his unkindness may defeat my life, but never taint my love" (Act IV, Sc, L 159-160). Shakespeare makes the characters think love will bring them the most joy, but it actually brings them the most pain and suffering. This is done to portray that uncertainly of all that is in life and to make one think more about putting all ones faith, or hope in one object or person.

In Othello, the most prominent emotions of love, jealousy and finally hate and obsession lead into one another to further intensify each and bring about a most tragic end. Hate and jealously are responses to insecurities felt over the beloved of each character. In turn, all the emotions bring total destruction to any peace of mind or happiness that any of the major characters may have. Similar aspects of obsessive love and built-up emotions are seen in "Mother Love, Deadly Love" by Andrea Peyser.

It chronicles the true story of how Susan Smith murdered her own two baby sons. A woman who, as a high school senior, had been voted "friendliest person". The school, where "she learned so well how to hide the demons raging within". As she grew older, everyone came to think she was the best mother too. Nobody ever saw her raise her hand or her voice to her children. Then again, no-one knew what was going on her mind, either.

Just like Othello struggled with his raging emotions, Susan Smith had the same problems. "The friendly mask she plastered on for the neighbours all but disappeared... Susan Smith gave in to the wave of self-pity and anger crashing inside her". By the end of the drama, Othello, the once loving husband, has become a green-eyed monster. He is so filled with obsessiveness and jealousy that he does not even listen to Emilia's repeated denial of an affair between Desdemona and Cassio. He kills Desdemona, then afterwards kills himself due to regret and shame.

Othello says, "My wife! My wife! What wife? I have no wife. O, insupportable! O heavy hour!

Methinks it should now be now a big eclipse Of sun and moon, and that th " affrighted globe Should yawn at alteration". (Act V. Sc. II, L 97-101) The play turns a heroic Moor into a villainous Moor. This is exactly what Shakespeare wanted to prove, that pure love can turn to hate and obsession, and admiration can turn to jealousy. Most importantly, Shakespeare demonstrated that everything good in life (love) can turn into something bad (obsession). Therefore, love in it's purest form can be a creative force, but if it is impinged upon elements which cannot be controlled, it becomes obsession, which is destructive.