Hey bloggers!
It’s time for another blog! This week’s blog is about William
Shakespeare’s Othello and selfishness in the play.
For starters, what is selfishness? Selfishness is an action of caring
solely for one’s self; placing the concern of one’s own interest above others’ well being.
It is said that all our actions may be motivated by our selfish nature
and that we secretly do everything for ourselves.
“Almost every sinful action ever committed can be traced back to a selfish motive. It is a trait we hate in other people but justify in ourselves."
- Stephen Kendrick, The Love Dare
Sometimes even the most common action can be perceived as selfish. For
example, when mourning the loss of someone, most people believe they are being
unselfish by being sad for that person when in reality they are usually sad that
they will not see them again and talk to them again. But the truly unselfish
manner of mourning is realizing that the person will never laugh again and see
their loved ones again. We can still turn around in a room and count all the
beautiful faces of our family and friends, where they can no longer talk to
them and smile at them. It is quite a sad thing to realize yet many people
don’t. It is quite astonishing how so many of our actions can be perceived as
selfish even when that was not the meaning behind them.
In the play Othello, there are many selfish characters and actions. It
seems as though they all have plots and plan to hurt other characters either
emotionally or physically, as an act of selfishness, in order to further
succeed in their life.
One main character who demonstrates many acts of selfishness is Iago.
All through the play he causes others grief and misery in an attempt to gain a
promotion. At the beginning of the play, Iago calls to Barbantio to inform him
of his daughter’s marriage to a black man. “I am
one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.”
(Othello, scene 1 act 1) His reasoning was not to inform Barbantio of his
daughter’s whereabouts, but rather to make Barbantio dislike Othello and
improve Iago’s chances of gaining the promotion that he believes was stolen
from him by Othello. Most of Iago’s plans throughout the play were to break up
Desdemona and Othello and ruin Othello’s life to give himself a better chance
of succeeding and as a means of revenge.
Another character that demonstrates acts of selfishness
is Roderigo. Roderigo was in love with Desdemona since the beginning of the
play and was jealous of her relationship with Othello. He agrees to help Iago
with his plans of betrayal because he believes he will receive the love of
Desdemona as a result. His actions are not to help out a friend but merely to achieve
his love interest. “It cannot be that Desdemona should
long continue her love to the Moor, – put money in
thy purse, –nor he his to her.” (2.4.5) Iago
convinces Roderigo that he can have Desdemona is he simply helps Iago with his
plan and since he so desperately wants her, Roderigo agrees on selfish terms.
Finally another main character, that we all
believe is the victim in the play, has many selfish acts. During the last act of the play, Othello kills his wife, Desdemona. He kills her because he believe that she was being unfaithful and not true to him. Othello believed that she was doing HIM wrong at that the only way to solve the problem was to get rid of her. (Well, he was also led on by Iago but that goes back to Iago being selfish) He did not think to ask her and really talk to her, he simply jumped to a conclusion that she was going to ruin him and killed her. This action was a very selfish action because he did it for simply himself and no other reason. He thought she didn't love Him anymore and as a result lost a great wife.
We all have done selfish acts is our lives. We all have ask people to do something selfish and we all have payed the consequences of our selfish acts. It is part of being human and no matter how hard you try, cannot be avoided. The characters in Othello are no different and all payed the price for their selfish actions.
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”
- Albert Pine
For starters, what is selfishness? Selfishness is an action of caring solely for one’s self; placing the concern of one’s own interest above others’ well being.
“Almost every sinful action ever committed can be traced back to a selfish motive. It is a trait we hate in other people but justify in ourselves."
- Stephen Kendrick, The Love Dare
Sometimes even the most common action can be perceived as selfish. For example, when mourning the loss of someone, most people believe they are being unselfish by being sad for that person when in reality they are usually sad that they will not see them again and talk to them again. But the truly unselfish manner of mourning is realizing that the person will never laugh again and see their loved ones again. We can still turn around in a room and count all the beautiful faces of our family and friends, where they can no longer talk to them and smile at them. It is quite a sad thing to realize yet many people don’t. It is quite astonishing how so many of our actions can be perceived as selfish even when that was not the meaning behind them.
One main character who demonstrates many acts of selfishness is Iago.
All through the play he causes others grief and misery in an attempt to gain a
promotion. At the beginning of the play, Iago calls to Barbantio to inform him
of his daughter’s marriage to a black man. “I am
one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.”
(Othello, scene 1 act 1) His reasoning was not to inform Barbantio of his
daughter’s whereabouts, but rather to make Barbantio dislike Othello and
improve Iago’s chances of gaining the promotion that he believes was stolen
from him by Othello. Most of Iago’s plans throughout the play were to break up
Desdemona and Othello and ruin Othello’s life to give himself a better chance
of succeeding and as a means of revenge.
Another character that demonstrates acts of selfishness
is Roderigo. Roderigo was in love with Desdemona since the beginning of the
play and was jealous of her relationship with Othello. He agrees to help Iago
with his plans of betrayal because he believes he will receive the love of
Desdemona as a result. His actions are not to help out a friend but merely to achieve
his love interest. “It cannot be that Desdemona should
long continue her love to the Moor, – put money in
thy purse, –nor he his to her.” (2.4.5) Iago
convinces Roderigo that he can have Desdemona is he simply helps Iago with his
plan and since he so desperately wants her, Roderigo agrees on selfish terms.
Finally another main character, that we all
believe is the victim in the play, has many selfish acts. During the last act of the play, Othello kills his wife, Desdemona. He kills her because he believe that she was being unfaithful and not true to him. Othello believed that she was doing HIM wrong at that the only way to solve the problem was to get rid of her. (Well, he was also led on by Iago but that goes back to Iago being selfish) He did not think to ask her and really talk to her, he simply jumped to a conclusion that she was going to ruin him and killed her. This action was a very selfish action because he did it for simply himself and no other reason. He thought she didn't love Him anymore and as a result lost a great wife.
We all have done selfish acts is our lives. We all have ask people to do something selfish and we all have payed the consequences of our selfish acts. It is part of being human and no matter how hard you try, cannot be avoided. The characters in Othello are no different and all payed the price for their selfish actions.
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”
- Albert Pine
We all have done selfish acts is our lives. We all have ask people to do something selfish and we all have payed the consequences of our selfish acts. It is part of being human and no matter how hard you try, cannot be avoided. The characters in Othello are no different and all payed the price for their selfish actions.
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”
- Albert Pine
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