‘Othello’s nature is all of one piece. His trust where he trusts is absolute. Hesitation is almost impossible to him. He is extremely self-reliant and decides and acts instantaneously. If stirred to indignation … he answers with one lightning stroke. Love, if he loves, must be to him the heaven where either he must live or bear no life. If such a passion as jealousy seizes him, it will swell into a well-nigh incontrollable flood.’
Having read Act III how far do you agree with A.C. Bradley’s view of Othello?
I almost fully agree
with A.C. Bradley's view on Othello as shown and
fully displayed from act three, scene three. However there are certain points that Bradley makes which differs to my own opinion when
reading Othello. Othello's nature takes the centre stage in this scene as his
attitude, personality and phycological condition plays a big part on how other
characters view him throughout Othello and how both Elizabethan and
modern audiences view him. A.C. Bradley states that Othello’s trust
when he trusts people is absolute. This means that once people have
gained his trust he does not fall back on it. However it can be argued at the
start of the play that Othello fully trusted Desdemona and had
no suspicion or hesitation to marry her and spend his life with her.
As the play unfolds though, Othello's trust for Desdemona
starts to deteriorate faster and faster. This is evident in Act three,
scene 3 where Othello says "I think my wife be honest, and think she
not". Othello is unsure the key word 'think' represents Othello's
uncertainty and suspicion surrounding Desdemona reinforcing the fact that his
trust is not absolute and open to manipulation. Concluding Othello's love is
relative and subjective. Hesitation is an aspect of A.C. Bradley's opinion that
I fully agree with. Othello reacts quickly without thinking and is sum what
emotionally unstable this shown when Othello grabs Iago by the neck with anger
rushing through his veins and continues to say "ha, ha, false to
me?". Othello does not hesitate to act, which reinforces the fact that he
is an outsider and is considered contextually weaker, processes animalistic
qualities linking to being uncivilised because he is a "moor" in 16th
century Venice. A.C. Bradley continues to say that Othello is extremely self-reliant.
However this contradicts my point before about Othello being an outsider.
Othello does not know how to act within society and strongly relies on Iago for
guidance and answers. Meaning Othello in my opinion is not self-reliant.
Othello relies on Iago for answers; Othello constantly questions Iago about
various subjects including Cassio regarding his wife’s loyalty where Othello
says "'Indeed'? Ay, indeed. Discern'st thou aught on that? Is he not
honest?". Othello's 'love, if he loves' to him' is 'heaven where either he
must love or bear no life. If such passion as jealousy seizes him, it will
swell into a well- nigh incontrollable flood.' The last point made by A.C.
Bradley on Othello the Shakespeare tragedy, I fully agree with. When Othello's
love to Desdemona turns sour with jealously and hate it comes apparent that
Othello becomes consumed by it due to Iago's Machiavellian qualities that have
penetrated Othello's thoughts and his ability to see the truth. Othello has
started to doubt Desdemona uncontrollable. It only takes Iago to plant a single
seed within Othello's head to have devastating consequences. Othello's hamartia
is his ignorance and his obsession with emotion and passion that consumes him.
Thus causes him to lose rational qualities and by the end is only interested in
killing Cassio and Desdemona. This is Othello's hubris reinforced by "O,
blood, blood, blood!" in act 3, scene 3 foreshadowing three deaths.
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