The Destruction of Innocence in Shakespeares Othello

The Destruction of Innocence in Othello One way, albeit a partial way, of reading the tragedy of Othello is too see it as the destruction of innocence, trust, and idealized love by a cynical and maliciously motivated worldliness, which regards the very existence of innocence and beauty as its motivation: the divinity of hell. Iagos manipulative malignity is a crucial factor in the tragic catastrophe but it also serves to highlight through contrast the alternative values in the play, amongst which one can include innocence and naivety. In the argument below innocence is understood to be inexperience of the world but also that which is separated from evil. Naivety has the meaning of gullibility, even folly but more†¦show more content†¦It is an over-simplification of Desdemonas characterization to see her simply in terms of innocence and naivety, however, these are significant aspects of her characterization. Clearly she is innocent in the most obvious sense of being innocent of the charge of infidelity: a guiltless death, I die. The fact of her innocence is a crucial part of the tragedy. She is an innocent victim. Her innocence also helps to create the dramatic tension whereby the audience helplessly pities her inability to convince Othello of the truth of which they are aware. However, the significance of her innocence goes beyond this. Her life has been sheltered, I am a child to chiding and she is clearly removed from experience of the world as characterized by the more worldly Emilia: Is he not jealous Emilia quickly asserts to Desdemona, who is unable to accept this. Desdemona is innocent of a world in which men belch us or break out in peevish jealousies. Certainly this refusal to acknowledge the significance of Othellos behavior until it is too late (where she makes the naive child-like plea for but half an hour) is perhaps naive and unworldly and contributes to the inevitability of the tragedy but it is also a positive value in the play. It is a touchstone of trust and loyalty which contrast with the deceptions and portrayals perpetrated by Iago. Desdemona is innocent in being removed from evil and the ways of the world although this makes her more vulnerable toShow MoreRelatedThe Handkerchief Of Shakespeare s Othello1730 Words   |  7 PagesHandkerchief Destruction Destruction caused by a single piece of cloth seems like a very farfetched idea. In William Shakespeare’s play Othello, he shows how a single handkerchief can cause mass devastation, and he shows how it can ruin many lives. The background of the handkerchief is what makes the handkerchief so important to Othello. 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