The Poetry Of E. E. Cummings Essays (1534 words) - Othello, Iago

The Poetry of E. E. Cummings [emailprotected] (Drake Callahan) In the dictionary morality is defined as, the degree of conformity of an idea or practice to moral principles. This basically is refering to the way each character feels about his/her actions. It shows if they posses morals. The morality of each individual in the story Othello is different in many ways. Shakespeare has made characters that have low morals, and characters that have high morals. In Othello he even has a character that on the outside acts as if he has high morals, but to himself he knows that he is only acting on a lie so in truth he has low morals. The minor characters in the play are used to bring out or uncover the morals of each of the main characters. The main characters in the story are Othello, Desdamona, Cassio and Iago. Each of them show their morality in different ways. Some openly express their morals while others tend to hide it and keep it to themselves. The minor characters of the play Othello, who are Emilia, Roderigo, and Bianca Shakespeare does a wonderful job expressing the general theme of morality in itself. Some authors even believe that the entire play is carried on morality alone. In the play some of the characters attempt to be virtuous by doing what they think is right. In truth though they dont know that they are really being deceived behind their backs and instead of being virtuous they are the total opposite and fail at their attempt. After reading this play I can understand more of how a person can use morality in a story to help emphasize a characters personality. To better understand the morality that exists in the characters of this play you may look at childrens fables to see how characters may be deceiving. In doing this it is easier to understand what Shakespeare is trying to accomplish in Othello. One of the more easier characters to understand is Desdamona. In the play she is wed to Othello. Throughout the entire play the morality of her character does not change once. She is what you might call a pure woman. This can be seen when she says to Emilia, Dost thou in conscience think, tell me, Emilia,/That there be women do abuse their husbands,/In such gross kind.(IV.iii.59-61). In this question that Desdamona asks Emilia she cannot believe of what shes being accussed because in her mind with the morals that she believes in, cheating on your husband can never be done. This is a complete shock to her. What Shakespeare has done is made it seem like she was brought up in a good enviorment so that she has strong morals, hence high morality. This is probably the only character in the story Othello who keeps strong moral beliefs throughout the play. Her morality can also be viewed as a cause for her death at the end of the play. If her morals wouldnt of been so high she perhaps could have lied to get her way out of being murdered. Instead she would not break and because of morality a character is killed. The character that has to help Desdamona get through all the probems she faces is a minor character named Emilia. When ever Desdamona is troubled or confused about something, her servant, who in this story is more of a friend, is the one who helps out Desdamona and explain to her whats going on. This minor character has some truly major affects. By saying to Desdamona: Marry, I,/ would not do such a thing for a joint ring, nor measures of lawn, nor,/ for gowns petticoats, nor caps,nor any petty exhibition; but for the whole,/ world, who would not make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch?,/ I should venture purgatory fort,(IV.iii.69-73). This is how she shows to Desdamona how immoral acts are created and thats how the world works. The character in Othello who is truly immoral is Iago. But to someone who did not really know what was going on in the story it could be very confusing. On the outside Iago acts like he has high morality and he is helping everyone out with their problems by