Othello: Did He Mean What He Said? Othello, as a man, represented something that is very familiar to us today. He represented a man, who, at best, was very confused about what love really was. We see this today as people do crazy things in the name of love. "Love" I am familiar with does not lead me to do anything crazy. Love actually helps me respect people more.
Othello said, "Then you must speak of one that loved not wisely, but too well." This is the key statement, but I feel a very important part is the very next sentence, ""æof one not easily jealous, but, being wrought, perplexed in the extreme." I think this is key because I do not agree that Othello loved Desdemona too well. I have made decisions or said something before that was wrong, then later defended my decision by lying about what it was I based my decision on.
Othello
Othello
"Desdemona in bed asleep", from Othello (Act V, sc...This is what I feel like Othello is doing when he talks about love and jealousy in almost the same breath.
That is not the only reason I disagree with his statement. I am not sure that Othello was really in love with Desdemona. He had a strange beginning to the relationship, with Desdemona's dad not knowing that they were seeing each other. I would consider their relationship a "whirlwind" one at best. Plus, they got married under the cover of darkness. These things would contribute to questionable feelings later.
Also, Othello was a minority in the culture he lived in. He was a Turk and lived in Italy, so people probably did not consider him to be in as high regard as themselves, and he knew it. Othello might have had some doubt as if he really deserved to be married to...