Why did the marriage of Othello and Desdemona end in tragedy?

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Why did the marriage of Othello and Desdemona end in tragedy?

The play "Othello" was written by the playwright William Shakespeare, one of the best and well-known writers of that period and up to the current day. He wrote it in 1604 to be performed to the new King: King James I and for that reason he included themes in it such as Turkish history, witchcraft and black magic which he knew King James I liked. The play is named after one of the main characters, who has a fatal flaw of jealousy. The character in question is Othello, the Moor of Venice, a credulous and honourable member of the Venetian community and a general of the Venetian army. Although the play was named after Othello, Shakespeare brings in a true villain whose name is Iago. At the time, Spain was England’s enemy and Iago being a Spanish name makes the audience sure that Iago is evil. Iago could arguably be the main character, making the play a tragedy.

A tragedy is defined as a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or sombre theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character to downfall or destruction. These characters must struggle with circumstances in which most meet death and despair which in this case the Moor's torture and eventually his, and other innocent characters' demise. Shakespeare seems to suggest in this play that white Iago is a very negative character, Othello the black general is the hero. This would have been at a time when much of England would have questioned these views. Shakespeare may have been making a social comment and putting forward a negative attitude towards racism.

Othello and Desdemona, as portrayed in the play, are the two greatest innocents there ever were. The two appear to love one another romantically at first, but there is no foundation for a relationship here. There is no trust, no communication, and no understanding and therefore it could be broken down so easily, as it was by Iago in a matter of days with the marriage ending with both Othello and Desdemona dying.

Othello loves or thinks he loves Desdemona for many reasons, not least because he thinks she is like him. He thinks it will be a good relationship because she seems to be in his eyes just like a soldier as seen in Act 1 scene 3. He talks to her as if he talks to a soldier using images of war and might.

"May the winds blow till they have wakened death,
And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas".
 

Because she comes with him to the wars, she becomes even more in his mind one of his soldiers so that after he comes back to Cyprus he greets her with:

"O, my fair warrior".

Desdemona is little more than a girl, inexperienced in the ways of the world and she is taken in by Othello's war stories and then falls in love with him:

"She loved me for the dangers I has passed".

Othello was “respected” in Venice and he used to be invited to peoples’ houses, including Brabantio (Desdemona’s father). It was then and there when they met and when Othello seduced her with his epic tales.

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Before he knew about Othello and Desdemona’s relationship and secret marriage, Brabantio was very friendly towards Othello but once he discovers he feels disgusted that his daughter has betrayed him and that Othello has stolen her away from him. He is opposed to Othello and Desdemona's marriage, as initially shown in act 1 scene 1 on line 144 when he reacts angrily after Iago and Roderigo told him of the secret marriage. He says:

”Strike on the tinder, ho! Give me a taper!

Call up all my people! This
accident is not unlike my dream.

Belief of it ...

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