In this passage, there is a conflict between Desdemona and Iago over women’s nature, which ends with the victory of a rational and objective way of thinking. The woman argues with the man and is indignant at his feeble mind. Although she does not have so much experience in life, she is still not ready to agree with Iago’s offensive statements: “O heavy ignorance! Thou praisest the worst best” (Shakespeare 2.1.143).
Hatred drives all of Iago’s actions and thoughts, his rejection of everyone, in whom it is not by chance that he sees superiority over himself, turns out to be a destructive force. Desdemona perceives the words of Iago as “old fond paradoxes to make fools laugh” (Shakespeare 2.1.138). The woman makes the hero doubt his correctness; she wants him to think about how absurd his words are. However, Iago, being in a state of constant hatred, cannot think rationally and delve into other people’s words. Therefore, he cannot stop pronouncing insults simultaneously to everyone and no one in particular.
It is the destruction that is the only thing that this person is capable of. At the same time, he knows the laws of human psychology. Although he presents his erroneous judgments as if it is the truth: “There’s none so foul and foolish thereunto, / But does foul pranks which fair and wise ones do (Shakespeare 2.1.141-142). Lofty deeds irritate him so much that he has an instinctive desire – to break, to destroy. Knowing how to find his weak point in everyone, he masterfully practices it, but Desdemona confronts his hate-soaked delirium in this passage. Rational and free from prejudice thinking here triumphs over thinking filled with evil thoughts and resentments.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. Othello from The Folger Shakespeare. Ed. Barbara Mowat, Paul Werstine, Michael Poston, and Rebecca Niles. Folger Shakespeare Library, 2021. Web.