Element of Evil in Othello

Derrick-John Piper

Midterm

English 3340 Cultural Criticism

Dr. Tammis Thomas

Element of Evil in Othello

In the movie the matrix, one of the human like world dominating robots, describe humans as a plague upon the earth. In some respects he is very true in his assumption. In humanity’s Hobbian self, humans have started world wars, have slain children door to door, and have almost whipped out an entire race of peoples all in the name of self interest. Yet, the Rousseauven face Humanity has shown that when a catastrophe occurs they often come to each others aide. Yet again, if you wait long enough you will see the Dostoevsky side of the human. “Crouching like a tiger at the door,” there seems to be a hidden demon in humans that is pushed into a corner you will see its ugly face.

Dostoevsky says that, “a beast can never be as cruel as a man, so artistically cruel.” In watching nature one would never see a lion dragging a wildebeest from the point of act to a new location with the beast kicking and yelping. The lion, as other animals, kills his prey on the spot. Humans on the other hand are capable of heinous crimes against its race. Humans are capable of Dostoevsky calls artistic cruelty. This is cruel with several aspects: pleasure in the cruel act requires an audience, and the cruelty is intoxicating.

Iago, as the antagonist of the play and the executioner of artistic cruelty, takes pleasure in his cruelty. Iago says to Roderigo, “pleasure and action make the hours seem short (act II scene III).” Iago says this to Roderigo after he gets Cassio drunk and into a fight at the local tavern. After Cassio causes a scene in the bar, he is fired from his lieutenant position by Othello. Iago’s statement to Roderigo shows that Iago is getting entertainment from the events of the evening. The events are all apart of Iago’s greater plan to be cruel to Othello. If Iago spoke modern day English he would surly say, time flies when you are having fun. Iago tell...