Journal 10 - Othello's Insight

Othello’s Insight

Write a one paragraph response to the following question:

Often at the end of a play, Shakespeare’s tragic heroes often have a moment of insight. What is Othello’s insight? Look closely at Othello’s last speech before answering this question.

In Othello’s last speech, he tells his close friends that when they write their letters once Othello is dead, he wants them to tell the whole truth about him. He doesn’t want them to hold back and write only good things about him. Othello wants them to write the bad stuff and the good stuff, he wants the people to understand who he really was. He tells them to write that he loved to much but was not smart about the way and the extent that he loved, that he is not easily made jealous but was tricked and manipulated by his own friends. He tells them that he drove himself crazy with jealousy and was a fool who threw away a precious pearl with his very own hands. He acted like a sill Indian who didn’t understand the worth of the pearl. Lastly, he tells his friends to write that he was not an emotional man, but then cried a lot. Othello’s main point of the speech is to show his acquaintances that he doesn’t want people to think that he was perfect, he wants them to know the truth.