On the Outside Looking In:

The Direct Effect that Othello’s Life as

an Outsider and Slave has on his
Protagonist Downfall as a Leader

Kaylee Reardon
D Period
Previous
experiences
directly influence
the way in which
one makes
decisions
following a
change in
environment.
 Because
Othello was a
slave— due to
his ethnic
Critical background,
his decisions
Race are influenced
by the time in
Theory his life when
he was treated
as a piece of
property as
well as the
time he spent
escaping from
that restraint.
Social Naivety Previous Experiences

Contributors to
Othello’s
Downfall

Human Nature An Outsider

 PEPI 1: An Outsider
P: After living a life of slavery, Othello lacks the necessary social experience
needed to be able to connect with others in the community and be able to
develop relationships with them.
E: “ Rude am I in my speech, and little blessed with the soft phrase of peace, for
since these arms of mine had seven years’ pith till now some nine moons
wasted, they have used their dearest action in the tented field… and therefore
little shall I grace my cause in speaking for myself (I. iii. 81-88).
P: “At the heart of Alinsky's method is the idea that the organizer plays a role
different from that of the organization member, who belongs to a specific
community and has loyalties of religion, race or ethnicity, neighborhood,
friendship, and family. Alinsky writes in Reveille for Radicals (1946), his first
book on organizing, that the maxim of the organizer is ‘In order to be part of
all, you must be part of none” (Kurtz 1).
I: While Othello’s position as an outsider to the upper-class society he is placed
in, I disagree with Kurtz’s opinion that the ‘organizer’ must play a different
role that those they are serving in society. Othello cannot relate to those he is
making decisions for and his clear lack of social interaction skills and “street-
smarts” contribute to his downfall and overall conspiracy concerning
Desdemona’s fidelity. Othello’s story to Brabantio about how he lived in a cave
at one point in his travels displays this social alienation and symbolizes his
inability to figure out the people in his community.
 PEPI 2: Human Nature
P: Othello struggles when dealing with relationships and who to trust. His overall distrust and
feelings of resentment towards Desdemona come from his naïve sense of trust and inability to
perceive the truth as well as others’ personalities. This inability to trust others may also be looked
at through a critical feminine lens in which men are more likely to trust another man than his own
wife.
E: “Presently. Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin, for to deny each article with oath cannot
remove nor choke the strong conception that I do groan withal. Thou art to die” (V. ii. 52-56).

P: “The female tends to be defined by negative reference to the male as the human norm, hence as a
kind of non-man or abject ‘Other.’ She is seen as lacking the identifying male organ, male power,
and the male character traits that are presumed to have achieved the most important inventions
and works of civilization” (Siegel 1).

I: Othello’s complete and utter oblivion to Iago’s scheme reflects his ignorance towards the people
of Venice as well. He does not know the meaning of building relationships with people and has a
distraught sense of trust—a direct reflection of life as a slave and nomad. By trusting Iago over
Desdemona and even plotting to get rid of Desdemona, Othello is acting upon his impulse to
believe every word of Iago, despite his clear intentions.
PEPI 3: Social Alienation and Naivety
P: Although Othello has made his place as a solider and man of war, socially,
he lacks communicative skills needed to effectively rule in Venice.
E: “Where in I spoke of most disastrous chances…of being taken by the
insolent foe and sold to slavery…wherein of anters vast and deserts idle, it
was my hint to speak” (I.iii.133-138).
P: “Leo’s description of the Moors, in addition, emphasize many of the
attributes that critics have noted in Othello: simplicity, credulity, pride,
proneness to extreme jealousy and anger, and courage in war” (Berry 317).
I: After living as a nomad for many years Othello is suddenly thrown into a
world entirely different than the one he is used to. Social interaction is one
area the Othello is new to. He is easily manipulated by many of his peers
finds it difficult to behave as expected of him due to his class status. His
inability to communicate leads to his ultimate demise as his child-like
behavior turns him into a corrupt individual.
 PEPI 4: Previous Experiences
P: Othello’s sense of ownership ship over Desdemona is a direct result of his
time spent as a slave—one owned by a master. Now a man in a high position
of authority, Othello feels that he now has ownership over others, specifically
Desdemona. Because he was a slave, Othello feels insecure about his role in
society now and uses the handkerchief as a means to comfort his diffidence.
E: “ That handkerchief did an Egyptian to my mother give…but if she lost it or
made a gift of it, my father’s eye should hold her loathed, and his spirits
should hunt after new fancies” (III.iv.55-63).
P: “Practical responsibility is limited to our actions, to what we can do in the
word, now and in the future…We are responsible for what goes on in our
minds, for what we make it our business to find out and know, for how we
reflect on our knowledge and for how we think about others. We are
responsible for what we choose to say and listen to, for what we read and
write” (Zack 141).
I: Because Othello treats Desdemona as a piece of property, he cannot connect
to her and therefore does not truly love her. This inability to develop a
relationship of love rather than lust is a result of the fact that he married her
without knowing much about her as well as the fact that he lived for many
years as a slave. Those years are most likely not ones that he is proud of or
wants to go back to. By keeping his authority over Desdemona, he is covering
his insecurities about power and position in society.
 Contributors
to Othello’s
downfall…

Desdemona
Lacks social feels he can own
Does not know
experiences in her…live a slave.
who to trust Does not connect
communication The handkerchief
(Desdemona, Iago, to others in society
(living in cave and symbolizes this
and Cassio)
traveling) sense of
ownership
Synthesis
If Othello’s decision-making is affected by his slavery and nomad
lifestyle:
Can we blame Othello for the destruction of his reputation, death of
Desdemona, and overall vindication of high-society citizens in Venice?
• For the most part, the answer is no. He knows no better than to believe the
worst possible scenario. His lack of trust for Desdemona comes from the
deceptive nature of life as a slave—in which the master manipulated his/her
way into prosperity at the expense of the slaves.
• Although he has escape from slavery, he is still influence by it.
• This symbolizes ones inability to start over with a new slate without having
reminders of the past, whether good or bad. The past influences the present
and future.
Othello’s “love” for Desdemona:
• He mistakes lust for love for Othello’s distrust of Desdemona’s fidelity is in
part due to his lack of knowledge about her.
• Since he has known Iago longer than Desdemona his trust is in him more
than his wife, whom of which he does not know much about.
We Cry – The Script
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-5Ou1uIFVM

“There comes a time when every bird has to fly

At some point every rose has to die
It’s hard to let your children go This song talks about how
Leave home people often fall victim
Where they go? to their own situations.
Who knows They often fall short of
Getting drunk their ambitions and feel
Getting stoned as though they have no
All alone one to relate to.
Teach a man to fish It also depicts a loss of
You’ll feed him never lie innocence and ones
You show your kids the truth inability to break free
Hope they never lie” from their situation
they’ve been put in.
 Bibliography:
Berry, Edward. "Othello's Alienation." Studies in English
Literature 30.2 (1990). JSTOR. Web. 7 Dec. 2009.
<http://www.jstor.org/pss/450520>.
Kurtz, Geoffrey. "Obama and the Organization
Tradition." Logos Journal 8.2 (2008). Logos Journal.
Web. <http://www.logosjournal.com/?q=node/76>.
Siegel, Kristi. "Extentialism." Introduction to Modern
Literary Theory. Mount Mary College. Web. 7 Dec.
2009.
Zack, Naomi. "Reparations and the Rectification of
Race." The Journal of Ethics 7.1 (2003). JSTOR. Web.
7 Dec. 2009.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/25115752>.