Stand Up Desdemona

 The true tragedy of Othello was the lack of communication. When considering if it was fate or free will that led to the tragedy of Othello, it may have been his fate to die, but all of us are fated to die. It was his free will and bad decisions that led him to die the pitifully tragic way he did. Othello was a Moor, yet he defied all societal expectations and became a general of the Venetian army, married a Venetian woman, and even had more power than her noble father. The man was an enigma to the entirety of 16th century society. Yet when it came to going against the standard marriages that treat women like objects, he was one with the crowd. 

If no one had trusted him or his judgements, or even taken a dare on him, he wouldn’t have climbed the ranks as he did. It was this defiance that entranced his wife as well, so it’s clear Desdemona supports not going with the norm. She not only loved his stories, him as a person, and eloped against her father’s wishes to marry him. When troubles arose, Desdemona constantly communicated with Othello, asking him what was wrong and if she was the cause of her troubles. But when all Othello had to do was ask, answer, and listen, he didn’t until it was too late. Othello knew how to listen; it was his trusting nature that Iago played on, after all. 

But when it came to his wife, the woman that gave so much up for him, it wasn’t enough. The only reason for this is that with his free will, he decided to ignore her, and ultimately led himself to his downfall.