Why Othello Sucks as a Person

  
I'm sure we've all read the standard Shakespearean play. Whether it was Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, or in our recent case, Othello, we've all had to bear witness to the most dramatic writing with horrible movie adaptations that have the LOUDEST mouth breathing known to man. In this piece, we'll talk about Othello specifically, because that's the only one I can barely remember (and yes, I finished it only seven hours ago).

    Now, I would just like to start off by saying I'm a very critical person. So, my hatred for Othello did not surprise me in the slightest. However, I was surprised by the fact that I could not explain why I despised Othello so much until Mrs. Feldkamp showed us a book review in class where the author was heavily hating on Othello's personality. After listening to it, my opinion of Othello solidified, as I knew that there were actual reasons as to why I hated Othello and not just because Shakespeare wrote his character.

    First of all, Othello is just ANNOYING. Why the freak is he believing Iago over his own wife? Like, I
totally get it, you can't see the manipulation, but maybe, just maybe, instead of deciding to kill her after seeing a mere handkerchief, you confront her?? I don't know, maybe I'm the one not thinking clearly. What does silly little me even mean by it's crazy (and downright evil) to decide to kill your spouse with little to no evidence of cheating? I mean, be so for real. Did the thought really not cross Othello's mind even once that Cassio had the handkerchief purely by accident like from her dropping it, losing it or another simple explanation? His thinking is just plain illogical, because even those who suspect their partners of cheating like to see real, damning evidence of the immoral act.

   

Another reason of my hatred is Othello's stupidity. Genuinely, for someone who has made it up so high in the ranks in the military, he lacks logical thinking. His job requires him to be intelligent and make plans that are thought-out and put-together. So why the hell are his plans for Desdemona so terribly crafted? He just decided to kill his wife on a whim, and when he initiates the plan, he doesn't think logically about when and where they are. Obviously he's going to get caught for killing his wife in HIS bed after telling her (in front of others) to go there. This point is just another one that really stood out to me because of how dumb Othello is. 

    My last reason is his lack of respect for Desdemona. How do you have the AUDACITY to slap your wife, AND in front of three other people?? How is it that Iago, AKA the Devil's incarnate, was also FLABBERGASTED and shocked when Othello did it? If even Iago is judging you for something you did, you definitely messed up. It’s crazy that Othello thought this was appropriate behavior and completely defendable (also proving how idiotic and thoughtless he is, as well as abusive). Adding Othello's slap with his disregard of Desdemona's feelings, killing her and ruining her reputation, he's sealed his fate in my eyes.

    Overall, Othello was a piece that made my question my life repeatedly, and I truly am making a wish right now that I never have to read a work by Shakespeare again.