Othello's apparently noble and loving nature is transformed into a destructive and vengeful force by the end of the play. Discuss which elements of his character and circumstances lead to his downfall. In the beginning of William Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello, the main character, Othello is a kind, gentle and loving man. However by the end of the play he has become vengeful and homicidal. Othello's insecurity, his pride and his impulsiveness are major personality flaws that bring about this transformation. It is these aspects of his character, along with the circumstances of the play and Iago's Machiavellian manipulations, that ultimately bring about Othello's demise.
Othello's insecurity, in particular about his African origins and his relationship with Desdemona, is an element of his character that contributes to his transformation from a noble, fair and loving man, to a destructive and vengeful one. One of Othello's most obvious insecurities is in regards to his race and why Desdemona would ever love a ˜Moor'. It is not until Act 1, Scene 3 that Othello is actually referred to by his name instead of by such derogatory nicknames as ˜thick lips', ˜the Moor' or ˜an old black ram'. While Othello is an able and confident general and leader of men on the battlefield, inwardly it would appear that Othello has internalized all of the racist comments that he is constantly bombarded with and has begun to believe them. This is shown when, despite his eloquence, he refers to himself as being: "Rude in my speech And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace " (1.3.81-82). This quote demonstrates that whilst he may have a high opinion of himself as a general he still believes he is inferior to white men. As well as this, Othello is in a new city, unaccustomed to the ways of Venetians and feels like an outsider. Throughout the play Iago manipulates Othello's insecurities so that when he tells Othello that "In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks they dare not show their husbands " (3.
