Development of Othello

For this weeks blog, the scene I would like to Act one scene three. In this scene the duke of Venice is talking about how the Turks are about to invade. You would think this would be a very serious matter right? Since it is them being invaded, but no once Brabantio comes into the scene this “very important” war matter gets covered up by the fact that Brabantio believes his daughter has been corrupted by magic.  Brabantio says, “She is abused, stol’n from me, and corrupted by spells and medicines bought of moutbanks; for natur so preposterously to err, being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense, sans witchcraft could not”(I.iii.). I find it interesting that in this play Shakespeare makes the love affair between Othello and Desdemona more important than the Turks attacking. The Duke of Venice completely puts aside the fact that his country is being attacked to deal with a matter of something of not great importance at all. On the other hand though, although Shakespeare interrupts the scene of the Duke of Venice speaking about the Turks at the same time Shakespeare is developing Othellos character for the audience. After being accused we learn how Othello and Desdemona fell in love, and while doing so we learn, through how Othello speaks of Desdemona, how genuine of a character he is. While defending himself Othello says, “If you do find me foul in her report, the trust, the office I do hold of you, not only take away, but let your sentence even fall upon my life”(I.iii). This on sentence by Othello shows how noble he is not only to Desdemona, but also to the Duke of Venice. Othello is willing to put his office he holds on the line just to prove his loyalty to Desdemona. The last reason this scene is important is because it tells the readers the story of Othello, the story which he tells Brabantio and ends up making Desdemona fall for him. We see a side of Othello that makes the reader feel for him emotionally. He says “of moving accidents by flood and field of hair-breath scapes I’ the imminent deadly breach, of being taken by the insolent foe and sold to slavery, of my redemption thence and portance in my travels’ history”(I.iii)  This line by Othello really helps the reader emotionally develop Othello in their head, and helps to really understand his character by understanding his past. In conclusion, although this may only be the third scene in the first act, I believe it is a very important act for character building of Orthello.