Othello: Act 1 Scene 1

Is Iago justified in reporting Desdemona's marriage to Othello to her father? Consider his motives, Brabantio's response and the cultural assumptions about race in the play. Write a paragraph response, clearly identifying your thesis in the topic sentence.

Iago is justified in reporting Desdemona’s marriage to Othello to her father when regarding only the cultural context. However, when his motives in provoking a response filled with jealousy by Branbtio are considered, he cannot be completely justified. The cultural assumptions with encircle the newly formed relationship, are that marriage with a black man is unacceptable and to do so especially in secret, is a form of betrayal towards her family and her race. In those times, it was socially expected for the father to be in control of his young daughter, and through marrying the moor without permission, Desdemona had committed ‘treason against the blood’. Also, a significant discriminatory attitude towards Black people had existed and it was considered culturally undesirable and shocking for a cultured young lady to fall in love with a foreigner. Thus, Iago had sufficient reason to report this secret marriage to Desdemona’s father. Nevertheless, the insights gained in to Iago’s motives suggest that he is not justified. He uses this piece of information to cause chaos and exploit the situation through the response brought by it. He seems to take advantage of Brabantio’s love for Desdemona, so that chaos can be caused without him being blamed for it, and the way in which he confesses his false innocence to Othello afterwards, illustrate his deceitful ways. Iago, then, cannot be justified in reporting the couple’s marriage to her father, as it was purely for his gain, out of his hatred, to cause trouble for Othello.