Othello

“Our bodies are our gardens, to which our will are gardeners; so that if we will plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme…the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills.”
In Shakespeare’s Othello, the antagonist Iago created devastation in the lives of those around him because of his deep-seated jealousy. Iago is a perfect specimen of ill-will and how thoughts of anger swell and take root in the heart. His hostility grew into hatred which increased and strengthened into branches of evil. This overshadowed his conscience, and any scruples died in the chilly shade of rage. He was a master at planting kernels of doubt, jealousy, and anger in every field that was available to him. He cultivated his plan until it grew and blighted the love of Othello for his wife. The fruit of his malice resulted in despair and death.
Iago was able to taint and distort Othello’s opinion of Desdemona through slow poisoning. Othello was fed subtle comments of gossip which tainted his feelings and disfigured Desdemona’s reputation. “…he that filches from me my good name/ Robs me of that which not enriches him/ And makes me poor indeed.” This created doubt and suspicion about the new bride, which caused Othello to lose his peace of mind. “Not poppy nor mandragora/ Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world/ Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep”. Othello was a powerful and commanding general, yet he was not able to command his own feelings once there was jealousy planted in his heart. Othello was driven to complete rage and anger of what he assumed was the truth. Like a small seed, jealousy was nurtured in a fertile field, so it grew. Othello is a tragic figure. He withered under the heat of adversity, because his love and trust was planted in fallow ground; therefore, his relationship with Desdemona was barren.
It is difficult to root out the feelings of jealousy or anger. We can cut them off at the surface, but the feelings will keep springing up and continue to spread; therefore, we must dig deep within and follow the wisdom of the ages which says to forgive, bless, and do good to others. As human beings, we have a nature that is fallen and mortal. It is a challenging and painful process to take hold of the prickly surface of your nature and remove the barbed meanness of character; however, if we leave our wills unchecked, then it can grow out of control. We must be gardeners of our soul and pluck out the wild plants that can at a moment seem innocent, but with time, the plant develops into a pernicious vine that pierces and stings. If left to grow, the seeds of vice mature and reproduce a hundred-fold and spread to all areas of life. This strangles and chokes out all of the desirable virtues throughout the field. Husbandry of the virtues and vices within us is an art that needs continual cultivation. Daily sowing and constant weeding will produce a beautiful nature in the form of a Godly person.
From Shakespeare’s Othello we can learn that in order to flourish in life and in love, a person must live upright in the light of truth and send down roots firmly planted in a rich foundation integrity, loyalty, and honesty. With this tragic play, we recognize the genuine guidance in the proverb, “what you sow is what you will reap.” Copyright L.L. Williams