Humanity and reason in Othello In Othello Shakespeare deeply probes the human condition by creating characters who, due to their inability to think rationally, renounce what places them above of animals. Before succumbing to Iago's poisonous allusions, Othello himself expresses his clear understanding of this role of the human intellect. He initially refuses to listen to Iago's suggestions that Desdemona cannot be trusted: "Exchange me for a goat / When I turn the affairs of my soul / To such exufflicted and thoughtless conjectures" (3.3.194-96). Othello feels that he would behave like an animal if he became irrationally jealous because someone would say "my wife is beautiful, she feeds well, she loves company" (3.3.198). He tells Iago that he will not blindly fall into jealousy, especially when he has never had reason to suspect Desdemona: "I will see before I doubt; when I doubt, try; / And on the test, there is nothing but this --/ Off at once l 'love or jealousy' (3.3.205-07). Othello is now a confident man, both in his wife's faithfulness and in his ability to think rationally. However, Shakespeare shows that this trust is often not enough. In his Sonnet 129, Shakespeare describes lust as another force that destroys the ability to reason effectively. The poet describes lust as a desire that past reason has chased away, and as soon as it has had, past reason is hated like a swallowed bait, set on purpose to drive whoever takes it mad:... All this world knows well, yet no one knows it well To avoid the sky that leads men to this hell. (7-8,15-16) In his sonnet Shakespeare laments that, even when we know that lust is dangerously irrational, most people cannot resist its spell. Othello believes the same thing is true in the middle of the card. Complete works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. 4th ed. NY: Longman, 1997. Soellner, Rolf. Shakespeare's models of self-knowledge. Np: Ohio State UP, 1972. OUTLINE Thesis Statement: When the characters in Othello cease to use reason they lose their humanity and become associated with animal images. Roderigo Irrationally in love with Desdemona Wants to drown himself like "blind cats and puppies" Iago calls him snipe Iago Irrationally jealous of Othello and Cassio Equates love with animal lust Encourages others to "be a man" A man is determined A man looks out for himself A man loves himself Roderigo calls him an "inhuman dog", Lodovico a "Spartan dog" Emilia begs him to tell the truth "if you are a man" Othello Irrationally jealous of Desdemona and Cassio Equates lack of reason to animals Yes refers to himself as a dog.