Othello: Temptation Scene : For higher classes

3. Comment on the Temptation Scene in Othello.

Ans. The third scene of the third act of Othello is famous as the 'temptation scene' in Othello, though Iago's temptation of Othello continues up to the first scene of the fourth act. Iago's provocation of Othello's jealousy and anger is referred to as 'temptation' in the sense that it is like the 'temptation' of Eve by Satan in the form of a snake. Here, 'temptation' is understood in the Christian sense of 'attracting someone towards some evil or danger', rather than in its modern, neutral, non-Christian meaning of 'attracting someone towards something attractive'.

In Othello Iago 'tempts' Othello towards the horrible dangers of doubting, hating and killing his most innocent wife. That is the Satan's path to ugliness, destruction, sin and misery. Iago is a devil and Othello is a fallible human being, like Eve or Adam, who was also indirectly seduced out of his heavenly and blissful life in Eden and into the world of misery, shame, guilt, disease and death. The object of temptation is usually evil or dangerous. In the case of Othello, Iago tempts the hero towards the evils and dangers of jealousy and hatred, violence and murder. One of the most 'dramatic' scenes of the play, the 'temptation' scene is a scene that occurs during the stage of "rising action" in the plot. This is when Cassio has lost his job and comes to meet Desdemona, and so Iago starts sowing the seeds of doubt and jealousy in the mind of Othello. As soon as Iago sees that Othello can be blinded by anger and misguided by utilizing his gullibility, he begins to 'tempt' him towards jealousy and revenge.

The 'temptation' scene is one of the major turning points in the development of the plot. Just after Cassio has lost his job and the favor of his master Othello, Iago tells him to go to Desdemona and plead for reinstatement; and indeed, Cassio starts visiting Desdemona with a blind and foolish hopefulness. One late evening, Iago takes Othello out to see the fort at the moment when he has called Cassio for meeting Desdemona. As planned, Iago brings Othello back into his room where Cassio is talking to his wife. Unfortunately, Cassio is so afraid to meet Othello that he slips out from the back door as soon as he sees Othello coming. In fact, Cassio is afraid of his respected senior and so he requests his wife to make the appeal for him and runs away, but Iago has manipulated the situation so as to make Othello take it otherwise. Othello has no particularly bad feelings towards Cassio, and absolutely no doubt about his wife's character. But when Iago murmurs and lets Othello hear a comment about Cassio, poor Othello's simple mind is pricked. This gives Othello the impression that Iago knows something bad going on between Cassio and Desdemona, but he doesn't want to speak out. Iago begins this temptation when Cassio has just left Desdemona's room from the back door, which is already doubtful to Othello. Othello's mind is disturbed when Iago acts like knowing something very bad about Desdemona-Cassio relationship but unwilling to tell it. lago's pretension is so skillful. After a brief meeting between Othello and Desdemona, when silly Desdemona childishly insists that Cassio be invited for lunch very soon, Iago restarts the temptation. It is almost natural for Othello to doubt the visit of Cassio because of the insistence of Desdemona to call him hack, and to give him back his post of lieutenant.

After Iago understands that Othello is already disturbed by his initial efforts, he starts pouring more poison of doubt and jealousy into his mind. He asks whether Cassio and Desdemona were intimate before he married her; this is to arouse more doubt, but when asked why he's asking this question, he pretends to avoid giving the right answer.

Finally, Othello starts pressurizing Iago to tell the truth that he knows. But, now confident that Othello has lost his patience and sanity, lago pretends to be lamenting for the poor fate of Othello. When Othello has totally lost his mental and spiritual energies, Iago starts delivering lectures about morality, the value of happiness and the bad name of a cuckold. But then he also warns Othello not to be too angry and jealous, and to confirm what he has suggested by finding a proof himself. Othello, mad with anger, now believes everything that Iago says or suggests. Iago also adds insults and mockery upon Othello indirectly so that Othello is more strongly blinded by the storms of passions.

Iago cunningly reminds that Desdemona behaved deceitfully when she married Othello, adding the painful reminder that Othello is an outsider, a black man who has married a white aristocrat and so it is likely that his wife has begun to like the white young man Cassio.

By the end of this long scene, Iago changes the role of a loyal servant and boldly asserts that he is Othello's friend because of his strong sense of justice and the understanding of how a good and great man is wronged by a mere soldier Cassio. It is then that he "seems" to become angry and bold enough to tell the story of Cassio's murmuring in his dream about Desdemona. Gradually feeling the pulse of Othello, Iago reaches the peak of suggesting that he saw Desdemona lying naked in her bed with Cassio, adding that Cassio, not only lay with her but also on her, and so on. Othello jumps into hasty conclusions on the basis of hearsay remarks and dream mutterings; his simplicity and openness coupled with undue trust in Iago goes to show the gross lack of even the basics of common sense.

The temptation of Iago is possible due to the extreme credulity/ gullibility and stupidity of the foolish general; and the temptation is the whole cause of the tragedy in the drama.

(Collected and assembled from internet)