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Last Breath of Innocence

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Submitted By Sepheva
Words 859
Pages 4
Joseph Atchley
Mrs. B Jones
English 102
9/21/15

Last Breath of Innocence

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury Othello is a respected Venetian general who is manipulated by his subordinate Iago into believing that his newlywed wife Desdemona was unfaithful to him. Iago then aides him in plotting the execution of his wife and her supposed lover Cassio, whom are both innocent. In their plan Iago is tasked with dispatching Cassio, while Othello takes the responsibility of extinguishing Desdemona’s light. Leading up to the night of the murder I will show examples of the premeditated, intentional, and deliberate actions on the part of Othello. Although he is manipulated in the belief that Cassio and his wife are having an affair, it is ultimately his decision to have them both killed for their alleged crimes. Othello is guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt for the first degree murder of his innocent wife Desdemona.
While concealed Othello observes Iago elicit a pseudo guilty confession from Cassio, then shortly after, Bianca (Cassio’s actual lover) enters the room and questions Cassio about the strawberry laden handkerchief (the gift from Othello to Desdemona). This evidence convinces Othello of his wife’s adultery. Armed with this skewed evidence Othello becomes enraged and responds to Iago saying, “Aye, Let her rot, and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live...” (4.1.169-70). Othello later adds, “I will chop her into messes…” (4.1.183). He then demands of Iago, “Get me some poison, Iago, this night…” (4.1.187). Othello then agrees with Iago’s interjection:
IAGO. Do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.
OTHELLO. Good, good. The justice of it pleases. Very good. (4.1.191-93)
These events illustrate the premeditation of Desdemona’s murder because they transpire a full twenty-four hours before the event. The next night Othello enters the bedchamber where Desdemona lies asleep and he begins to speak softly to himself, “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” (5.2.6). As he blows out the lamps illuminating the room he makes a comment on the connection between extinguishing the lights and ending her life: “Put out the light, and then put out the light” (5.2.7). After kissing her he almost changes his mind about killing her is this statement: “Ah, balmy breath, thou dost almost persuade justice to break her sword! / One more, one more. / Be thus when thou are dead, and I will kill thee, and love thee after” (5.2.16-19). After she is awakened Othello informs Desdemona: “If you bethink yourself of any crime unreconciled as yet to Heaven and grace, solicit for it straight” (5.2.26-28). He is giving her a chance to pray for absolution before he kills her so that her soul will go to Heaven despite her supposed crimes against him. She attempts to beg for her life but he is blinded by his emotions and lashes back with: “By Heaven, I saw my handkerchief in ‘s hand. / O perjured woman! / Thou dost stone my heart, and makest me call what I intend to do a murder, which I thought a sacrifice…”
(5.2.62-65). These declarations are more than enough to show his serious intention on ending her life. Believing that she is now dead Othello allows Iago’s wife Emilia to enter the room, because he is expecting the report of Cassio’s death. On the contrary, she informs him that Cassio is alive and that Roderigo is dead. As he deals with this new information, she inquires who has killed Desdemona and bears witness to her last words: “Nobody, I myself.”/ Farwell. / Commend me to my kind lord. / Oh, farewell! (5.2.123-24). Othello confesses to Emilia, “She’s like a liar gone to burring Hell. / Twas I that killed her” (5.2.128-29). He now owns up to her death believing that he is within his rights as a husband who has been betrayed by his wife. Iago is then called out as a liar by his upset wife as she informs Othello and everyone now standing in the room about the handkerchief. Iago now in fear that he has been undone proceeds to murder his wife and make a run for it. Consumed with guilt for the unnecessary murder of his wife Othello commits suicide and kisses his wife with his dying breath. His suicide denotes that he understands that he is guilty and that his actions are not justified under any law. Even though Othello was operating under misinformation supplied to him by a subordinate that he has trusted for years, he has demonstrated through his words and actions that he knowingly premeditated the murder of an innocent. The witnesses and his own confession clearly establish that his actions were committed by a sane mind and that his actions were both intentional and deliberate. I sincerely hope that the evidence presented to the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury will sway a unanimous judgment that Othello is guilty of the first degree murder of Desdemona.

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