In all of Shakespeare’s great novels there are many experiences, tragic or
otherwise that one can learn from. Shakespeare’s novel Othello is not an
exception this rule. Throughout Othello there are many examples of mistakes made
by the characters that a reader can learn from. Learning from the flaws of
others is one way that one can learn form Shakespeare’s Othello. In the novel
Othello there are many of these flaws throughout the story. There are many ways
one can learn from the novel Othello. The major theme throughout Othello is that
a man named Othello has made the mistake of letting his emotions get in the way
of his reasoning. In the novel the main character Othello is a intelligent, well
educated, worldly man that should not have let his emotions get the best of him.
This is one example of a learning experience that is brought up in Othello that
illustrates how one should not let emotions overpower reasoning. The theme
throughout Othello seems to be that the wise Othello has let his emotions get
the best of him. A character named Iago has stirred up Othello’s emotions.
Iago was shown throughout the novel telling Othello lies about his wife and
friends. Othello started to see this as the truth. Othello was seemingly brain
washed by Iago, into believing that his wife was unfaithful and his friends had
betrayed him. This is another example of a learning experience that was brought
forth in the novel Othello. The tragic flaw that Othello possessed was the
combination of these two flaws. This is what Shakespeare seems to express as the
most important moral experience that occurred in Othello. The combination of
emotions such as jealousy and distrust made Othello make harsh decisions based
purely on emotion. These emotions were brought on by the character Iago forcing
his lies on to Othello. Shakespeare shows through these experience not just
Othello’s flaws but one of mans own tragic flaws. Another less major flaw that
was Shakespeare brought forward in his novel Othello was the issue of rushing
into things. Othello and Desdemona rushing into marriage illustrate this. This
again is an example of emotion. The act of eloping seems to be done when the two
are in the heat of passion. Again Othello has let his emotions get the best of
him. In Shakespeare’s Othello, there are many examples of mistakes made
because of raw emotions. Othello has many faults that are shown throughout the
course of the novel. Although Othello seems to have many of these faults his
major fault is that he lets his emotions get the best of him. Shakespeare
explores the way that emotions get the best of people in his play. The major
learning experienced throughout the play is that one must control ones emotions.
Shakespeare shows that even a seemingly great man such as Othello can let
emotions dictate what he is going to do. This is what one can learn from
Othello.