The dramatic significance of ‘the murder scene’ in Othello

‘Othello’ is one of the four greatest tragedies that William Shakespeare ever wrote. ‘The murder scene’ is one of the most crucial and most significant scenes of the play. In fact, it is the climax where Iago’s villainous machinations and Othello’s mind surcharged with jealousy ultimately bring about tragic conflagration. Symbols are objects, characters, figures or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

‘The murder scene’ reveals the two facts of Othello’s personality-- the dark, savage the most brutal of the one hand and the emotional, truly repentant human and desperate lover on the other hand. Othello loses all his control over himself when he is worked up to strong jealousy by the subtle machinations of Iago. Othello is extremely credulous and firmly believes whatever Iago pours into his ears. He places absolute confidence in Iago and never sees through his villainies.

Othello’s decision to murder Desdemona is not only rash and reckless but also shows a strange but frightening metamorphosis which has overtaken him. The noble Othello has become ignoble and vile. The reason and commonsense which he shows in Venice has completely vanished. When he approaches Desdemona, he arrogates to himself the task of doing justice, reassuring himself with, ‘This is the cause, this is the cause, my soul’ but what he has decided to administer is just the reverse of it. He gives no chance to Desdemona to explain her conduct nor does he allow her even to say her prayer in spite of her pathetic pleadings. Like a brute assassin he smothers the life out of the innocent creature whom he had been worshipping most devotedly and who was his ‘soul’s joy’.

Lightning strikes and leaves Desdemona dead and Othello sighed to the core. Immediately after the murder, the most dreadful and frightening picture appear before Othello’s eyes and these revelations purify and cure his jaundiced mind. Emilia’s violent accusations and the truth about the handkerchief, the villainy of Iago and the innocent love of Desdemona for Othello make him the most wretched one. 

Tears find their way out but for Othello tears are not enough to atone for the crime he has committed. The only escape is joining the dead Desdemona and he finally does so. His last dying words to the visiting senators and Cassio couched in perhaps the most pathetic language speak volumes of what he has foolishly done--that he loved Desdemona terribly but unwisely.  

The dramatic significance of ‘the murder scene’ in ‘Othello’ lies in the fact that it brings about the most mysterious forces in various shapes and forms conspiring against  the very existence of man. In the words of a critic, the murder of Desdemona is one of the most pathetic scenes in the history of English drama.