Othello and the Great Commission

Spreading the Word of God

Othello, a Brief Analysis

Anyone who has read Othello understands what Shakespeare was attempting to portray as it relates to Christianity. His audience, Christians, desired stories that they could relate to, but also had some form of lesson or message in them as it relates to their faith. Shakespeare himself was raised Christian. Therefore the setting of his stories, like that of Othello, has a Christian setting to help better portray the Christian acts and symbols. The play has many instances and speeches that symbolize and signify something related to Christianity. A good instance of this is when Othello tells Desdemona to pray and Iago when he discusses how he views himself. The Great Commission as expressed in the Bible, deals with the work of disciples and believers of Christianity to spread the faith the message of God. In Othello the word of God is indeed spread unto others and is seen throughout the play. This, in a way, is the act of spreading Jesus' teachings to the audience and the world.

In Matthew 28:16-20 of the New International Version (NIV) discussing one of the Great Commissions, the most famous verse explains how the disciples went to spread the word of God and Christianity:

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Marshall, 1992, p. 100).

For Shakespeare, his use of Othello's character and the subsequent death of Desdemona and suicide of Othello, help to bring in the teachings of Christ and God through lessons. Lessons are seen throughout the play as Othello's paranoia gets the best of him making him desire to hurt Desdemona, his wife, for assuming she betrayed him with Cassio. Even Iago is seen as receiving punishment after his efforts to kill Cassio fail. Many times Iago shows the extent of his sin to hurt Othello.

He stabs Roderigo to avoid revealing his intentions. He lies to Othello to get him to kill Desdemona. However, he faces consequences, as he is injured by Othello in a fight after Desdemona's death. In a scene in the play, the audience can see the actions of Iago and the repercussions of his acts. "Witness, you ever-burning lights above, You elements that clip us round about, Witness that here Iago doth give up, The execution of his wit, hands, heart, To wronged Othello's service. Let him command…" (Shakespeare & Neill, 2006, p. 311). He is shown to be a terrible person with a hidden agenda that destroys many lives. If this play were to be used as a Christian witness, it would show the evils of humanity through the acts of sin and their direct and indirect consequences. The love of Desdemona and Othello for instance, is something that is either hated or coveted in the play, causing much of the conflict. The jealousy of Othello for Cassio and Desdemona is the fear of adultery, causing Othello's erratic behavior. The guilt and the suicide is a consequence of the murder of Desdemona at the hands of Othello.