Eaten Alive

There is no doubt that external conflicts are bad. However, there is a conflict that is worse: internal conflicts. I say this because with external conflicts, there may be away for a group to solve the issue. Where as internal conflicts, one has to find a way to resolve the conflict alone. William Shakespeare shows this in the play “Othello”. Where two characters from the play; the protagonist Othello and the antagonist Iago, fight internal battles as well as external battles.

Othello is a black man. He is general of an army and husband to Desdemona, a white woman. They both claim to love each other and show this love by eloping. The newlyweds seemed to have a perfect marriage but then Iago schemes against them. Iago wastes no time in putting a nagging doubt in Othello’s mind about Desdemona’s faithfulness. When Othello demands a motive, Iago says that Desdemona thought Othello amusing for a time but now she wants a man of her skin color. Naturally, Othello cannot help but believe this. He is the only black man for miles surrounded by people of a lighter skin tone. Iago played off of Othello’s self-consciousness. So now Othello begins to consider Iago’s statement. He goes as far as demanding proof. I believe that it was Iago’s comment on Othello’s skin color that pushed Othello into demanding evidence against Desdemona. So really, the comment about his color set the rest of the actions in motion. Othello’s internal conflict about his wife and his skin color difference is well hidden. Even in present day some frown upon interracial marriages. Nevertheless, Othello’s internal conflict is part of the downfall of his material bliss.

Iago is an insecure man. His confidence is only skin deep. When Cassio is promoted to lieutenant, Iago sets a plot against him. It is not only business rivalry tat sets him off but his belief that Othello had slept with his wife, Emilia. The rising action is where things get interesting. Iago finds a way to get back at Othello by making him believe that Desdemona is unfaithful with Cassio. Iago finds that if Cassio and Othello are removed from the picture, then he will become general. Now, to some, this sounds like a pretty good plot: like killing two birds with one stone. However, why kill two birds when one will due? Iago becomes greedy and greedy people are insecure. Iago then starts to worry. There are too many variable in his plan: Emilio and Roderigo, his accomplice. He takes care of one, Roderigo, but forgets Emilia. She becomes his down fall when she reviles the plot her husband had set in motion and is killed for it by Iago himself. As I mentioned earlier, Iago makes variations to his original plan because of his greed. If he were a secure man, he would not have to change anything. Taking his time would have paid off in the long run. Taking one man at a time, Cassio then Othello. His internal conflict was his insecurity, so common.

In the end both men do not fight their internal battles first and they both pay dearly for it. If they knew themselves well, the plot could have been for gone or even executed to the fullest destruction. However, slowly starting out small and growing under neglect, both men’s internal battle eats them alive.