Should Othello ultimately be blamed for the tragic ending of the story?

Question

To what extent do you agree?

Answer 1

Absolutely. Othello did not stop to question Iago, or Iago's motives. Othello simply acted on what he had been told by Iago. I do, however, think that Othello was struggling with a dichotomous personality in that he was a soldier first, husband second. That becomes Othello's real struggle throughout the play. Being that he was a soldier, he is used to acting first-thinking second. Othello the soldier wrestles with Othello the man. This is really spelled out in his final speech before he kills himself.

Answer 2

Othello has to take responsibility not only because he was no judge of character in that he trusted Iago over Desdemona but also in his response to Iago's lies. Iago was evil but if Othello had not had a sense of inferiority, that of being a Moor in a Caucasian society, and had he not taken such pride in his military accomplishments, he would not have reacted so violently to being humiliated by his wife's (supposed) infidelity because it entailed the full knowledge of one of his inferiors(Iago). This was his hubris.