Othello #7ish

          At the beginning of Act 5, Scene 2, Othello is getting ready to seek his revenge on Desdemona, hovering over her sleeping. However, Othello quickly shows the audience that there is still an internal struggle in his mind. Killing Desdemona is still a sad event for him though he believes that she betrayed him. He decides to kill her in a way that will not “scar that whiter skin of hers than snow” (V.ii.4). Therefore, in his mind she is still beautiful and has some sense of purity to be compared to snow. Then, Othello transitions into discussing the idea of Desdemona as a light, and his internal struggle is truly revealed. In putting out his physical torch, he can “again thy former light restore” (V.ii.9). However, in putting out Desdemona’s light in killing her, he cannot bring her back. In comparing Desdemona to a rose, another sign of affection, he states that he “cannot give it vital growth again” (V.ii.15). In this discussion with himself about the consequences of ending Desdemona’s life, he almost persuades himself to not commit the act. He almost “persuade[s]/ Justice to break her sword!” (V.ii.17-8). However, he does not change his mind. Moreover, he describes killing Desdemona to be the just thing to do, showing that he truly believes that she has wronged him so greatly that she deserves to die. Thus, as he cries before waking her up, he states that these are not tears of pity; Desdemona is receiving what she deserves, but that does not mean that her death does not sadden him greatly because at one point she was the love of his life.