Othello, Act V & VI

Looking at Act V of Othello, the thing that intrigues me most is Othello’s concern for Desdemona’s soul, even though he is about to murder her:

OTHELLO: Have you prayed tonight, Desdemona?
DESDEMONA: Ay, my lord.
OTHELLO:
If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.
DESDEMONA:
Alack, my lord, what may you mean by that?
OTHELLO:
Well, do it, and be brief. I will walk by.
I would not kill thy unprepared spirit.
No, heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul. (V.ii.26-34)

Why is Othello so concerned with her soul? I don’t think you can answer in any way other than that he is concern because he truly loves Desdemona. Though it’s so messed up, Othello has been forced to believe that he is imparting justice, the will of God on Desdemona. In some ways, he might think that he is actually saving her. As if she is damned to die, not because he wants to himself, but because he is a tool of justice—a soldier easily commanded like earlier with the Turks—and he is saving her soul since her flesh is lost to her sin.

I’d also like to explore the idea that Cassio’s name—Michael Cassio—was picked intentionally to bring up the image of Saint Michael, who was the saint to pray to on your death bed. When you died, he weighed your good sins versus your bad to see if you’d be allowed into heave. Traditionally, he was depicted with a set of scales and a sword, again invoking that image of justice that Othello thought he was carrying out. Certainly, Cassio is the character by which all the others are measured, and all the others do die. Only he and Lodovico are let on stage at the plays close.

As for Act VI, I really liked Robert's idea of having students construct an extra act as a means of punishing the bad guy because we don't know that Iago is dead. He's been injured, but he's certainly not dead. So, how would we punish him? Would the punishment fit the crime, and even, what are his crimes? I thought Robert's exercise would have been very engaging for a younger, perhaps high school class. It was a very interesting idea, and I especially like his Iago.