Discuss Othello as a Morality play

A morality play is one in which the soul of everyman is the battleground where two powerful forces-good and evil struggle for the possession of the same. This is the subject and theme of all medieval morality plays. This is so universal as an element of drama. Good and evil are forces inherent in the mind and soul of man, and he is always either the victim of evil or the happy follower of good. The conflict between good and evil is the basis of the morality play. Shakespeare's tragedies have been studied as symbols of this morality theme. In his tragedies, the soul of the heroes and the heroines are aloof from the forces of their good and evil angels both of whom wish to possess dominate it. Similarly, Othello may be neatly described as a morality play. The soul of Othello is the object which his evil angel, logo, and his good angel, Desdemona, try to dominate. When Othello destroys Desdemona we feel that his evil angle has triumphed, and this really is his tragedy. The whole play may be described as one in which at every step logo attempts with every success to tempt Othello to commit the last crime. We also see how Desdemona rules the soul of Othello most powerfully when he declares-

"When I love thee not, chaos comes again."

That chaos is, of course, the darkness of tragedy in which evil triumphs over good. logo's schemes to entrap the soul of Othello provide the material for the plot of the play. Othello's evil angel logo exercises over him. He does not succeed because both Othello and Desdemona suffer and die.

Right from the beginning scene of the play we are made to see that evil in the role of a logo is in pursuit of Othello's soul. He does nothing but plot against the peace and happiness of Othello. This is the nature of evil which always tries to destroy good logo is made to admit, like Satan, that evil itself is his good! He declares directly and indirectly that he cannot abide the presence of the company of those who are good, whether it is Othello. Cassio or Desdemona or even his own wife.

However, lago does not remain successful in the end. The power of good is always over evil. The struggle of course is full of pain and agony for the good people but they grow purer and stronger for their suffering. All the elements of a morality play are present in the play, Othello. So Othello is a fine morality play.