Nature erring from itself and Othello

Iago's assault on Othello's mind since the latter cried "O misery (3.3.171)!" has included some of the following: a feigned expression of gratitude that the Moor is in control of his emotions; threefold repetition of his love for Othello, threefold statement of concern for Othello's emotional well-being; and twofold indication of why Desdemona might be deceiving him [it is in the nature of Venetian women to do so and she has already deceived Brabantio].

In addition, Iago will mention Cassio by name twice (3.3.223,246). Both of these references are like knife thrusts going into Othello's back; indeed the the Variorum Edition on Othello, compiled in 1886 by Horace Furness, describes the action of famed Shakesperean actor Edwin Booth (1833-1893, interestingly enough the most famous Shakespearean actor of his generation as well as the brother of John Wilkes Booth) when Cassio's name is mentioned by Iago: "Give this as a stilletto-stab in the back--at which Othello groans aloud (A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare, vol 6, Othello [1886], p. 186)."

Othello's Response

But Othello does not just sit passively while Iago assaults him with apparent kindness and his barrage of words. He lets slip the concern on his mind.

"And yet how nature erring from itself-- (3.3.227)."

It is not clear exactly what Othello means by this, but it may be taken in one of two ways. It might mean that Desdemona, by apparently deceiving not only Brabantio but also Othello has violated the ways of nature. It is as if nature itself has erred in permitting Desdemona to be so apparently deceptive. Second, it might mean that Othello realizes that something about their connection is "unnatural," and that he is coming around to the position of Brabantio who warned him about the marriage. Brabantio was so upset because Desdemona, "in spite of nature (1.3.96)" and "Against all rules of nature (1.3.101)," has "fall'n in love with what she fear'd to look on (1.3.98)." Maybe Brabantio's querelous and haunting words have now come back to stalk the Moor and he is voicing his fear that their union may be a violation of nature, and that when nature if violated, when it "errs" from itself, it brings in its wake hard evidences of the mistake being made.

Earlier he has said that if he ceases to love Desdemona, chaos would return (3.3.90-92); now he is contemplating another fearful possibility--that nature itself has "erred" in allowing the marriage to go forward. It is interesting that he doesn't uses words that would indicate his and Desdemona's culpability for violating the ways of nature; it is almost as if nature itself bears responsibility for "erring" by permitting the elopement and marriage to take place. In any case, Othello is now voicing his suspicions that something contrary to nature has taken place.

Iago Rushes in to Clarify

Iago doesn't let him finish. He sees an opening and rushes in to fill in the interpretive gap, mentioned above, by giving his interpretation of what Othello means. That is, Iago is cutting off the possibilities of Othello's interpretive imagination by giving the one interpretation of what Othello must mean by what he has just said. Iago says,

"Ay, there's the point; as (to be bold with you)/ Not to affect many proposed matches/ Of her own clime, complexion, and degree,/ Whereto we see in all things nature tends--(3.3.228-230)."

For Iago nature supports those matches where people of the same clime, complexion and degree connect with each other. That is what Othello must mean by his wandering words, "And yet how nature erring from itself (3.3.227)." He must mean that unequally yoked matches between men and women are contrary to nature, and those who do things contrary to nature suffer for them.

Othello Acquiesces

Othello doesn't even seem to notice that Iago has channeled the various interpretive possibilities of his words into one and only one stream. He marvels at Iago's words: "This fellow's of exceeding honesty,/ And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,/ Of human dealings (3.3.258-260)." But then, to show that Othello has swallowed Iago's interpretation completely, he muses,

"Haply, for I am black,/ And have not those soft parts of conversation/ That chamberers have, or for I am declin'd/ Into the vale of years (yet that's not much),/ She's gone (3.3.263-267)."

Observe what Othello is saying. 'Maybe it is because I am black that she is abandoning me.' This corresponds to Iago's words "clime" and "complexion (3.3.230)." Or, 'maybe it is because I am not eloquent like the high society gallants are.' This corresponds to Iago's word "degree (3.3.230)." In other words, when Othello begins to muse on his current situation, he uses the precise categories Iago has provided when he channeled the interpretation of Othello's musing in 3.3.227 into one stream of meaning.

And, as we will learn in the next essay, once Othello has settled on Iago's limiting hermeneutical construal, he is perilously close to casting himself back into the abyss.