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from the perspectives of the likes of Eliot and Levis. It is evident from
the quote she loved me for the dangers I had passed/and I loved her that
she did pity them (Othello, Act 1, Sc. 3, 171-172) that Othellos
egotistical nature, which Leavis holds so strongly, is present within the
early stages of the play. In this line, he claims himself that he loves
Desdemona for loving him, suggesting the idea that he is marrying
Desdemona not out of love for her, but out of love for himself. Although
Othello is described as a valiant Moor who is true of mind, it is this
praise that leads the questioning of how strongly Othello holds this
opinion of himself. T. S. Eliots writings on Othellos final speech
describe Othello as feeling sorry for himself, which is evident after close
analysis of his dialogue. After committing murder of his sweet
Desdemona, Othello asks, Soft you, a word or two before you go.
Eliot sees this as evidence for his fatally self-centered nature as he is
asking for the attention on himself, whereas Bradley regards this line as
poetic and a start to many of Othellos many famous speeches.
Bradley sees this final speech with overwhelming truth and beauty
(Lewis, 1927) and, as described by Wyndham Lewis, the clearest
expression of the favour of Shakespeares heart and mind. However,
Eliot believes Othello is cheering himself up in this final apologetic.
Othello has a strong desire to think well of himself and Eliot defines
this defect as bovarysme, the human will to see things as they are not
(Harding, 1984) and essentially is calling Othello delusional, indicating
the end of Othellos self-destruction in the plays denouement. In his
final speech, Othello desperately pleads, speak of me as I am (Act 5,
Scene 2, 338), echoing the chilling admission of dishonest Iago, I am
not what I am (Act 1, Scene 1, 65). However, Eliot criticises the finer
points in this final speech in order to dislodge the halo Bradley placed
on the noble Moor (Harding, 1984) and this hypersensitivity to the
smaller details is evident in his critical analysis of the plays words. Eliot
Bibliography:
F. R. Leavis, Diabolic Intellect and the Noble Hero, The
Common Pursuit (Harmondsworth, 1962), pp. 259-283