Weekly Response #5

Emily Schmitt

ENG 280

Natalie M. Phillips

9/26/12

Weekly Response #5

Viktus: “In the scenes that lead up to Desdemona’s murder and Othello’s suicide, the trope of turning (in the sense of conversion) occurs frequently as the effects of Iago’s evil are felt and Desdemona, once Othello’s “soul’s joy,” becomes a “fair devil.” (Viktus 154.)

Othello: “Yes she must die, else she’ll betray more men. / Put out the light, and then put out the light. / If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, / I can again thy former light restore, /” (5.2. 6-9)

Question: Why is it Desdemona who ‘turns’ when her character remains honest except through the lenses of Othello’s misconceptions?

Essentially what I am asking is who is actually doing the tuning in this scenario? Viktus is indicating through his word choice that Desdemona is the one making the change from ‘good’ to ‘evil’. This is true when you are analyzing Desdemona’s ‘role’ in the play from a specific perspective. However, I have been convinced of a different persuasion. I don’t think Desdemona does any turning at all. I believe it is Othello who does all of the turning. It is only because we are looking at Desdemona through Othello’s perspective that it appears as if Desdemona has betrayed him, while in reality, it is Othello who has been poisoned by Iago towards ‘evil’.  Viktus identifies ‘turning’ as synonymous with changing faiths, or becoming un-virtuous. I believe that his definition fits Othello’s fall from grace better than it does a change in view point.