Othello-Act 5

"Othello" 

By: William Shakespeare

"Of one not jealous  but, being wrought, perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand, like  the base Indian, threw a pearl away richer than all his tribe (V.ii.345-346)." This simile and connection of an Indian throwing away richness for the richness of his tribe is a beautiful representation of the message presented in the book. 

Rather than taking richness of an individual, one should look for the honesty and truth of their way. In reading this simile, I was reminded of the short story, "The Pearl." The central message of this short book was that richness does not always satisfy one's needs, but rather, can remove one from those closest to them. Similarly, richness does not buy Roderigo Desdemona's love. Richness in cunning ways does not buy Iago happiness in life. Richness of knowing the complete truth of Desdemona's love keeps him from understanding her absolute loyalty. Thus, richness does not measure or compare to that of one's tribe. As a result of each character's rich quality or aspect, they become blinded by reality and the cunning scheme which has turned them all against each other. In the end, this blindness leads to the death of Roderigo, Desdemona, Emilia, and Othello.