Othello and The Winter's Tale: The Same Story (Almost)

I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed many striking similarities between the plot lines and characters of Othello and The Winter’s Tale.

Although they have many key differences, I want to focus on the ways in which they present very similar issues. The first main issue that the audience encounters in both plays is the rapid descent into jealousy that both Othello and Leontes fall into. In Othello, his suspicions of his wife’s infidelity is started by the lies fed to him by Iago. Audiences can sympathize with Othello’s jealousy because they are witnesses to the foul manipulation that occurs. In The Winter’s Tale, Leontes’ intense jealousy is even more problematic; it has almost no basis. After telling his wife to convince Polinexes (his lifelong friend) to stay longer, he then proceeds to become angry at the two for interacting.

Despite the differences in how they came to be consumed by jealousy, the two characters both end up acting upon their feelings and taking their situations to extreme levels. These actions also result in some very inexcusable treatment of husbands towards their wives. In Othello, his jealousy leads him to the point of strangling his wife on their own bed. He refuses to listen to her or hear any other side of the evidence once he has become escalated past a certain point. In a similar manner, Leontes is unable to take any advice from ANYONE in the play. No matter how much he may respect them or know them, Leontes calls anyone who disagrees with him a treasonous liar, essentially. His wrath is then taken out upon his wife as he commands Antigonus to take her child from her and abandon it. Although Othello and Leontes both feel deep remorse for their stubborn blindness after the truth is revealed to them, it is already too late for both men. Desdemona has died by Othello’s own hands, and Hermione and Mamillius have died from the grief of the traumatic events that have unfolded.

Moving away from the men in the story, the two wives also have many similarities (besides the fact that they both have a servant named Emilia. Could we come up with some other names, Shakespeare?). In both stories, the wives have little to no agency. Once their husbands have sided against them, there is little hope. Their word is not respected enough to be taken as truth, so they are fighting an uphill battle to prove their innocence. I find it interesting that both wives are suspected of affairs with their husbands’ best friends (Cassio and Polinexes). It says a lot about the position of women at the time, that they can hardly speak to a man without being suspected of an affair. As we talked about in our discussion with Dr. Andzrejewski, really the only other time we see women of higher class interacting with men is inside of amorous relationships (for example, Henry and Katherine). Because of this, I suppose it would, then, be concerning to Othello and to Leontes that their wives are (dare I say it) SPEAKING to other men. However, it still seems very unfair that women could not even be trusted to interact with their husband’s very best friends without being accused of having ill intentions.

Anyways, that’s my take on The Winter’s Tale to this point. Stay tuned, good luck with finals, and enjoy the relevant Office meme.