Othello: Man or Beast?
... done about it. Othello is not a philosopher like Hamlet who could mark his time by speculation while pondering revenge. The man of action must do something rash… and the only action that makes sense to him is to kill Desdemona. He does so for the sake of his moral universe, as the only action somehow appropriate to the situation: "It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul" (5, 2, 1) "For not did I hate, but all in honour" (5, 2, 295) When the truth is finally known of Desdemona's innocence, "This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven" (5, 2, 274) it at least restores his moral universe and he can resume his former dignity, before performing the inevitable act of self-destruction. "For in my sense, tis happin...