Psychoanalytic Approach

• A Psychoanalytic Approach

  Reading Othello through a psychoanalytic lense may also relate to Love through the Ages and Aspects of Tragedy. Consider the following characters:
• Psychoanalysis

  • Psychoanalysis is a discipline developed by the famous neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).
  • In summary, it is the idea that the way we behave as humans is largely driven by unconscious desires.
  • Freud also stated that we sometimes become aware of these unconscious desires through slips of the tongue or what we dream about as we sleep.
• Psychoanalysis and Othello

  • A psychoanalytic approach to Othello would therefore focus on the clues Shakespeare gives us about the unconscious desires of the characters.
  • This does sometimes involve thinking of the characters as if they were real.
• Othello

  • His unconscious desire is to be with Desdemona, but he knows that in reality this may not work out for the good.
  • He assumes the role wanted by white Europe but he will never truly fit.
  • Shakespeare may be suggesting that Othello is delusional about this.
• Iago

  • His unconscious desire is jealousy towards Othello, both through his lack of promotion and because Othello slept with his wife.
  • He may also be racist.
  • Iago may also have secret desires for Desdemona.
• Cassio

  • He may explicitly need the sexual favours of Bianca, but may well view Desdemona as the ideal.
• Brabantio

  • His unconscious feeling might well be concern about the mixed race offspring that may result from Othello and Desdemona’s marriage.
  • This then presents him with issues over inheritance and the future of his own estate.
• Emilia

  • Her unconscious desire could be to see the end of her husband, because she is presented by Shakespeare as living in an unfruitful and broken marriage.