Analysis of Guilt Feeling in Shakespeares Othello.

Complete 6 pages APA formatted article: Analysis of Guilt Feeling in Shakespeares Othello. The morality of a person is not always a consequence of guilt feelings. Guilt can either be devastating to one’s life or the person learns a lesson and has a positive impact on his guilt. According to psychologists, guilt is a feeling of responsibility for offenses or from some kind of wrongdoings. There are various favorable and unfavorable effects of guilt on a person’s moral character, psychological and physiological health. A person in guilt always tries to find out ways to erase those actions from his past which have caused guilt or do something which would re-pay to his wrongdoings which caused discomfort for his fellow humans particularly those closest to him. Generally, the feelings of guilt are acceptable if the person is aware of his wrongdoing. It would not be wrong to state that it is immoral for a person not to have guilt feelings even after realizing that he or she has done something wrong which has affected people adversely. The sense of guilt as depicted in Shakespeare’s Othello is portrayed beautifully when Othello the nobleman changes to a corrupt and an obsessed individual and after killing his own wife Desdemona, and knowing the truth from her faithful servant Emily, commits suicide like a coward in order to give himself a punishment of killing his innocent wife. However, there is some kind of connection between integrity and guilt. According to some psychologists, moral standards are those standards which the individual sets for himself/herself which should not be violated and if they are violated he feels guilty. Othello gives a clearer understanding of this concept. Though he kills his wife in anger and misunderstanding, inside his heart he knew that he has done something wrong which was the feeling of guilt that arose in him. This feeling was only because he was a nobleman, a man of principles. This concept has also been illustrated in the famous “The Epic of Gilgamesh” where Gilgamesh the mighty king (who was two-thirds God at the beginning of the story) feels guilty of all his wrongdoings which he has done to the people of his country.