The protagonist of the play, Othello is a man trapped by his own weaknesses rather than a victim of circumstance. Even though the situations that Othello finds himself in are not ideal and contribute to his downfall, it is his own fatal flaws that end up destroying him. In act 3 scene 3 Iago starts to plant a seed of doubt in Othello’s mind about his wife Desdemona and her infidelity. Iago proceeds to ask Othello, “Did Michael Cassio, when you wooed my lady, know of you love? ” This question immediately causes Othello to become suspicious.
Iago then follows with a series of rhetorical questions that enrage Othello as well increase the doubt that is building up in his mind. By the end of this scene we see one of Othello’s weaknesses present itself, jealousy. This particular flaw becomes one of the major contributions to Othello’s downfall. By the end of the play jealousy has clouded his judgment and taken over his perspective on everything. At first Othello insists that he needs proof of the alleged affair but quickly changes his mind. “Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage. Act 4 scene 1, Iago informs Othello that Desdemona and Cassio have slept together and he has seen that she has given Cassio the handkerchief Othello gave her when they first fell in love. All this news that Iago keeps telling him sends Othello off into a rant, “Is’t possible? – Confess? Handkerchief? O devil! ” After this his falls into a trance. This is the moment when all Othello’s insecurities, fears and aversions as well as the obvious lack of judgment that a leader is assumed to have combine to create this kind of epileptic fit.
In this scene stage directions are used to help the reader understand what is going on for a dramatic effect. Two of Othello’s flaws that cause this downfall are passion and gullibility. These feelings enabled Iago fill his head with lies that caused him to get so worked up that he lost control. In act 5 scene 1 Iago had convinced Othello that he would kill Cassio and that Othello had to kill Desdemona. Othello begins this scene with a soliloquy, reflecting and attempting to justify his decision to kill her. Othello refers to Desdemona as light. “Put out the light and then put out he light”. So sweet we ne’er so fatal. ” Othello describes how she was so sweet but her actions caused so much pain. Before he kills her, Othello makes sure she has prayed or confessed so that she will go to heaven. “I will not kill thy unprepared spirit. ” Othello’s blind faith in Iago is the flaw that leads all his other weaknesses to rise to the surface and in the end the inevitable happens. Othello, once a great man, falls. Desdemona speak for one last time in the play. “A guiltless death I die. ” This quote enforces the reality of what has just taken place.
This innocent woman was a victim because of another man’s weakness. In this play it is clear what jealousy and misguided trust can do to a person. These weaknesses, along with others, are the reason for Othello’s downfall. Each flaw produced another weakness or doubt. The fact that Othello was manipulated to be part of Iago’s plan for revenge only accelerated the speed of his demise. The fatal mix of passion, jealousy, insecurity as well as how easily he could be manipulated caused Othello to be a man snared by his own weaknesses.
Management Question
Part 1
Chapter 2. Strategic Leadership: Managing the Strategy Process
Initial Postings: Read and reflect on the assigned readings for the week. Then post what you thought was the most important concept(s), method(s), term(s), and/or any other thing that you felt was worthy of your understanding in each assigned textbook chapter.Your initial post should be based upon the assigned reading for the week, so the textbook should be a source listed in your reference section and cited within the body of the text. Other sources are not required but feel free to use them if they aid in your discussion.
Also, provide a graduate-level response to each of the following questions:
The “job to do” approach discussed with the Clayton Christensen milkshake example can be useful in a variety of settings. Even when we are the customers ourselves, sometimes we don’t look for better solutions because we get into routines and habits. Think about a situation you sometimes find frustrating in your own life or one you hear others complaining about frequently. Instead of focusing on the annoyance, can you take a step back and look for the real job that needed doing when the frustration occurred? What other options can be developed to “do the job” that may lead to less irritation in these situations?
[Your post must be substantive and demonstrate insight gained from the course material. Postings must be in the student’s own words – do not provide quotes!]
[Your initial post should be at least 450 words and in APA format (including Times New Roman with font size 12 and double spaced). Post the actual body of your paper in the discussion thread then attach a Word version of the paper for APA review]
Part 2
The chapter discusses several strategic leadership issues at Facebook. Several other firms are also noted in the chapter with some positive and some negative leadership results. Choose a firm mentioned in the chapter and discuss current controversial issues it faces. How should strategic leaders address the major issues you identified? In what situations is top-down planning likely to be superior to bottom-up emergent strategy development?
The assignment is to answer the question provided above in essay form. This is to be in narrative form. Bullet points should not to be used. The paper should be at least 1.5 – 2 pages in length, Times New Roman 12-pt font, double-spaced, 1 inch margins and utilizing at least one outside scholarly or professional source related to organizational behavior. This does not mean blogs or websites. This source should be a published article in a scholarly journal. This source should provide substance and not just be mentioned briefly to fulfill this criteria. The textbook should also be utilized. Do not use quotes. Do not insert excess line spacing. APA formatting and citation should be used.