Free Will - The power of making free choices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency such as fate or divine will.
Iago: “'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our
gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners” (1.3 361-3).
Determinism - The philosophical doctrine that every event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedents, such as genetic and environmental influences, that are independent of the human will.
Othello: “Yet ‘tis the plague of great ones … ‘tis destiny unshunnable, like
death” (3.3 313-16).
Using the above definitions, write a paragraph that argues in support of each of the terms. In your paragraphs, use specific examples from Othello to support your ideas.
Free will is the power that is given to us to make our own decisions without external circumstances influencing our choices. We are the only person who can influence our actions. No one forces us to choose our actions. In Othello, Iago states that he is not the villain of the play because he simply plants the ideas and doesn’t force the characters to make their decisions. Cassio could have chosen not to drink and start a fight. Emilia wasn’t forced to steal the handkerchief from Desdemona. Othello had the choice not to believe Iago’s lies. He also wasn’t obligated to kill Desdemona. All of these actions were the product of their own free will. It wasn’t their fate or divine will that caused these events to transpire. It would be completely possible for all of these events to never happen if the characters chose a different way to go about their actions.
On the other hand, determinism states that every event, act, and decision is the effect of destiny or outside influences that are incapable to be changed by human interception. In a way, Othello’s events could have been the characters’ divine fate. Perhaps, Desdemona and Othello’s failing marriage was destined to happen. It had already been written that Othello would fall into jealousy, Roderigo, Emilia, and Desdemona would be killed, Iago’s plan wouldn’t completely prevail, and Othello would shorten his life. Their fates were all set in stone. Iago also influenced the outcome of the incidents. He changed the environments, planned ahead, planted evidence, and lied.
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