Othello's Act 5 Soliloquy

              Othello reflects on his deteriorated state as he observes Desdemona and ponders the murder he is about to commit. He surrenders to his emotions, ultimately blaming her disloyal. And yet, even as he is overcome with anger, he does not wish to "shed her blood, / Nor scar that whither skin of hers than snow" (3-4). He wishes not to stain her purity which he deems as false. The world must remember her for her beauty and not for her sin. Othello, especially, wants this clean image to be his last--he wants to have the privilege since his growing insecurities have also made him greedy. By taking away her life, he is fully in control of her, but this is only because he has lost all control of his soul and his jealous emotions. It almost seems as though he feigns selflessness when he says, "Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men" (6). Othello seems to fear that other men will undergo the same dreadful transformation to obsession that has destroyed him. But his line could also be interpreted as a way to say he does not want Desdemona to fall in love with other men that possess better qualities than he. He knows his murder will be permanent, as he metaphorically compares his killing her to "putting out thy light" (10) and picking a rose. He extends the sweet metaphor: "I cannot give it vital growth again. / It needs must wither. I'll smell it on the tree. / O balmy breath, that doest almost persuade / Justice to break her sword!" (15-18). Othello is overwhelmed with the sweet image of Desdemona sleeping, and out of the love for her, feels the slightest persuasion to resist his urge to murder her. However, once again, his emotions override his logic. His memory of her love will be as pure as the image of her sleeping before the murder. Othello justifies this by saying, "Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee / And love thee after" (20).