FREE WILL: All people have free will. There is no predestination or fate; rather it is our choices that affect us. In Othello, Othello’s downfall comes from his choices. His fate was not to end up dead or to commit suicide after murdering his own wife. He chose to believe Iago over his wife which led him to believe he was betrayed. Then he let himself be persuaded that killing Desdemona was the best thing to do. Othello did not HAVE to believe Iago. There were many routes he could have taken that would leave violence out of the situation, but his choices led him to his death.
DETERMISNISM: Iago’s downfall in Shakespeare’s Othello can be described using determinism. This is to say that people’s lives are a great cause-and-effect chain that never ends. Everything that happens to them becomes the basis for their next thought, decision, and action. For Iago, this would start with Cassio’s promotion to the position Iago coveted. This ignited his hatred for Othello and his desire to exact his revenge. Another scene where this is shown is when Iago’s wife, Emilia, tells Othello about how she took the scarf from Desdemona; which basically pointed the finger at Iago. This caused Iago to no longer see Emilia as he did before and he kills her for her betrayal.
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