Othello Act IV

In Act IV of William Shakespeare's Othello, a new character Lodovico is introduced. The addition of Lodovico has practical reasons, he brings news of an order of departure for Othello that speeds up Iago's plans. However, Lodovico has another purpose for the audience, he is a fresh pair of eyes in this hot mess of a drama. By the final acts of this play, we as readers are beginning to become desensitized to Iago's crafty manipulations, Othello's mood swings, and the random fighting. Lodovico reminds us how crazy these characters are by giving us someone normal to compare them to. Lodovico reacts harshly when he sees Othello strike Desdemona, yelling "what, strike his wife!" when asking of Othello's typical behavior (Act IV, i, 258). The audience did not find this action as upsetting, perhaps because we are aware of what Othello believes she has done. Or perhaps we are used to this treatment of women, especially after Iago's harsh treatment of Emilia. Either way, Lodovico reminds the audience of the shocking actions of this play.