A few days ago, I went to the opera. It was “Othello” by Verdi, whose 200th birth anniversaryis being commemorated this year, based on one of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedies. The plot itself may be simple enough, but it made me think a lot in the depth of my mind.

As is well known, it is a story of a man with a villainous mind (Iago) attempting to ruin the life of his friend, a Moorish general in the Venetian army (Othello), the protagonist of the play, motivated by jealousy toward his colleague (Cassio) who was promoted ahead of him. The man who was promoted over him was not directly targeted. He was just used as a means to ruin the captain (Othello) for choosing Cassio for the promotion.

Cassio was made intoxicated and was forced to fight, and then incarcerated. In the meantime, Iago made a false charge that Othello’s wife, Desdemona, had committed adultery with Cassio. Othello believed the charge and strangled his wife to death for jealousy. Soon later the charge was found to be groundless, leading Othello to commit suicide.

Why did Othello believe the words of the villainous Iago? To be sure, the false charge may have been made in superbly tactical language. No matter how it is made, one is prone to lose the capacity to listen to the truth once entrapped. While loving his wife
more than anyone else, Othello was not able to trust in Desdemona’s fidelity.

This common human propensity must be carefully watched. The frequent hassle we get ourselves involved in is caused from this inability to trust people.

We often commit the mistake of misunderstanding the language spoken or behavior observed. This weakness of our mind not to be able to read between the lines or to see through lies worries me very much.

If Othello had been able to trust the pure heart and listen to the appealing words of his beloved wife, such a tragedy would not have taken place. The basic root of the　catastrophe was this inability on his part, not that of the villainous Iago.

The cause of evil resides in our minds incapable of trusting the people around us. It means the inability to trust our own minds. “Othello” made me think of and believe in the innate goodness of human nature that exists in the depth of our soul.