To what extent is there a negative presentation of love in 'Othello'?

In Othello Iago’s sexist and misogynistic attitudes towards women are evident, where he suggests that ‘women rise to play and go to bed to work.’ This assumption of women’s position in society reflects the context of the play and the sexist attitudes which were accepted in Venetian society, viewing women as weak and obedient and suggesting that their sole purpose in life was to please the sexual desires of men. He views love and sex as two isolated subjects, seeing intimacy as something of ‘work’ rather than an expression of romantic feelings. This neglect of love and sex is seen elsewhere in the play, where Iago describes Othello as a ‘black ram’ and Desdemona as a ‘white ewe’ when announcing their relationship. The use of the animal imagery suggests the wildness of their marriage, rather than one of purity and passion, where Iago fails to look past Othello’s race and the love between the two characters, adding to this negative presentation. This extract is particularly shocking for a Twenty-first century audience, as Emilia, his wife, is present, which enhances the undesirable presentation of love and the little respect he has for women and his wife.

Furthermore, love is presented negatively through the demise of Othello due to his jealousy and lack of trust for his wife, which can be seen through the deterioration of his language over the course of the play. At the start of the play, Othello speaks with power, using the ‘Othello music’ to speak with clarity and to gain respect from groups including the Venetian court. However, once corrupted by jealousy and distrust for his wife, Othello’s language begins to fall apart and lose fluidity, speaking at times with just one word such as ‘zounds!, ‘o villainous!’ and at times, repetitions of words such as ‘o blood, blood, blood!’ This reveals the fragility of his marriage and the lack of faith he has for his wife and her love, where the simplest accusation of an affair with no ‘ocular proof’ and an object as insignificant as a handkerchief can affect him so drastically and cause his mind and confidence to weaken. This may derive from his personal insecurities where, as a black man, he was ranked low in Venetian society and was subject to racism, even called a ‘moor’ by his wife at times, which may be why he easily doubts himself as someone who could be loved by her. Othello’s downfall conveys the negative portrayal of love in this play and the insignificance of the sacrament of marriage, providing no base of trust.