Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men.
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 5, Scene 2. Othello justifies his killing of Desdemona, by arguing that he will be saving other men from being betrayed by her. His motivation that he is defending male society from the scourge of female infidelity, and not simply seeking retribution for the hurt she caused him, rings hollow. He has managed to convince himself that the blame for Desdemona’s death lies with her, and not him. Othello sounds more like a shyster lawyer trying to conjure up a dubious legal justification for murder. He speaks with the mind of a man who is not thinking clearly and has been taken over completely by self-deception.