Brabantio's Plea

This is my interpretation of what was going through Brabantio's mind when his daughter, Desdemona, ran off with The Moor in Shakespeare's 'Othello'.

Brabantio’s Plea

To God’s loveliest creation,

To the product of

My love

For my wife,

My duty

To my ancestors,

And my gift

To company’s eyes and heart

This is my plea to you,

Fair Desdemona.

Do not follow in this erroneous path

Set by your emotions.

Do not get distracted by a novelty,

Like a shiny bauble.

Do not leave behind the entire world

For a barbarian

Whose profession is to murder

As told by the Senate.

And one who can kill without compunction,

Without knowing why,

Is a cold, heartless knave.

Beware of losing your heart

To one who lost his own long ago

In the cradle of some far away battle.

I ask you to retreat from a road

That will lead you to your ruin

The death of your father

(Killed by heartbreak)

The death of your beauty

(Killed by the passage of time wasted while waiting for his return)

The death of your spirit

(Killed by the accusations, discriminations and malevolencies of society)

The death of your love

(Killed by the loss of your spirit)

Your death, sweet lass.

I do not doubt your love for me

Despite the betrayal of my trust.

To you, I pray

Do not doubt my love for you

Despite recommending a course of action you dislike

For I do not hate

The one you claim to love

For his colour.

I am better than that.

I hate him for bringing you down with him.

His status as a general

Confirms his worth for the moment,

But stay,

His legs start to slow, his eyesight fails.

Age steals his position, his glory, his status

And your life.

Daughter of mine,

If he truly loved you

Even half as much as I do,

He would see the truth of my words

And let you go.

I have loved you since you lived

And I shall love you till the end of days,

And for the sake of my love

If not for your own life

I plead with you

To come back home.

My heart longs for your loving face.

- Ayesha Malik