suffering

intro

Although suffering is often perceived as purely destructive, both The Queue and Othello present it as a force that ultimately reveals truth, identity, and resistance. In The Queue, Basma Abdel Aziz portrays suffering as a consequence of authoritarian oppression designed to erase individuality, while William Shakespeare presents suffering in Othello as psychological torment driven by manipulation and jealousy. Despite these differences, both authors suggest that suffering gives meaning to life because it exposes the realities individuals attempt to suppress, ultimately revealing the enduring human desire for truth, dignity, and self-understanding.

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Suffering can be used as a mechanism used by those in power to dominate and psychologically control others. In The Queue, Yahya’s physical suffering becomes symbolic of the state’s attempt to control truth itself. Although the bullet remains physically lodged within his body, the Gate continuously denies its existence, illustrating how authoritarian power depends upon the manipulation of reality. Abdel Aziz uses the recurring motif of bureaucracy and medical documentation to emphasize the dehumanizing nature of institutional control. Yahya’s prolonged wait in the queue transforms suffering into a test of endurance, where the state attempts to weaken not only his body but also his resistance and individuality. Similarly, Shakespeare presents suffering as something deliberately engineered by individuals seeking power over others. In Othello, Iago inflicts psychological suffering through calculated manipulation and verbal poisoning. Shakespeare repeatedly uses imagery of disease and corruption to demonstrate how Iago’s lies infect Othello’s mind. Unlike Yahya’s visible physical wound, Othello’s suffering is internal and emotional, gradually consuming his ability to reason. Through dramatic irony, the audience witnesses Othello’s psychological deterioration while remaining aware of Iago’s deception, intensifying the tragedy of his suffering. While Abdel Aziz portrays suffering as institutional and political, Shakespeare depicts it as intimate and psychological. Nevertheless, both works suggest that suffering becomes meaningful because it exposes how power functions through the control of truth and perception.

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As suffering intensifies, both authors illustrate how it strips characters of identity, voice, and humanity. In The Queue, citizens gradually lose their individuality as they are reduced to files, records, and bureaucratic cases. Abdel Aziz’s detached administrative diction reflects the emotional numbness imposed by the state, where human pain is treated as insignificant data rather than lived experience. Historical events are rewritten and denied, suggesting that suffering becomes especially dehumanizing when personal memory and truth are erased. The citizens’ inability to directly confront the Gate symbolizes their loss of agency and voice. Likewise, Shakespeare depicts suffering as something that fractures Othello’s identity and self-expression. As Othello’s jealousy intensifies, Shakespeare reflects his psychological collapse through structural and linguistic shifts. Othello’s earlier eloquent verse deteriorates into fragmented prose and violent outbursts, symbolizing the destruction of his rational identity. His epileptic trance marks the peak of his mental suffering, visually representing the complete loss of self-control. Shakespeare’s use of fragmented syntax and disordered speech mirrors Othello’s internal chaos, emphasizing how suffering destabilizes his humanity. Both authors therefore present suffering as dehumanizing because it silences authentic identity. The citizens of The Queue lose the ability to challenge authority openly, while Othello loses the ability to distinguish truth from manipulation. In both works, suffering threatens the very qualities that make individuals human.

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Despite the destructive nature of suffering, both authors ultimately suggest that it can generate meaning through truth, recognition, and resistance. In The Queue, meaning emerges through Yahya’s refusal to silently surrender to the state’s version of reality. His bullet wound becomes a physical symbol of truth that cannot be entirely erased by propaganda or bureaucracy. Abdel Aziz also presents solidarity among characters such as Tarek, Amani, and Nagy as evidence that shared suffering creates human connection and empathy within oppressive systems. Through these relationships, suffering becomes not only personal pain but also collective resistance. Similarly, Shakespeare suggests that suffering can produce painful self-awareness. By the end of Othello, Othello’s suffering finally leads him to recognize Iago’s manipulation and confront the consequences of his actions. His final speech represents an attempt to reclaim dignity by acknowledging truth and accepting responsibility. Shakespeare employs tragic self-awareness to demonstrate that suffering strips away illusion and exposes moral reality. Although Othello cannot undo the destruction he caused, his recognition restores a fragment of the humanity he had lost. Both works therefore suggest that suffering gains meaning because it reveals what remains when illusion, pride, and political deception collapse. Yahya’s wound and Othello’s grief become enduring symbols of truth that survive even after identity and stability have been destroyed.

conclusion

Ultimately, both Shakespeare and Abdel Aziz portray suffering as painful yet profoundly revealing. In The Queue, suffering exposes the fragility and cruelty of authoritarian systems that attempt to erase truth and individuality, while in Othello, suffering reveals the destructive consequences of jealousy, manipulation, and emotional insecurity. Through symbolism, characterization, and structural choices, both authors suggest that suffering gives meaning to life because it forces individuals to confront truth, reclaim humanity, and recognize what truly defines their existence.