Hell In Othello

According to Kim, “ A miasma of plague hangs around Shakespeare's dramatic corpus, and Othello is a topical response to its occasional outbreak in 1603” ( Kim 1). Othello skin color was the same response as the outbreak in 1603, known as the plague. Brabantio was acting like Othello had a disease when he found out that he married his daughter. Instead of Othello getting mad or going on the run, about him trying to come and kill or arrest him. Othello stay calm and waits for him, “ Not I, I must be found. / My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?” (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 31-33). He turns a bad situation into a better one by compromise with the farther by listening to his feelings, and telling him in a calm manner that he didn’t do anything wrong to Desdemona and that it is all willingly. In this play Othello, Othello is put in a lot dramatic irony situation with Iago. Because Iago was always set Othello up, the audiences knew exactly what Iago was up to but Othello didn’t.

Othello’s insecurity about his skin color and heritage is a tragic flaw. He is the highly-respected general of the armies of Venice. He is not a native of Venice,Which makes him more likely to harassment from the people of Venice. Othello is easy prey to insecurities because of his self-consciousness about being a racial and cultural outsider. This is a tragic flaw because it leads to death. He is insecure about himself already, and when he finds out that the one person he truly loves and trusts has had an affair he instantly believes it because he believes that he is not good enough for her. He knows that he does not meet Brabantio’s standards, and that Brabantio does not want his daughter married to a black man. His insecurities are so

Othello or The Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare is a tragedy of race. Shakespeare creates a hero who does not fall under a racist stereotype, Othello is a nobleman, a decorated soldier, very well respected by his men (with the exception of Iago). One of the few characteristics that harms, rather than helps him, is that he is dark-skinned in a society utterly dominated by men prejudiced against those with dark skin. At the start of the play, he appears confident that, "My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly." (Shakespeare, 1, 2, 36-37) But Iago makes sure to use Othello's race against him as much as possible. As a brave soldier from Africa and recently instated supreme commander of the Venetian army, Shakespeare still allows Othello to succumb to the subtle racism that surrounds him. Most of it comes forward through the dialog, and is directed toward Othello. Shakespeare makes no effort to hide this colorful language, nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at some point in the play. Even Emilia, who doesn’t trust her own husband, sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. Though the main character to make racist remarks in Othello is Iago, making him a representation of white supremacy. The effect of racism on Othello is quite evident and is one of the main causes of his insecurity about his marriage. These black stereotypes show up in the play and lead to the problem with trying to produce

The nature of Othello's character is of a dark man. Not only because he is black, but also because his whole person is very mysterious. He is mysterious in that he believes there is magic everywhere. With this dark side, he is also very outgoing, and not very bright. He is not observant and the schemes of Iago work well on him. For all the dangers and encounters he has been involved in, this man is still naive of the corruptness of other individuals. Othello has a trusting nature in which he gives it all. He put all his trust in Iago during times of war and during Othello's marriage to Desdemona. Everyone considered Iago as honest, and it would be out of character for Othello to believe any different. For example, Othello had told Duke:

Haply, for I am black/ And have not those soft parts of conversation/ That chamberers have, or for I am declin’d/ Into the vale of years (yet that’s not much) She’s gone. I am abus’d: and my relief/ Must be to loathe her” (III.III. 304-309). As the emanation of social interaction among various races appear within English literature, the vault of new beginnings and change takes hold. William Shakespeare’s Othello, is most notably recognized for the character, Othello. Through various texts of literature, the idea of racial construct and discrimination was never an easy topic to come by. Since the play was written in Europe during the 1600s, the emergence of slave trades in this area further divided races. The play itself follows the tragedy for Othello, and the transition from a military general to a tragic hero. The limitation of power plays a huge role in Othello’s ability to withstand the manipulation of multiple characters. Although he is Moorish general in the Venetian army, he is still indeed a Moor, a socially lower class, muslim man. From this, cultural collision of ethnicity influences how Othello is treated and the disadvantages he faces because of his color. Through the mere jealousy in which Iago, Othello’s standard-bearer, has for Othello’s life, he proposes the idea to manipulate his life by using the one difference between all men, race. When Iago awakes Brabantio, the father of Desdemona, he hopes to initiate his plan to take down Othello. His description

Shakespeare’s culture consisted of a homogenous pool of residents who all very likely looked like one another, so seeing someone like Othello, whose appearance is quite different from theirs, was a novelty to them. It is important to note that when Shakespeare wrote this play (between 1600 and 1605) he was living in an era before the transatlantic slave trade when the modern obsession with the biological classification of people was absent. This early obsession with categorizing human beings based on physical features and appearance eventually paved the way for the enduring race constructs that exists today. Othello is casts as a black because his character is part of Shakespeare goal as a writer to further explore topics of identity, but in doing so he provided a platform for racism to eventually grow on.

“Othello” is a tragic play of jealousy, racism and struggle for power. Right from the beginning, Shakespeare has created vigorous dialogue and conflicting situations. There is a direct contrast between black and white in this play, with black meaning something negative and evil and white meaning pure and fairness. The clash between these two colours leads to severe hatred and enmity between a few people.

According to Kim, “ A miasma of plague hangs around Shakespeare's dramatic corpus, and Othello is a topical response to its occasional outbreak in 1603” ( Kim 1). Othello skin color was the same response as the outbreak in 1603, known as the plague. Brabantio was acting like othello had a disease when he found out that he married his daughter. Instead of Othello getting mad or going on the run, about him trying to come and kill or arrest him. Othello stay calm and waits for him, “ Not I, I must be found. / My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?” (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 31-33). He turns a bad situation into a better one by compromise with the farther by listening to his feelings, and telling he in a calm manner that he didn’t do anything wrong to Desdemona and that it is all willingly. In this play Othello, Othello is put in a lot dramatic irony situation with Iago. Because Iago was always set Othello up, the audiences knew exactly what Iago was up to but Othello

How is the theme of suffering portrayed in ‘Othello’, ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’?

Only by considering a range of perspectives can we truly appreciate the world of Shakespeare’s Othello. It is through my exploration of these perspectives and their relationship with changing morals and values that has enriched my understanding of the play. One such reading of the play challenges the marginalisation and objectification of woman in a patriarchal Venetian society, while taking into account the changing role of women in modern society. Another interpretation of Othello examines its post colonial elements through the protagonist Othello, and his insecurities of being a black man in a white society. My interpretation of the play as a portrayal of the values existing in Shakespeare’s time is filtered through these

Othello is one of the Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy which illustrates a tragic downfall of a black protagonist, Othello. Although in the play, Othello is a socially secured man working as a military general, his social status seems to be cancelled out by his colour. In the society of Venice, Othello is referred to as an outsider not only because of his cultural difference but also his colour, Therefore, in the play, Othello is depicted as a victim of racism even though he himself does not seem to acknowledge that he is victimised because of racism.

Othello’s race does not prominently impact his demise, although Shakespeare touches upon the issue of race, the reason for Othello’s demise lies somewhere else. However, the allegations of race directly lead to its tragic ending. Feelings of inadequacy and distrust without question aid in the tragedy. The fact that Othello’s skin color is important alters the interpretation of the tragedy within the play. The racism represented in Othello is not just about an instance of prejudices and prejudgments made by a crowd of people against another, but in fact has much more subtle and devastating consequences, specifically, that it is proliferated not only by the discriminatory section of society, but also by the target of this discrimination.

Along with critics making references to Othello’s race, many characters in the play do as well. The characters that are most racist refer to Othello by his real name less than the people who are least racist. “Othello’s blackness is not only a mark of his physical alienation but a symbol, to which every character in the play himself included must respond” (Berry, 1990). Othello does not refer to himself as African but rather as an exotic Venetian. Other characters do not see Othello as that. Many characters call Othello numerous names other than his real one. “For Iago Othello is an old black ram, the devil, and a barbary horse” (Berry, 1990). Many see Othello’s blackness as a symbol of ugliness, bestiality, treachery, and demonic. None of those words describe how Othello really is. Those words are the stereotypical definition of what a black man is. This stereotypical definition puts Othello is a predicament and makes his acceptance in the Venetian society difficult. “Once such critics conclude that Othello is not a stereotype, he tends to lose his individuality as a Moor and to become a representative of humanity” (Berry, 1990). The stereotypical image of a black man plays an important role in the play’s ending.

saying he will “tear her all to pieces” and he tells Iago to let him

Throughout Shakespeare’s Othello and Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus, the main characters both undergo a major downfall that ultimately leads to their death. Their tragedies were not similar at all; however, some characteristics and themes overlap in both. Faustus sold his soul to Satan, while Othello got wrapped up in a manipulative trap set by his friend. Both were very highly thought of but were the victims of unfortunate events. Now the question arises, are they considered tragic heroes? A tragic hero is normally an admirable character who is the focus throughout the play. However, they may possess characteristics of a tragic mistake, misconception, or a flaw that eventually leads to their downfall (Wheeler 19). They may even portray traits of being doomed from the start, facing a major decision, the downfall is brought on by their actions, or must be wounded by the experience. Also, the audience may feel that the character got what he deserved (Tragic Hero as defined by Aristotle 1). Following the definition, both Othello and Faustus may be seen as tragic heroes. Some might disagree, however, throughout both plays, the two main characters portray these qualities.