Essay on Comparing Othello and The Great Gatsby

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All tragedies eventually end in chaos; however, Othello and The Great Gatsby both begin with innocent characters thinking little about the possibility of disarray. During the climax of both works it becomes evident that the idea of order is doomed, inevitably leading to a bounding spiral of problems. The Great Gatsby and Othello both end in chaos because the protagonists, Othello and Gatsby are outsiders entering an ordered society. The actions of many characters cause confusion in the storyline, and the chaos in both works gradually impact the downfall of every character.
Both protagonists, Othello and Gatsby are outsiders entering an ordered society. Othello, “the Moor”, has a very important role as a military and public servant for the…show more content…
This brings about chaos, as Daisy has been unaware of Gatsby’s illegal ventures and how he made his money. Jay Gatsby and Othello are easily manipulated by other characters because they are both outsiders. Being outsiders, both protagonists dramatically stimulate chaos in the plot.
Both Shakespeare and Fitzgerald want the reader to understand that sometimes many characters can be to blame for the chaos that occurs. One may think that the downfall of the plots happen solely because of the actions of the protagonists, Gatsby and Othello, when in reality, many other characters are to blame. In Othello, Iago is behind Othello’s deception making him believe that his wife, Desdemona is unfaithful. Iago uses the other characters as pawns in his “game” to achieve his main objective, obtaining the spot as lieutenant. During a party at Cyprus, Roderigo convinces Cassio, upon encouragement by Iago, to drink and have a good time. This ends in a fight between Roderigo and Cassio who then says, “reputation, reputation, reputation” (Shakespeare 2.3.281). Cassio is expressing his sadness as he is in fear that he has ruined his reputation after Othello dismisses him from his place as lieutenant. Iago’s plan has begun and he has already played his first move, adding to the already visible chaos. Unlike Iago, Gatsby is not trying to manipulate the other
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