Free Othello Essay: The Disintegration of Othello

Shakespeare is prominent in his use of recurring themes throughout his works, particularly those of love, death, and betrayal. All these themes are present in Othello. Most dominant, however, are manipulation and jealousy. Jealousy runs the characters’ lives in Othello from the beginning of the play, when Roderigo is jealous of Othello because he wishes to be with Desdemona, and to the end of the play, when Othello is furious with jealousy because he believes Cassio and Desdemona have been engaging in an affair, but manipulation the prominent action that fuels the jealousy within Othello. Some characters’ jealousy is fashioned by other characters. Iago is involved in much of this, creating lies and implementing confusing situations.

The ability of passion to bring destruction upon the lives of the unsuspecting is illustrated in Shakespeare’s Othello with the use of both manipulation and deceit. The curse of fierce passion fell namely on Othello as he transitioned from a respected general to an unstable murderer. His downfall is demonstrated through his increasing self-doubt, lack of ability to articulate, and violence. In the start of the play, he is an accomplished general and happy newlywed, and has yet to be significantly held back due to his being a Moor and outsider in Venetian society. As passion overtakes him, however, Othello truly ingrains the idea that he is less than, and those around him begin to blame his actions on the nature of his ethnicity. He has completely lost his identity to his desires and is unable to think rationally. Shakespeare juxtaposes this version of Othello with his initial composed self in Venice to demonstrate the damage of ignorance to logic and heighten the sense of tragedy. The effects of an overwhelming passion involving love, jealousy, and revenge are shown through Othello’s degradation and loss of stability.

Inside each of us, there is a seed of good and evil since it is a constant struggle for us to

Throughout the first act, a host of disparaging and select terms are used to describe Othello by a number of different characters. Referred to as

By the middle of the play Othello’s mood and demeanor seem to shift from being peaceful and patient to very anxious, paranoid, and gullible. For example when Othello is talking to Iago and Iago suggests that maybe his wife is not being faithful to him, it becomes Othello’s obsession to get down to the bottom of it and catch her. “I have been talking with your suitor here, a man that languishes in your displeasure / Who is’t you mean / Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord” (III.iii.41-43). In this dialog between Othello and Iago, with just two sentences Iago causes Othello to lose trust in his wife and believe she is being unfaithful to him which grows stronger and stronger each scene of the play. Because Iago is extremely cunning and manipulative, he is able to control almost anyone he chooses and he is in control of Othello’s emotions because he knows the things Othello fears. Iago is pretending to be Othello’s friend but secretively is going behind his back and bringing him down. Iago convinces Othello that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. “I humbly do beseech

 Shakespeare portrays the character of Othello as a man who is calm and steadfast, as shown by reactions of Othello in Act I, scenes ii-iii, when Senator Brabantio accuses Othello of using witchcraft to woo his daughter. Othello replies calmly and eloquently in contrast to Brabantio’s hysteria, explaining that he did not use any sorcery except that of his presence. He tells Iago, when Iago urges him to hide,

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello is the tragic hero. He is a character of high stature who is destroyed by his surroundings, his own actions, and his fate. His destruction is essentially precipitated by his own actions, as well as by the actions of the characters surrounding him. The tragedy of Othello is not a fault of a single villain, but is rather a consequence of a wide range of feelings, judgments and misjudgments, and attempts for personal justification exhibited by the characters. Othello is first shown as a hero of war and a man of great pride and courage. As the play continues, his character begins to deteriorate and become less noble. Chronologically through the play, Othello’s character

Shakespeare was very specific, in 1603, about his choice of words when he wrote the play, “Othello”. The three language devices – “words as power”, “words as character” and “words as conversation” with the audience – are used to create characters’ identities and fates, and also to drive the plot of the play (Krieger, 2012).

Although some use it and mean no harm, when said by the likes of Iago and Brabantio, “the Moor,” turns into a racist slur, deliberately used to undermine Othello from society. And ostracize Likewise, depictions such as “thick lips,” and “the devil,”from Iago are further used to play on Othello 's Outwardly different physical appearance, enforcing the notion that Othello is different, and an outsider in their community. Another way Throughout the first act, a host of disparaging and select terms are used to describe Othello by a number of different characters. Referred to as “he” and “him”by Iago, the first mention of Othello leads the reader to believe that Othello does not hold a lot of merit or status with his portrayal, as he is not afforded the decency to be called by name.

Othello has spent most of his life in battle, which makes him good at some things. Othello says "Rude am I in my speech,/ and little bless'd with the soft phrase of peace,/ for

‘He takes her by the palm. Ay, well said, whisper. With such as little web as this I will ensnare a great a fly as Cassio.’ (II, I, 165-166)

    He lacks the critical intelligence to doubt Iago, because Othello feels his masculinity is damaged by even the mere suggestion that he has been cuckolded. His insecure grasp of social and human values results in placing his faith in Iago, over his supposed beloved. His immature romanticism allows passion to override his critical intelligence (as evidenced by his epileptic fits, triggered by superfluous emotion), and results in blindness to the pitfalls that surround him. In the Anthony Hopkins film version, Othello is foaming at the mouth, and seems to get progressively more insane. By the middle of the play, Othello has already believed his newlywed wife has been unfaithful to him; his only "relief must be to loathe her" (3. 3. 266-267). He strikes his chest, and it hurts his hand, so hardened is his heart. He believes Iago so fully, that "all [his] fond love thus do I blow to heaven/ 'Tis gone/Arise, black vengeance, from hollow hell;" this man quickly converts love into hate, as the emotions do seem to go hand-in-hand (3. 3. 442-443).  In Act III, Scene III, Iago pledges himself to Othello "forever;" Othello is being gradually pulled down to Hell (476).

Soliloquies play a vital role in William Shakespeare’s works. One of the most important examples of soliloquy use by a character was provided by Iago throughout the play, Othello. A soliloquy is side speech given by a character that is directed to the audience; it most often used to reveal emotions or thoughts of a character in a play. Iago’s use of soliloquies are very unique and stand out from any other character. They constantly change the audience's opinion of him. Each of Iago’s eleven soliloquies reveals his true evil or gains him pity from the audience. This trend makes Iago’s character unpredictable and hard to analyze.

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

thoughts are the start of what builds up to his future actions in the play which is, and brings Othello to become what he most hated to be, a jealous green-eyed monster.