How Is Betrayal Shown In Othello

To betray by definition is to, “expose a person to danger by giving information or being disloyal to”. These books show that not only does conflict lead to broken friendships, but brutal betrayal as well. Betrayal is a part of human interaction, originating from conflict. Betrayal happens when friendship is not just broken, but converted to hatred because of the conflict. This relationship becomes a bitter one, with both people being against the other. Both Shakespeare and Knowles show that betrayal is a natural result of broken friendships. Brutus was considered by some to be Caesar’s son. For him to betray Caesar was upsetting, but it came with reasoning. “Et tu, Bruté?— then fall, Caesar” (III.i.85). It was because Caesar was usurping the Roman Empire, trying to take control. Brutus betrayed him because he was in conflict with Caesar’s new power. When Gene betrayed Phineas it was similar. He pushed Phineas off because his popularity was in conflict with Gene. “Gene understands his inferiority to Phineas and his own moral ugliness, made the more so when juxtaposed to Finny’s innocence. It is this realization that prompts his conscious shaking of the tree, which casts Phineas to the earth and which serves as Gene’s initiation to the ignorance and moral blackness of the human heart” (Ellis, 315). Gene realizes how Finny is superior and purposely injures him because of

Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can blind oneself from identifying the truth. Shakespeare heavily emphasizes this theme throughout the drama Othello, especially through the actions of characters. In the play the heinous antagonist, Iago, uses each character’s jealousy to deceive that person and manipulate the truth. His false promises and deceitfulness bring to the demise of many of the main characters in the play, including the protagonist, Othello. Othello could not have been deceived if it were not for his powerful jealousy. Therefore, Shakespeare is telling us that jealousy is an ugly trait that can hide the truth, which in turn causes many problems between characters in the play.

Shakespeare’s Othello is a play consistently based on jealously and the way it can destroy lives. One is quick to think this jealously is based on Othello’s lack of belief in Desdemona’s faithfulness to him or his suspensions over Desdemona’s affair with Cassio, Othello’s honorable lieutenant. Upon closer inspection of the jealously that exists throughout the play it becomes clear that his jealously is not the sole start and reason for all of the destruction that occurs. Iago, a good friend of Othello, is not who he appears to be. Iago’s own jealously of those around him pushes him over the edge. He begins to deceive all those who believe he is a true, honorable, and faithful man. Throughout Othello, Iago incites his own jealously in

In the play, evil intentions destroy what we know of a pure heart as well as trust and genuine honesty by this falsehearted deception. The agony of the tragic play is captured in a nutshell when Othello admits to Desdemona “when I love thee not/chaos is come again.” There is some misunderstanding of tragedy of love between the two characters. Trust is misplaced, honesty smeared out and finally, lives are ruined by denigrating fabrications and outright lies (Lupu, Jeffrey and Westmaas-Jones 12). The tragic cautionary of Shakespeare offers a supreme warning over jealousy which is referred as “the green eyed monster with doth mock the meat it feeds on.”

In the play Othello, Shakespeare creates a tragic plot with the use of betrayal through the actions of the most villainous character of the play, Iago. Iago’s betrayal of his commander, his friend and his own wife sprang from his jealousy of being overlooked for a promotion. Betrayal is the overall catalyst to the buildup of the tragic ending to this play, where the majority of characters die due to Iago’s intricate plan of betrayal to all who were close to him.

One of the biggest acts of betrayal would have to be in the Aeneid, which Virgil, one of the most renowned poets in ancient Greece, wrote. The most applicable section to the idea would have to be Book IV, where the story begins with Queen Dido, after her husband, Sychaeus, dies after a fateful blow dealt by the Queen’s own brother. She soon falls into a mad state of depression, preaching to her husband’s ghost that she will never love again; for her heart belonged to him and him only. But after her city goes into an economic slowdown, Dido’s sister Anna informs her that she must remarry in order for the city to return to normal. It is at this point where Dido meets Aeneas, the hero destined to restore and found the city of Rome. Dido immediately falls

To betray someone is the utmost deal breaker for any situation. It causes feelings to be hurt and can even lead to something worse. Betrayal however is a part of life for some people and this is no different in novels or plays. Throughout the year I have read many works of literature that deal with betrayal; the three I will take a deeper look at is Hamlet by Shakespeare, Oedipus by Sophocles and All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. I feel as if these three works of literature exhibit a great show of how betrayal is dealt with in different ways.

Betrayal is defined as the breaking or violation of a trust or confidence that produces conflict within a relationship between individuals such as friends, family members, or team mates. The people we trust or rely on are the ones who are capable of betraying us. By disregarding or not respecting certain relationships with people, our sense of loyalty can be destroyed. Some acts of betrayal can result in short term success, sometimes acts of betrayal may be the ultimate downfall of an individual. As interpreted in both Macbeth and The Lion King, many deeds of betrayal are acted upon, dismantling a number of relationships creating the success to be either a short term success or an epic failure in the long term.

Othello is the character with whom most of Iago's methods have success. His weakness as a jealous lover is apparent early on, but only after Iago’s has planted the seeds of doubt within his mind. Such is Othello’s trust for Iago that he uses the misnomer of describing Iago as ‘honest Iago’ and irony considering the action held within the play.  The trust is obvious and implicit and thoroughly entrenched within the language. Othello surmises on the aforementioned doubts during the last act of the play when he says;

The element of trust can be interpreted throughout the tragedy of Othello. “I shall but love thee better after death.” (Elizabeth Barrett Browning). Once poisoned in the mind, and overfilled by emotion, Othello had to trust in someone that did not tell the truth. The “Moor” (1.3.223) did not investigate Iago’s accusations, or seek his own proof regarding Desdemona’s betrayal. Ultimately, this cost him not only the guilt of murdering his wife, but his own life, as he killed himself as well. While Othello thought he was doing the right thing by killing Desdemona, he did it due to his love for her. “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). While in the perspective of today’s society, this can be interpreted to putting loved ones first; however, in the culture of Othello this becomes a bit blurry for Othello murdered his wife out of love; the general believed he was protecting her, or preserving her goodness. “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light. If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore… That can thy light resume. When I have pluck’d the rose… Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, and love thee after.” (5.2.6-19). Battle history, “Honest Iago” (1.3.316), and the overflow of emotions all add up in regards to why Othello trusted Iago, and did not go out and investigate the all the drama and commotion for himself.

The theme of betrayal is commonly explored through stories of Shakespeare's Hamlet and the Lion King. Both texts show us betrayal because both brothers of the previous king killed their brother to become king. However, Disney's version 'The Lion King' shows us that betrayal isn't just about murder but it's about Disloyalty.

Thesis: Betrayal is a common factor in many pieces of literature including Shakespeare's Othello, William Blake's A Poison Tree, and Jane Austen's Persuasion.

According to a web dictionary, “betrayal is to disappoint the hopes or expectations of; be disloyal to” (Dictionary.com). The element of betrayal is a reoccurring action in the tragedy, Hamlet. Gertrude, Hamlet`s mother, betrays Hamlet by marrying his uncle Cladius right after the death of King Hamlet. Hamlet`s friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betrayed Hamlet by going alone with Claudius' commands by spying on Hamlet while also reporting back to Cladius. Cladius betrays Hamlet by killing King Hamlet and taking the throne.

Iago is undoubtably the villian in William Shakespeare's 'Othello', however the reason behind his evil deeds are less clear. There are many possibilities as to why Iago betrayed his superior Othello. Was he simply envious of Othello's status or did Iago plot to destroy Othello for his own enjoyment?

The worst feeling of ache everybody ought to sense is when you are betrayed through some who you thought loved you. A betrayal is an act of disloyalty and it is violating someone's trust. In the play Hamlet by using William Shakespeare, betrayal is a reoccurring action among many characters. This play indicates the target audience unique types of betrayal that is imaginable, from a husband betraying his wife, a boyfriend betraying his lady friend and a mother betraying the son and father. These moves of betrayal hurt the human beings that are most loved and break them the place it most hurts in the end. Betrayal is one of the strongest and most essential themes in Hamlet. The whole play revolves around the homicide of King Hamlet. Betrayal