Human Nature Essay According to Mark Twain, author of the Great American Novel “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” Twain believes that people only worry about one piece of the puzzle but it is best to take a moment to look at the big picture. this can be applied to humans if you only have one type of human nature the world would not work so well but if you have a little of every type the human race can work together to make the best of things. In a Shakespearian tragedy, Shakespeare uses heroes to symbolize human nature, which combined with details that describe human nature allow readers to experience a connection and consider why we are the way we are.
First, in the play Julius Caesar we meet a
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He was a high ranking officer who had everything going for him, he had a good life and a nice job. He had the potential to live a life that would not have any pain and suffering. But he then fell in love with another man’s love and Othello and Desdemona loved each other. But the father was not happy so another officer that wanted Othello’s job used this as an opportunity to get rid of Othello. In Othello, Othello says in act 1 scene 2 page 1 “Let him do his spite. My services which I have done the signiory Shall out-tongue his complaints. 'Tis yet to know— Which, when I know that boasting is an honor, I shall promulgate. I fetch my life and being from men of royal siege, and my demerits may speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune as this that I have reached.” Othello states that he has done a tone for his job and that if he wanted to he could always be bragging about it but he does not because he wants to honor his job and family. Political people are all around us but they come out of hiding every 4 years to deal with the next president elections everyone becomes super excited for some people it is funny but others it can be very
Human as the main body stream of the society, their spiritual world is extremely complex and rich, these varieties of human nature shape us unique and distinct from each other. Real human nature has both human creativity and limitations, the imperfections in a person’s characteristics sometimes will perform negatively but in some cases, it won’t harm the whole character’s image. The Shakespearean play Othello reflects the profound social contradictions of the Renaissance, and William Shakespeare develops the idea of one’s ruling passion would falsely leading to the tragic path and creating misunderstandings between loved ones which will act as a double-edged sword that not only harms other but later on will harm oneself. This idea is showing through three main characters of the play, Othello, Iago, and Desdemona; Othello’s ruling passion leading to his jealousy which blinds his logic and gentle nature, Iago’s cruelty in order accomplishes his intelligence which gives him a weapon of language to manipulate people with his ruling passion, Desdemona and her sweet kindness motivates her ruling passion for helping Cassio without noticing her husband's transformation which later caused her own death.
Fear of cuckoldry is widely known theme in medieval and Renaissance English literature. Fear of cuckoldry was also a widespread fear in English society during those eras. Men often treated their wives as possessions. Once men and women married, divorce was almost impossible, especially since it was almost impossible to prove that one had been cuckolded. If one were cuckolded and one’s wife had another man’s child, one might spend decades taking care of that child and passing on one’s money and belongings to that child without ever knowing that one had been deceived. Unmarried women are seen as their fathers ' property and the play 's two marriages are marked by jealousy and cruelty. Most
In Othello every character has their own personalities that makes them the person they are. In Othello there are characters that show true grit, a fixed mindset, and a growth mindset. Each characters are different which makes the book even more interesting. True grit means to endure and push through to do something better no matter what it takes. An example of grit is studying for a long period of time for a test and enduring the amount of work that must be completed. The definition of mindset is the established set of attitude held by someone. There are two other types of mindset as well. There is growth mindset and fixed mindset. Growth mindset is when the person isn 't
As a character, Othello is tough, noble, and virtually fearless. He is recognized for his hard work as a soldier but at the same time manages to remain humble. Shakespeare makes him out to be a hero from the start of the play. For example, in Act One, Othello says, “Let him do his spite./ My services which I have done the signiory/ Shall out-tongue his complaints” (1.2.17-19). I think that this quote displays that Othello is confident enough with his value and importance to the city of Venice that he really is fearless of getting in trouble for marrying the one he loves, Desdemona. As the play progresses, Othello’s humility comes to the surface via the words he elects to use in order to explain his marriage to Desdemona. In Act One, Scene
Analyse how a key relationship was used to comment on the human condition in the written text(s).
These instances heighten his nobility as a character. He is in great demand by the duke and senate due to his honorable qualities. This is evidenced by Cassio's comment that the senate "sent about three several quests" to look for Othello (I.ii.46). Othello is a noble man who is well known and respected for his position as a general. He is experienced in battle and shows great courage and demonstrates high levels of dignity. Othello shows immense respect for his fellow man, we see this in his initial relationships with Casio an Iago. Othello's valiant personality is a major part of his success in the military as well as with his marriage, to Desdemona. Because of his exotic qualities, he is able to woo his wife in an art of story telling, reflecting his nobility and honor. Such a storey seduces Desdemona, causing a strong bind to Othello made from a mixture of love and lust. The Venetian government trusts Othello enough to put him in full martial and political command of Cyprus; indeed, in his dying speech, Othello reminds the Venetians of the "service" he has done their state (V.ii.348). However noble or revered by his peers Othello may be, it is his honor, aided by his naivety and insecurity that lead to his destruction.
When pairs of texts are considered together, their universal themes and ideas lead to greater understanding, appreciation and insight of both the old and the new. The texts Othello, William Shakespeare (1600) and Othello, Geoffrey Sax (2001), ring true for this statement. Despite the differing contexts and ages, the universal themes of racism and betrayal bring new meaning to each of the texts. The primary meaning from the juxtaposition of the two is that of the human condition, and how the problems faced in the 17th century are faced in modern times.
Shakespeare is known for his use of recurring themes throughout his work, including love, death and betrayal. These themes are present in his work of Othello. However, the most fundamental issue is jealousy. The lives of the characthers in Othello are ruined by jealousy from the beginning to the end of the play. The telling of the story is carried out by passion, jealousy, and death. Shakespeare’s Othello reveals devastating tragic inevitability, stunning psychological depth, and compelling poetic depth; the fragility and mysterious power of love, as well as demons of doubt, and how suspicion can be triggered by manipulative villain (Barthelemy 12).
All humans are united in their imperfection. Everyone is inevitably flawed; this is human nature. How one rectifies their mistakes truly shapes who they are. Shakespeare’s Othello exemplifies the imperfection of human nature, focusing on what happens when each character’s fatal flaw takes control over their decisions, and eventually distorts their individual perspectives. Their actions consequently erupt in chaos by the end of the play. This play ultimately serves as a reminder of human nature. Though infinitely diverse and complex, humans are creatures of habit who ultimately share the same villainous tendencies. The evil in the world will always prevail through the manipulation of one’s imperfections, leading to the downfall of the
In Shakespeare’s play Othello, tragedy unfolds on the account of one man’s actions, Iago. He is a twenty eight year old military veteran from Venice. His personality consists of being obsessive, manipulative, relentless, and bold. From the beginning he expressed his hatred towards the Moor, or North African named Othello. Othello is a highly respected general and is also married to the pure Desdemona. The marriage between Othello and Desdemona is destroyed due to Iago’s actions and lies. His actions consist of getting Michael Cassio discharged as lieutenant and convincing the Moor that his wife is cheating on him. The motives Iago has for despising Othello are he passed him over for a promotion to be his lieutenant, instead he chose
In Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello, Iago is uncharacteristically honest when he says "I am not what I am". However, he is not the only character whose appearance differs from the reality. Nonetheless, he is possibly the only person who intends this duplicity. Unfortunately everyone is under the impression that Iago is "honest and just". Once alone, Iago reveals "when devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows as I do now". Iago is two-faced in his relationships, even in the language he uses. After referring to Othello as a "black ram", he then tells him "my lord, you know I love you". Iago has no shame in appealing to heaven and godly images in
Dr. David Allen White of the US Naval Academy asserts that "we are all Iago now" (White 2000). The claim may seem outlandish at first. Modern man representative of Shakespeare's greatest arch-villain? How could one even suggest such a thing? White's argument is followed by a series of points, each of which is aimed to help his audience realize that the character they most readily identify with is not Othello (the tragic hero of the drama) but Iago (both the driving comedic force behind the play and the driving antagonist). The reason White is able to make such a claim is that Iago, for all his treachery, is still one of Shakespeare's most human characters: he is brilliantly witty, outrageously funny, a rhetorical genius, possessed of petty jealousies which he insists on acting upon, full of pride, which he will cling to even if it means his own destruction, and most importantly an admitted schizoid "I am not what I am" (1.1.71) and a professed self-serving, self-idolater: "In following him, I follow but myself" (1.1.64). This speech will use the character of Iago as a launching point for a greater discussion on why it is that Shakespeare's Othello has stood the test of time and is still worthy studying today. I make the claim that it has done so and is so because of its incomparable ability to represent what it is to be human a representation very dear to us who live in a world that appears to be in most constant
Emotions have some control over our actions. However, there are other factors that influence what we do. In the play Othello though, emotions have way more power over the characters' actions. For example, the actions committed by characters consumed by love are greatly amplified. Another example of this is that the characters in the play that are consumed by jealousy go to far greater lengths than one normally would to quench their thirst for vengeance. The last instance that proves this is that the actions of characters overcome by despair are based solely on their hopelessness. These three points all help to show that in the play Othello, Shakespeare exaggerates how much our actions are affected by the major emotions of love, jealousy,
In the play, Othello, there are many different representations of characters and archetypes. The women of the play are seen as symbolic representations of how the men in Shakespeare’s generation saw women. The women of the play are all individual characters with different personalities. They are seen as objects but stray from the average mold. Shakespeare converts these women into the play with roles that represent the strong stereotypes of women and how they are not what the rumors portray them as.
saying he will “tear her all to pieces” and he tells Iago to let him