Humanity and Reason in Othello
In Othello Shakespeare probes deeply into the human condition by creating characters, who, by their inability to think rationally, surrender what sets them above animals. Before he succumbs to Iago's poisonous innuendoes, Othello himself expresses his clear understanding of this role of the human intellect. He initially refuses to listen to Iago's suggestions that Desdemona cannot be trusted, "Exchange me for a goat/When I shall turn the business of my soul/To such exsufflicate and blown surmises" (3.3.194-96). Othello feels that he would be acting like an animal if he became irrationally jealous because someone would say "my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company" (3.3.198). He tells Iago that
…show more content…
Each character also becomes associated with animals as a means to underscore this loss.
From the beginning of the play Roderigo has an irrational infatuation with Desdemona. He admits to Iago that "it is my shame to be so fond, but it is not in my virtue to amend it" (1.3.314-14). He has been rejected by her father as her suitor, and even when he learns that she has eloped with Othello, he does not want to abandon his hopes. By himself, Roderigo is merely a foolish gentleman with an adolescent case of puppy love. We are not to take him seriously when he threatens to drown himself at the end of act one. It is only as he becomes increasing under the power of Iago that he loses all power to reason for himself. This is Roderigo's main fault--he allows Iago to think for him and put him into situations he would normally avoid. Iago controls Roderigo by appealing to his sense of manhood, "Come, be a man. Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind puppies" (3.3.327-28). Iago encourages him to stop acting like a helpless animal and behave like a man. For Iago this means to go out and take what you want--in this case, Desdemona. Actually, he has no respect for Roderigo's whining. He feels that Roderigo is less than a man because he allows another to affect him so much without taking decisive action, "Ere I would say I would drown myself for the love of a guinea hen, I would change my humanity with a baboon" (1.3.313-14). Roderigo is a senseless
Shakespeare's play, “Othello, the Moor of Venice,” is a powerful example of a tragedy and it’s main character, Othello, is an excellent illustration of what Aristotle constitutes as a tragic hero. The play imitates life through basic human emotions such as jealousy and rage. In addition, Othello is far from being a perfect character - another quality that meets Aristotle's requirements. Othello also matches Aristotle's ideas of tragic hero because our Othello realizes the error of his ways, causing us to feel sympathy for him. If we carefully examine the third scene in the third act, we can see how Othello fits into Aristotle's definition of tragic hero. This passage reveals how much Othello has deteriorated as far as his ability to reason
Inside each of us, there is a seed of good and evil since it is a constant struggle for us to
Set in 16th century Venice, Othello, by William Shakespeare, explores the idea of an outsider from the very beginning of the play. Shakespeare uses Othello, a black army general, to explore the relationship of an outsider in high Venetian society using a variety of approaches. The reader sees characters consistently referring to Othello in derogatory and demeaning terms, as well as frequent implications that Othello is scarcely human. Further exploration of an outsider in society comes from Othello himself, as he outlines a few of the major differences that set him and the community apart.
There are many opposing views to the way that Othello is defined within Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Othello. Some suggest that Othello is a savage "Moor," and at no point is he the noble "Venetian" he attempts to portray himself as. Others suggest that Othello is the noble "Venetian" he portrays himself as, and his ultimate demise stems directly from Iago being a savage. Yet some agree that Othello is both the noble "Venetian" and the savage "Moor," unable to fully interpolate himself into the "Venetian" paradigm, but becoming, rather, a "noble savage."
In the Tragedy of Othello, by William Shakespeare, a great injustice is done to the main character, Othello the Moor. Othello is manipulated by the villain Iago to satiate Iago’s need for control and his desire for revenge. Othello the General has promoted another, Cassio, to hold the position that Iago feels he deserves. For the injustice that Iago feels has been committed against him, he brings about the destruction of Othello and his wife, Desdemona, using Cassio as his tool for doing so.
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’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
Othello is a tragic hero because of his greatnesses and his weaknesses. He is a noble man who possesses all the qualities of a military leader, which he is. He has control over himself and shows courage as well as dignity. Just as Othello is a virtuous man there are some flaws within him, these flaws complete him ff as a tragic hero. Othello is often blinded by trust and can not see a person for who they really are. He trusts the people around him even when they mean to afflict harm upon him. Through this, it can be seen why Othello is one of the most tragic hero out of all the characters from Shakespeare’s many plays.
What is not clear is whether Desdemona would even consider Roderigo’s advances. We know that Roderigo has failed in previous attempts to court Desdemona and Brabantio “charged thee not to haunt my doors” (Shakespeare 1458). Roderigo is eager to charge forward with Iago’s instructions and is so gullible that he is repeatedly puts his self in physical danger. Roderigo has no realistic chance of success and is therefore considered a pawn for Iago to maneuver. To enlist his help to eliminate Cassio, Iago conjures up a tale of an affair between Desdemona and Cassio that Roderigo is all too willingly to accept about the woman he loves. According to Iago, Roderigo is no longer considered Desdemona’s second choice behind Othello, but falls to a distant third behind Cassio. Roderigo becomes
Roderigo believes that Iago will help him win Desdemona's love, so she will abandon Othello. In the play, Iago states “I say put money in thy purse. It cannot be that Desdemona should continue her love to the moor-put money in thy purse-nor he his to her” (1.1.385). Iago persuades Roderigo to pay him for his service, which would only be the beginning of his manipulations. Roderigo has a deep love and respect for his companion Iago, whom he trusts, as witnessed by his willingness to give him money. The adoration Roderigo has
In this scene, Roderigo is sceptical of Iago’s plan and puts a sword to his throat. Iago swiftly maneuvers out of this situation by telling Roderigo how his judgement is brave and now he believes that Roderigo will do whatever it takes to get Desdemona’s love. Iago says that if Roderigo does not complete the plan, then he cannot try to kill him. The fooled Roderigo is shocked and is now completely loyal to Iago who barely got out of this bad situation using his manipulation skills. Later in the play, Roderigo finally recognizes that Iago has been taking advantage of him saying, “O damned Iago! O inhumane dog!” (5.1.74). As seen by his constant manipulative actions and dialogue, Iago reveals himself as a sociopath.
This quote by Iago puts into Othello's mind that Desdemona may be cheating on him with Cassio. Othello then begins to question whether he was right to marry or not and although without proof, he believes in Iago's words. This is shown in his statement, “why did I marry? This honest creature doubtless sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds”(Shakespeare 1324), indicates that he quickly turns to doubting his love Desdemona and takes Iago as being credible and true. It also causes him to become jealous and angered with only a simple touch of trickery by Iago. This marks his first sign to a down hill plunge in moral.
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’s speech to Brabantio and the Duke in Act 1, Scene 3 is of major importance in describing Othello’s personality. This long speech, found in lines 149 to 196, shows Othello for the first time as a person with depth and less as a soldier. This speech is important to the book as a whole because it is a testimony to the strength of the love between Othello and Desdemona, which will later play a major role in the plot. It is also one of the first times that we see Othello trying to influence his audience with his words. The speech given by Othello is intended to convince Brabantio that Desdemona is with him willfully, and not by “spells and medicines bought of montebanks” (line 74).
William Shakespeare presents the character Othello as an excellent leader in the play, Othello. The hero has strength, charisma, and eloquence. Yet Othello cannot reason. The battlefield and Senate are, at least in Othello, depicted as places of honor, where men speak truly. In addition, the matters of war and state are relatively simple; no one lies to Othello, all seem to respect him. He never even has to fight in the play, with the enemy disappearing by themselves. This simplistic view does not help him in matters of the heart. His marriage is based on tall tales and pity and his friendships are never examined; he thinks that anyone who knows him love him. Thus the ultimate evaluation of