Othello, By William Shakespeare Essay

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.

In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, Iago demonstrates a mastery of manipulation over people who had previously trusted and confided in him. His sudden turn from Othello’s loyal ensign to rage-filled villain seems indicative of a man who can no longer accept his position in life. Iago’s plotting of Othello’s demise starts as idle talk of a disgruntled 28 year-old career military man passed over for promotion. Iago believes that such a promotion may never come after Othello rejects his candidacy and makes it clear that he did not believe him suitable. He sees Othello is only concerned with personal and political gain with his choice of Cassio as lieutenant. When Iago teams with love-scorned and desperate Roderigo, he begins

In the play Othello, jealousy is shown to be very evident through the actions of the characters. Jealousy is an emotion that everyone shares, and it is ultimately responsible for the tragic ending of the play. Everyone feels jealous at certain times of their lives, and this feeling can cause people to do irrational things. This human emotion also shows people to be weak in the sense that they are never happy with what they have. Shakespeare shows through Othello, Iago, Roderigo, and Brabantio that jealousy is the most corrupt and destructive emotion.

The definition of a tragic hero is that an individual who has a mixture of admirable qualities and a tragic flaw which proves fatal. This suggests Othello is a tragic hero, though qualities such as nobility in thoughts or actions do not consistently portray Othello throughout the play. Despite his brave reputation as a soldier and characteristics of trusting and caring initially with Desdemona, his weaknesses in both his own character and his vulnerability to Iago¡¦ s lies, and the decision of killing Desdemona at last do not make Othello sufficiently noble in thought or action to attain the status of a tragic hero.

Books related to Othello Othello - The protagonist and tragic hero of the play. A Moor commanding the armies of Venice, he is a celebrated general and heroic figure whose "free and open nature" will enable Iago to twist his love for his wife Desdemona into a powerful jealousy. Desdemona - The daughter of a Venetian Senator, and Othello's bride. The most sympathetic character in the play, she is deeply in love with her husband, and her purity contrasts strongly with Iago's wickedness. Iago - Othello's ensign, and Shakespeare's greatest villain. His public face of bravery and honesty conceals a Satanic delight in manipulation and destruction. Passed over for a promotion by his commander, he vows to destroy the Moor. Cassio -

Desdemona and Othello’s relationship is (at least initially) everything that ought to be desired in a marriage: mutual respect, passion, empathy and loyalty. However, while sentiments of love and compassion circulate within the happy couple’s luxurious home, their surrounding neighborhood is filled with vitriol and paranoia: “Who is this animal that has bewitched sweet Desdemona?” they ask. The differences that separate Othello and Desdemona do not perturb them, but are starkly obvious and unnerving to the judgmental citizens of Venice. While it was certainly rare in the 16th century for couples to have such disparities in age, social position and race, none of these differences diminished how Othello and Desdemona felt for each other, yet each spurred external obstacles that threatened their relationship.

to do stupid things. William Shakespeare portrayed this flaw extremly well in the play Othello. IN

In Poetics, Aristotle explains tragedy as “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude […] through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions.” Aristotle notes that a perfect tragedy must include the downfall of the prominent protagonist as a result of his own tragic flaw, a complex plot, and the use of catharsis. William Shakespeare’s Othello, concerns the downfall of a noble, but greatly flawed, black general in the Venetian army. Through the various elements present in the play, and in accordance with the criteria discussed in Poetics, it is evident that Othello is an excellent example of a tragedy.

In the play, Othello, Iago is a master of manipulation and is a notorious liar. Throughout the duration of this tragedy, he spends all of his time enacting a plan of revenge against all those that he thinks have wronged him. Throughout his master plan, he makes it so that no one knows what he is planning and he is able to get everyone to go against the other. From the very beginning, he shows how manipulative and conniving his is through his plan against Othello, Cassio, Roderigo, and Emilia.

Iago is a man full selfishness. In the beginning of the novel, he complains to Roderigo that it should have been him being chosen as lieutenant other than Cassio. He goes on by saying how three of Venice’s most important noblemen took their hats off to Othello and asked him humbly to make him his lieutenant. But in the end, Othello refused the man's request and ended up choosing Cassio as the lieutenant. This is when Iago is eager on getting his revenge.

When one watches a play, they are catching a glimpse into the characters lives. They are catching a narrow window of their existence. They do not know where they came from, what kind of experiences they have had, or what may have influenced them over the course of their lives. The central protagonist of Othello is none other than Othello himself, a man whose background ultimately shape and dictate his life during the play.

Iago reflects the ideas of feminist criticism in the book Othello because of his constant need for control over his wife, Emilia. Iago felt he should overpower Emilia. He treated her as if she was a servant, however Iago always made it seem as if she annoyed him. Iago felt that Emilia was not loyal to him, so therefore he did not respect her like he should have.

Critics have debated the significance of Othello’s race in terms of portraying his identity for a long time. The negative connotations of “blackness” have led to the creation of many racial constructs associated with the “Moor”; this denigration has infused the opinions of many critics, such as Albert Gerard, proposing that Othello’s “negroid physiognomy” reaches down to the “deepest levels of personality” and that he is a “barbarian”. However, many other critics like Edward Berry and Martin Orkin believe that colour is merely a “surface indicator” compared to the outward virtue of beneficence, defining identity. Beneficence could be defined by the will to practice good acts, in conjunction with the aversion of practicing evil, and the prevention and removal of evil.

saying he will “tear her all to pieces” and he tells Iago to let him

He is upset and jealous that Cassio was chosen as lieutenant over him even though he, Iago, had more experience in the service. This causes an utmost hatred for Othello. His rejection of lieutenant is not really the reason for Iago’s rampage of manipulation, however. It is more about the fact that Iago wants everyone to feel as he does. He wants everyone to be as jealous and angry as he is. Iago believes that he is the victim in all this. Iago’s goal is not to be sympathetic and helpful towards Othello but to destroy him, a goal which Iago successfully attains by using manipulation.