Othello, By William Shakespeare Essay

“The Tragedy of Othello,” by William Shakespeare, is about the tragic downfall of a once great man named Othello by the manipulation of Iago, the antagonist of the story. However, a deeper meaning of Othello could be “[It] is a tragedy of incomprehension, not at the level on intrigue but at the deepest level of human dealings. No one in Othello come to understand himself or anyone else.” It is debated on whether or not this is truly the characters meet their demise. This quote is an excellent representation of both why and how the characters of Othello meet all of their downfalls and how they are tricked by Iago. Such evidence in the story to support this quote are Othello’s insecurity of his relationship, Roderigo’s inability to live without Desdemona, and how everyone relies on Iago for help. These are just instants where the characters did not understand each other are Cassio and Desdemona being unaware of the motivations for Othello’s hatred toward them, Iago cannot accept the fact that Cassio was chosen for lieutenant over himself, and no one realizes that Iago was using everyone to his advantage until the very end.

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 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.

Iago is the antagonist of the play, and one of the most evil Shakespearean villains. Iago is extremely clever in the way he uses unsuspecting power- especially psychological power. He gets into people’s heads in many dishonest ways- by spreading false rumours, telling lies and psychologically tricking people and secretly controlling certain situations. His power to manipulate is a key point in the play, as it results in major consequences and the deaths of some main characters. Iago’s schemes are multi-levelled- he conspires with roderigo, and makes him believe that Desdemona will take him back. On another level, he leads Othello to believe his wife is having an affair with Cassio. He uses his wife Emilia (unknown to her), to bring back the handkerchief he uses to deceive Othello. Iago is an extremely resourceful and talented man, but he uses these resources and talents in detrimental ways. Iago is constantly referred to by numerous characters as ‘honest’. He himself also refers to honesty. Numerous characters believe that they know and trust Iago and that he would not lie, nor deceive them. Iago’s soliloquies also provide invaluable insight into his wicked mind and evil schemes and plans.

Iago is one of the most misunderstood villains in Shakespeare literature. We side with Othello from the start because his name is on the cover of our paperback, we read Othello when learning about heroes, so we expect Iago to be a villain, a ruthless manipulator. We don’t know why, he doesn’t state it plainly or in simple English, so we assume that he’s evil, that he’s just a disgruntled sociopath out to exact his exaggerated revenge on good and noble Othello. Iago’s misunderstood reputation is a result of not truly examining his character, and answering the “why” factor behind his actions. After all, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. His goal in the play was not just to destroy Othello for the fun of it. His objective,

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 -

"Tush, never tell me! I take it much unkindly/ that thou, Iago, who hast had my purse/ as if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this./" (I. i. 1-3) From the beginning of Othello, Iago is portrayed as an antagonist, a villain who acts out of only his own interest. The acts that Iago engages in throughout Shakespeare's Othello are erroneous acts. Iago is not insane and he can comprehend the difference between right and wrong. Shakespeare is known for his ability to focus on human flaws and teach us lessons from their misfortune. Iago's destiny with evil is due to his own flaws, jealousy, selfishness, and deceit. Because of these insecurities, Iago will stop at nothing to get even with Othello. By

William Shakespeare’s Othello uses different and unique techniques in his language to express the nature of evil throughout the play. Verbal twists and the characters most importantly stress the act of evil. Iago, most of all is portrayed as the “villain” or “protagonist in the play. Shakespeare uses this character to set the basis of evil. Each plot point is spiraled further into tragedy due to the nature of Iago and his manipulative language towards the other main characters.

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.

A villain is defined as an evil character in a novel, movie, play, or other story, especially one who is the main enemy of the hero according to Encarta Dictionary. In "Othello," Iago fits this definition perfectly though Othello does not recognize that Iago is his enemy until the end of the story. Iago is the evil-minded, backstabbing character in this dramatic story. He demonstrates this villainy act all through out the story beginning with being angry with Othello for not appointing him as lieutenant, his revenge on cassio for taking his place as lieutenant, and setting up Desdemona to look like she is cheating on Othello. His machinations are so effective because they flow consistently. From the very start, Iago's manipulations

A villain is considered to be a character within literature that is embodies an evil nature and is able to maliciously manipulate other characters to his or her benefit. In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, Iago is undoubtedly the villainous antagonist; through his manipulative nature, he is able to drive the plot and play a crucial role in the deaths of three people while exemplifying the vices of humans to the reader. As a master of manipulation, Iago knows how to wield situations to his benefit. He plots and pursues evil throughout the play because he is overtaken by his own jealousy and rage even though he has no real motives for wanting to hurt Othello. Iago is either directly or indirectly responsible for every evil thing that

William Shakespeare’s Othello uses different and unique techniques in his language to express the nature of evil throughout the play. Verbal twists and the characters most importantly stress the act of evil. Iago, most of all is portrayed as the “villain” or “protagonist in the play. Shakespeare uses this character to set the basis of evil. Each plot point is spiraled further into tragedy due to the nature of Iago and his manipulative language towards the other main characters.

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.

Iago is not the typical villain in any story or play. The role he plays is unique and complex, far from what one might expect from a villain. Iago is not only very smart, but he is also an expert judge character. This gives him a great advantage in the play. For example, he knows Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and figures that he would do anything to have her as his own.