Personality Disorder In Shakespeare's Othello

He becomes jealous to the point of delirium, and murders Desdemona. Othello’s thoughts are expressed through a monologue, where he says: “Perplex’d in the extreme; of one whose hand,/Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away/Richer than all his tribe…” (A5:S2) Othello’s jealousy manifested because of his hamartia: his negative perception of himself, ignorance of his ‘hero’ or well-respected status and his placement Desdemona on a pedestal. The responder is provoked, and feelings of pity, sadness and grief are summoned, and then released in catharsis. These combined fulfilled the convention of tragedy’s ‘quota’ and led to Othello’s downfall.

What we deem normal in today’s society has been defined as conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern in our everyday lives. People who fall out of this normality are often deemed “Strange” or “Irregular”. Throughout the play Othello, it is seen how Iago, the main antagonist of the story, doesn’t exactly fit the regular patterns of the time period. He consistently lies, manipulates, and abuses other peoples trust to his advantage to achieve his own goals. Many of Iago’s actions have a close relationship with a certain type of disorder: Antisocial Personality disorder. In the play Othello, it is showcased through consistent manipulation, disregard for emotions, and unlawful behavior that Iago has Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Throughout Shakespeare’s many works, mental illnesses have played an undeniable part in many of them, especially his tragedies. From Lady Macbeth hallucination of a bloody spot leading to her suicide, to Hamlet’s faked illness and Ophelia’s very real illness, afflictions of the mind are featured prominently in the Bard of Avalon’s many works. Still, in the Elizabethan era, understanding of mental illness was rudimentary at best, as were the methods of treating it. During the Middle Ages and Elizabethan Era, numerous theories about mental disorders and how to treat them abounded. Three plays of Shakespeare’s that feature mental illness most prominently are King Lear, Hamlet, and Macbeth, while also managing to showcase the conception of

Analyse how a key relationship was used to comment on the human condition in the written text(s).

In William Shakespeare's play, Othello, he teaches the audience a valuable lesson and gives insight to how flaws in our character can be used to bring about our downfall. He uses clever characterization methods to teach that a human's inner turmoils and characters flaws can be used against them and lead to their downfall. His use of characters such as Othello, the tragic hero, and Iago, the villain, work together to create the overarching theme and lesson of this piece.

“We must sympathize with a man to avoid crying for him.” William Shakespeare’s, Othello is concerning a character who raised emotion in the reader through his oblivious, yet innocent nature. Shakespeare imbued him with such personality so as to create sympathy and contempt side by side. Shakespeare’s characters mostly are not unicoloured but rather surrounded by shades of grey and it is this imperfection that adds a tinge of realism to them. Othello, is no different. Throughout the play, we are introduced to his dark side time and again but the qualities that truly make the audience weep and feel for him is his love for Desdemona and his trust in Iago’s friendship. The fact that he is so gullible and ignorant towards Iago’s motives almost makes

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

For individuals suspected of suffering from paranoid personality disorder, the American Psychiatric Association’s (2000) DSM-IV-TR outlines the diagnostic criteria that must be met before a diagnosis of PPD can be assigned. These criteria stipulate that onset occurs by early adulthood, in various settings, and that the individual exhibits patterns of ubiquitous distrust and deviousness of others that are construed as evil, unkind, and spiteful. In addition, the individual must present with at least four or more of the following: (1) suspicion that others are deceptive, manipulative, or are a danger to them without probable cause; (2) preoccupation with unwarranted misgivings about the fidelity of close

Othello’s downfall was fate, but it was a fate decided by that of someone else. Iago is an evil character in the play Othello, by Shakespeare. He tricks people into getting what he wants and does not care about other’s emotions or the consequences of his actions. Many characters are on the receiving end of Iago’s fraudulent acts. Never once does Iago show any remorse towards his victims and he never feels remotely bad for all the horrible things he does. Therefore, in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Othello, Iago displays concrete evidence of having antisocial personality disorder through his habits involving manipulative tendencies, safety disregards, and apathy.

A disorder that changes one’s personalities can relate to a certain character in the tragedy, Othello, written by Shakespeare. This mental illness is known as Dissociative Identity DIsorder, more commonly used as Multiple Personality Disorder. A short summary of what the disorder is, is a brain or thought process that forgets and makes you believe you are a whole new person. Iago is a character in Othello who doesn’t have this disorder but shows how the disorder can look on a person in a minor setting (minor meaning not a severe case). He shows this by his own fault not because he has Multiple Personality Disorder but because he likes the drama involved. When Iago talks to Othello he tells him stuff about his wife pretending to be on his side

Impulsivity is known as the act of thinking without instinct and quickly acting on decisions. It is seen in everyday life and is known to impact people's lives, for the worse normally. In many aspects of life, impulsive actions lead to a person's downfall if they continue to act on urges. Mainly, impulse is seen in relationships with others, and heath weather it be mental or physical. In the books Othello, A Tale of Two Cities, and All Quiet on the Western Front hasty actions are seen by the main characters; these actions impact their relationships and heath which ultimately leads to their destruction.

Greed and corruption has been around for centuries. The Tragedy of Macbeth is a prime example of what these things can do to a nobleman and his wife. Throughout “Macbeth” you will see that he turns into the very thing he set out to defeat. The tale was written by Shakespeare, a famous poet from the 1500s. Throughout the tale of “Macbeth”, Macbeth and his wife start as innocent blue bloods and turn into corrupt, power hungry traitors, he plots malicious acts in order to become king.

    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).

Othello is one of the greatest plays due to its variety of character and themes. The immorality seen in Iago, the gullibility in Othello, and the desperation of Desdemona make the story. The theme of social status plays a huge role in the story. In addition, the theme of appearance versus reality also plays a huge role in how each tragedy happens. In the critical essay “Othello” it discusses the idea that the characters are cast as outsiders due to false interpretation of what is happening or what is being said. On the other hand, the piece “Othello Character Analysis” emphasizes how characterization reflects the greatness of the piece.

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