...tendency, and Othello is no exception. Shakespeare stories are often about one hero, and the story builds up to the eventual death of this character. The hero often starts the story with happiness and no obvious problems, and as the story develops the character’s life begins to crumble and eventually leads to their death after everything has been lost. Othello is a prime example of this Shakespearian story line, where we see everything Othello has at the start of the story fall to pieces and end in tragedy with the character’s suicide. Jealousy and deception are central themes in many of Shakespeare’s plays, and are often what leads to the hero’s downfall. There are a number of key scenes in Othello that represent these themes of jealousy, deception and tragedy throughout the play. In Act 2 Scene 3 Iago uses different techniques in order to deceive Othello and change his opinions of Cassio. Iago says: ‘I would rather have this tongue cut from my mouth, then it should do offense to Michael Cassio.’ Iago is setting up his later deception, as he is tricking Othello into thinking that he likes Cassio and would never speak ill of him, which enables him to seem more believable when he later deceives Othello about Desdemona’s affair. This deception is confirmed when Othello says ‘I know Iago, thy honesty, and love doth mince this matter, making it light to Cassio.’ Othello is suggesting that Iago may not tell the whole truth as he wants to protect Cassio. This is ironic as Iago is actually...
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...Analytical Essay Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, he wrote this masterpiece in 1603. The play mainly revolves around four central characters: Othello, the Moorish general in the Venetian army; his wife, Desdemona; his lieutenant, Cassio and his ancient, Iago. In this play, by not showing Othello at the beginning of the first scene, Shakespeare creates an uncomfortable feeling to the story. Furthermore, he foreshadows the conflicts to come later in the plot. One of the conflicts is Iago becoming the archetypal evil villain who ruins Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. Iago manipulates Othello’s weakness his jealousy; Iago hates and does not respect women which is one of the main reason of his plan for revenge against Othello. Firstly, Iago knows how to observe people and uses human psychology to manipulate people’s minds. Iago manipulates Othello’s weaknesses which make Othello feels insecure. For example, after Cassio looks for help with Desdemona, Iago gets a golden chance to talk to Othello in private. Iago starts to plant the seed of jealousy in Othello concerning Desdemona and Cassio. Iago tells Othello to “beware …of jealousy” (III/III/l.195) which makes Othello nervous and start to suspect that Desdemona is cheating on him. Moreover, Iago warns Othello to “observe her well with Cassio.” (III/III/l.228) which causes Othello believes from the bottom of his heart that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him. Furthermore, he tricks Othello into believing that...
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...Through language, you can change minds. Words are invisible manipulators, with a controlled purpose; to change another's beliefs and thoughts. When used effectively individuals are forced to agree with the point of view and give them and do what it wants. The language almost comes across as autocratic; it’s so practical, so logical and so convincing. Language manipulation can have two different purposes. It can be used against an individual in which it does not favour the victims best interest, but allows the manipulator to get a personal gain at the expense of another. Words used in this way are seen as a weapon in which it can inflict suffering and hurt to the victim. On the other hand it can have the opposite intention. It can be used in a positive way and to the benefits of both individuals. It can be uplifting, motivating, and inspirational and will often persuade individual’s interests in a helpful direction. This is how language can be used to manipulate meaning and intent and is shown clearly through William Shakespeare’s characters in the play, ‘Othello’. Language can be used against an individual to cause suffering and pain. This is through the manipulation of meaning and intent. In Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’, Iago who is the main villain in the film uses his manipulative language to deceive other characters in such a way that it makes him both a powerful and persuasive figure. His understanding of the individuals around him and their desires lets him engage...
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...Othello the Moor of Venice: Race and Jealousy Questions for Study and Discussion Act 1 1. How does Shakespeare present the world of Venice in the first act, and how does he construct the interactions of his central characters (Iago, Othello, and Desdemona) with that Venetian world and with each other?How are these interactions complicated by the fact that Othello is a Moor, (and we'll have to puzzle out what exactly that means) and that Desdemona is a young woman? 2. What sort of person is Iago, as he appears in act 1? Are you satisfied by the reasons he gives for hating Othello? What is Iago's relationship with Roderigo? 3. What sort of language does Iago use? What sort of language does Othello use? What might be the significance of this difference? Act 2 1. What sort of person is Cassio? What happens to him, and how does Iago plan to use the situation in his plan against Othello? 2. What more do we learn about the nature of Iago in act 2? What is the effect of having him share his thoughts and plans with us through his soliloquies? Pay attention to the language used in Iago's soliloquies. What sorts of descriptive language does he use? How does it contribute to the picture of Iago that Shakespeare is drawing? Act 3 1. At the beginning of 3.3 Othello is completely in love with Desdemona. By the end of that scene, 480 lines later, Othello is ready to murder her for having an affair with Cassio. How have we gone from the first position to the second position so...
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...the Shakespearean tragedy “Othello” written by William Shakespeare, the themes that’s being portrayed are honour and gender, through the play the audience if captivated by the characters choices and motives through the play. With the characters choices they help to make the play more understandable as the audience can recognise the tragic hero in both the plays. The relationships between men and women in Othello are remarked as lesser then men. Iago often refers to his wife as a prostitute - "A house wife that by selling her desires, Buys herself bread and clothes (iv.i.95)” showing what type of relationship women and men had during the late 16th century. Women were generally considered obedient, respectful, kind and warm. They were never outspoken nor were they meant to, for it could be seen as a lack of loyalty. When Othello accused Desdemona of cheating on him, he found himself in a position that he didn't want to face with. Othello was emasculated with the thought of a woman disobeying him. Men were easily manipulated into thinking the worst of woman because they were certain it would never happen. However, when the slightest things start to be pointed out the characters start to over analyse. Woman were not on the same level as men; men talked down to woman, they didn’t see them as equals nor think that they should be treated like one. This relates to Othello and Desdemona’s relationship – she “betrayed” their marriage by cheating so when Othello found out he reacted by saying...
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...to Othello’s downfall, including the part Iago and Desdemona play, and how the main character’s personality and actions affect the fate of the other characters. A point much contested by critics is how Shakespeare presents Othello himself: some, such as A.C. Bradley, hold the view that the General is a noble tragic hero, whereas F.R. Leavis would contradict this by claiming Othello to be a weak man whose fatal flaw is jealousy. Iago is a key instrument in Othello’s downfall and uses deception to plant the idea of Desdemona’s infidelity. He adroitly persuades Othello to accept this idea in a very short length of time. Shakespeare first uses Iago to develop the theme of perception when Iago hints at the topic of Desdemona’s supposed affair in 3:3. Iago then claims to have asked about Cassio ‘But for a satisfaction of my thought’. The idea of ‘thinking' is repeated many times after this, and is significant because of the way Shakespeare has the characters appear to perceive each other – for example how people see Iago, who is mentioned many times to be ‘honest’ – Othello even says ‘I know thou’rt full of love and honesty’ – and this dramatic irony allows him to successfully carry out his deception. The audience alone knows he is untrustworthy until late in the play, as he appears to be helping each character while actually stirring negativity between them. This ‘motiveless malignity’, as claimed by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, leads Othello to murder Desdemona. However, some would...
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...Othello “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain” is a famous quote that was said in the Dark Night movie. This couldn’t be truer when it comes to the story of Othello by William Shakespeare. Othello is the newly appointed general of the army of Venice. He is a powerful and respected figure in Venice even though he is not a native of the country. Although, Othello is powerful he is very trusting of those people around him. Iago, the villain of the story, takes advantage of Othello’s trustful nature and uses his trustfulness to drive Othello mad. We are not sure why Iago wants to drive Othello mad, but we believe it is because Iago was passed over for the job of general of Venice. Iago uses Desdemona the wife of Othello to drive him crazy. He makes Othello believe that Desdemona has been sleeping around. These lies lead to Othello becoming a mad man. Othello was doomed from the start and was going to eventually fall from his office to become “the blackest devil.” First, Othello’s race plays a huge factor in his fall from the top. Othello is a moor and not a native in Venice. Othello was always sort of an outsider from the natives of Venice. In the story there are examples of racism towards Othello such as when Iago says, “an old black ram” when describing Othello. Iago also goes on to call Othello “the devil” even though he is Christian. Iago is trying to imply that all black men are evil and that devils took the form of black men. In an article...
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...great role in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello. Most of the irony in the play relates to the main villain in the play, Iago, who is motivated by his jealousy. Iago is jealous of Othello’s military success and Cassio being promoted to Othello’s lieutenant position instead of himself. Iago plans to take revenge against Othello by manipulating Cassio and Desdemona, who is Othello’s wife. Iago is a well respected character in the play, so he would not be suspected to be the culprit. He tries to fake an affair between Cassio and Desdemona that would surely be tragic for Othello. The...
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...A Drama Analysis of Williams Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ Othello: Insecurity and Jealousy Shakespeare’s, Othello, is witness that everyone, no matter their cast in society, can become vulnerable when they are brought to doubt their sense of self. As a person matures and reaches the level of adulthood, they take on many different types of responsibilities as a functioning part of society. Society characterizes its members based on how effectively they deal with their responsibilities, and furthermore an individual’s identity and sense of self is derive in part, from their ability to handle the triumphs, growth and difficulties associated with being an adult. The way a person conducts his or herself determines how they as well as others perceive them. Ultimately, when making decision throughout life a person looks at what they as an individual value, and therefore what they perceive themselves to be influences their decision-making. When one works to destroy the reputation of another they seek to tarnish the way others perceive said person. On the other hand, in Shakespeare’s tragedy we see Iago go a step further, instead of just working to ruin Othello’s reputation, he targets the foundation of Othello’s sense of self. First, Iago plays on Othello’s jealousy by causing him to suspect Desdemona of being unfaithful without presenting any legitimate evidence. This jealousy leads to anxiety from which Iago goes on to insinuate that the very foundations of his love for Desdemona...
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...Shakespeare himself once described the state of humanity, “Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.” He applied this profound observation to the characters of his play Othello, the story of an interracial marriage destroyed by manipulation. In this tragedy, the title character Othello falls from his status as a respected, even glorified, leader to an incredulous murderer, while his “friend” Iago thrives on Othello’s downfall. Shakespeare’s original script illustrates Othello’s vulnerability and destruction quite obviously, while more modern interpretations take a vaguer approach. The 1995 feature film Othello and the video adaption of Verdi’s opera Otello both serve as prime examples of how Othello’s demise can be interpreted, and present all characters in varying light. Between these three versions of Shakespeare’s play, the original work presents Othello’s change most clearly. In it, Othello’s transition from “good” to “bad” is very apparent. Shakespeare portrays Othello as a simplified human, perhaps to make him more relatable in vagueness, and in so doing makes his deterioration obvious. At the beginning of the play, the Duke addresses Othello as “Valiant Othello,” and values his advice on political matters (1.3.50). At this time, Othello (though disrespected on the issue of race) is a prized presence in his country and among his peers. His bravery is matched by his character, as he loves his wife and “puts [his] life upon her faith!” (1.3.293). He represents the...
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...Green Fire of Jealousy In the story Othello by William Shakespeare jealousy rears her ugly head at every aspect of the characters’ lives. Right from the beginning when Roderigo is envious of Othello from his wishes to court with Desdemona, and to the end of the play, when Othello is manic with envy because he believes Cassio and Desdemona have been engaging in an affair. Some characters’ jealousy is fashioned by other characters. Iago is involved in much of this, creating lies and implementing misleading situations. He is consumed with jealousy of Cassio and masked with hatred of Othello because he is not chosen as lieutenant, Cassio was. Iago becomes one of the most evil villains in literature, he wants everyone to feel rage. He very skillfully manipulates the emotions, trust and jealousy of other characters. Iago is a man blinded by envy and anger, with one goal in mind for everyone to become equally jealous, an ambition he completes through his betrayal, deceit, and adept manipulation of characters. The seeds of deception are grown early on with Roderigo confiding in Iago. Roderigo frantically loves Desdemona and he pays Iago to draw her away from Othello. Here we see the malicious intent from Iago and paint him as a villain. Along with his actions, what Iago says also conveys him as a manipulative character. Iago has fabricated a plan to pose Othello as a thief by saying that he has stolen Desdemona’s heart using witchcraft. Iago coaxes Roderigo to confront her father...
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...Othello is an outsider in a closed society, to what extent does the opening act support this opinion? Shakespeare portrays Venice as incredibly democratic for its time as we are shown that in Act one everybody has a voice regardless of their colour or sex. The fact that Othello has obtained the high position of “general” within the army suggests that his chances have by no means been restricted by the colour of his skin and therefore is not seen as an outsider at the start of the play. Also the fact that he is treated with respect from the Duke, the highest authority in Venice, shows that the colour of his skin is not seen as a disadvantage in Venetian society. The white Venetians in “Othello” do for the most part exemplify the good qualities of their city and culture, which radiates civility and sophistication. This can be seen through the Duke’s language: “Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you against the general enemy ottoman. (To Brabantio) I did not see you: welcome, gentle signor”. However in Act One, Shakespeare uses the words of three Venetians to emphasise differences in Othello’s character from other Venetians. Shakespeare chooses these characters to highlight Othello’s differences, as they are infested with anger, jealousy and bitterness, therefore their descriptions of Othello are deceiving. The playwright uses these characters to paint a picture of Othello as the embodiment of the black stereotype held by people at this time, labelling him as “different”...
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...Othello: Tragic Hero? Michael Charles Robinson ENGL 102 October 17, 2011 Ms. Charity Givens Othello: Tragic Hero? I. Introduction Thesis statement A. Thesis Statement II. Brief overview of Othello III. Aristotle and Othello A. Peripeteia B. Hamartia C. Anagnorsis D. Catharsis IV. Othello a tragic hero? A. Evidence supporting B. Not supporting V. Brief overview of “O” A. Comparison to original VI. Conclusion THESIS STATEMENT: Othello is a tragic hero because he mostly satisfies Aristotle’s four requirements for a tragic hero: peripeteia, hamartia, anagnorsis, and catharsis. Othello: Tragic Hero? The tragic play Othello, written by William Shakespeare has caused constant dispute on whether the main character Othello can be considered as a tragic hero or not. Othello is a tragic hero because he mostly satisfies Aristotle’s four requirements for a tragic hero: peripeteia, hamartia, anagnorsis, and catharsis. The exploration of different aspects of the Othello character will give the readers of this essay insight regarding whether Othello is a...
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...Racism in Othello Othello, by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy that tells that story of what happens to a man named Othello after he marries a woman named Desdemona. Othello is a black man, known throughout the play as a Moor and he marries the daughter of a white Venetian Senator. One of the most critical themes of the play is race. While racism is a reoccurring theme throughout the play, the play itself is not racist. The main character is a black man and the evil villain is white. Shakespeare does not dumb down Othello just because he is black, but rather he portrays Othello as a well-liked, high ranking officer in the Venetian military. During the time that Shakespeare wrote Othello many people were racists and people of color where thought of as savage (Essay). Many people at that time would have felt that an interracial marriage was wrong. They would have not thought that Shakespeare’s writing was racist. The audience would be used to the type of racist language Shakespeare used (Blum). Shakespeare would not have been thought of as being racist. The play itself is not racist, but rather individual characters are either racist or not. The most racist character is Iago. Iago is considered “honest” when in reality he is a pure villain. The audience knows that Iago is not what he seems to be. He shares his plans for destroying Othello. Even though Iago is white, he plays the bad guy, while Othello is considered a good man. Iago hates Othello because he did...
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...playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist whose work is liked by all film-maker to bring down on screen. According to Robert Hamilton Ball, Shakespeare’s dramas were considered ideal material for cinema in the early 20th century because the presence of Shakespeare on film raised the contemporary estimation of film. Almost all of his works have been adapted on screen in Hollywood and all other film industries. Hollywood has produced around 300 movies based on Shakespeare’s plays and characters. Films based on tragedies like Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet etc., have got very good response by the audience on the silver screen. In Bollywood also many directors adopted the work of Shakespeare. But Vishal Bhardwaj through his films showed that he is the true fan of Shakespeare and knows well how to do justice with the work of such a big writer on silver screen. His film Maqbool (2003) based on Macbeth, and Omkara (2006) based on Othello left very remarkable impression on audience’s hearts. Maqbool had its North American premiere at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. Though the film failed to entice much of an audience during its theatrical run in India, critics were appreciative and Pankaj Kapoor went on to win a Film fare Award for Best Actor (Critics) and a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. While Othello showcased at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival along with a book on...
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