Premium Essay

Manipulation And Jealousy In Othello's Flawed Character

Submitted By
Words 515
Pages 3
In Act 5 Scene 2, Shakespeare enriches our understanding of Othello’s flawed character through considerations into the fatalistic relationship between manipulation and jealousy, and its eventual culmination into Othello’s descent into insanity.
The scene opens with an emotional and dramatic soliloquy from Othello in which he marvels at Desdemona’s beauty and attempts to validate his supposed honourable intent in murdering her. This passage is significant in augmenting the reader’s comprehension of Othello’s emotional conflictions as demonstrated through his constant oscillation between a yearning for vengeance and his lingering feelings of love. Othello’s experiences of internal struggle is seen in the repetition of “It is the cause” (5:2:1,3). …show more content…
Othello’s pain from Desdemona’s supposed betrayal blinds him to reason and leads him down a path of jealousy and irrationality. When Iago accuses Desdemona of adultery, Othello accepts his proof at face value and fails to question Iago’s motives. It displays Othello’s overly trusting and unquestioning nature as a detriment to his character. This loss of reason compels him to smother Desdemona, ignorant to her pleas of innocence. Even before killing Desdemona, he refers to his manipulator as “honest Iago” (5:2:73). This dramatic irony accentuates Othello’s shortcomings and emphasises the consequences of his misunderstanding.
In Act 5 Scene 2, there is an evident contrast between the loving and righteous Othello who asserts, “I love the gentle Desdemona,” (1:2:27) and the jealous and senseless husband who kills his innocent wife. As the play climaxes, Othello’s changes from gentle husband to violent abuser, from heartfelt proclamations of love to derogatory slurs, and eventually an impulsive murder of Desdemona. The significance of this scene lies in its capability to reveal a vital insight into the destructive consequences of Othello’s jealous

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Overview

...History of English Literature Overview Anglo-Saxon Literature (500-1100) The Angles and Saxon conquered what is now called England in the 5th and 6th centuries. Christian missionaries taught the English to write. Northumbria soon produced Caedmon and Bede. Heroic poetry of a Christian kind is the chief legacy of Old English literature, notably Beowulf and the Elegies. A considerable prose literature grew up after King Alfred. Middle English Literature (1100-1500) Literature in England in this period was not just in English and Latin but in French as well and developed in directions set largely in France. Epic and Elegy gave way to romance and Lyric. English writing revived fully in English after 1360 and flowered in the reign of Richard II (1372-99). It gained a literary standard in London English after 1425 and developed modern forms of verse, prose and of Drama. The conquest of England in 1066 by William of Normandy displaced English as medium of literature. The language of new rulers was French. Saxons dealing with the King had to learn French and French was the language of court and the law for three centuries. Four genres of Middle English are: i. 1. Fabliau 2. Lyric 3. Dream Allegory 4. Ballad Geoffrey Chaucer Chaucer is the best story teller and the narrative poet. Chaucer tells his stories in a most effective way. He has the knack of transforming an old tale into a new one in such a manner that its appeal increases manifold and its human...

Words: 2856 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Prose Fiction

...SECOND DRAFT Contents Preamble Chapter 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Background Rationale Aims Interface with the Junior Secondary Curriculum Principles of Curriculum Design Chapter 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 1 Introduction Literature in English Curriculum Framework Strands and Learning Targets Learning Objectives Generic Skills Values and Attitudes Broad Learning Outcomes Chapter 3 5 7 9 10 11 11 13 Curriculum Planning 3.1 Planning a Balanced and Flexible Curriculum 3.2 Central Curriculum and School-based Curriculum Development 3.2.1 Integrating Classroom Learning and Independent Learning 3.2.2 Maximizing Learning Opportunities 3.2.3 Cross-curricular Planning 3.2.4 Building a Learning Community through Flexible Class Organization 3.3 Collaboration within the English Language Education KLA and Cross KLA Links 3.4 Time Allocation 3.5 Progression of Studies 3.6 Managing the Curriculum – Role of Curriculum Leaders Chapter 4 1 2 2 3 3 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 21 Learning and Teaching 4.1 Approaches to Learning and Teaching 4.1.1 Introductory Comments 4.1.2 Prose Fiction 4.1.3 Poetry i 21 21 23 32 SECOND DRAFT 4.1.4 Drama 4.1.5 Films 4.1.6 Literary Appreciation 4.1.7 Schools of Literary Criticism 4.2 Catering for Learner Diversity 4.3 Meaningful Homework 4.4 Role of Learners Chapter 5 41 45 52 69 71 72 73 74 Assessment 5.1 Guiding Principles 5.2 Internal Assessment 5.2.1 Formative Assessment 5.2.2 Summative Assessment 5.3 Public Assessment 5.3.1 Standards-referenced...

Words: 41988 - Pages: 168