...Throughout the play, the audience notices the buildup of Othello's jealousy, deceit, and the audience was able to defend his actions, yet deny the brute force of his actions. For a moment, Othello declared Desdemona as faithful and honest, yet out of the same mouth tarnish her fidelity. His tragic flaw was his gullibility, and jealousy was the cause of his depravity. Iago's meaningful efforts to raise doubt and use manipulation entices the emotion of pity that resulted in his deception and Othello's downfall. In classical attire, the "appeal to pity is praised as one of the most powerful emotional means of persuasion because it uses not language," (Smith, 2008, p. 3) but also conveys visual aid and imagery of suffering. Although, jealousy was the root of his displaced actions, it was all too late and Othello condemned himself as "an honorable murderer, if you will/ For naught I did in hate, but all in honor" (5.2.301-303). This statement, shed light on his catharsis to the audience and brought attention to the evil schemes of Iago, and less on the transgressions of Othello. Othello serves as a witness of a high ranked individual who had...
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...“O, beware, my lord, or jealousy!” In Othello Iago is Othello’s ancient. He is a Cold-hearted and bitter man. Othello takes place at first in Venice, Italy and as the play goes on they go to the island of Cyprus. In the painting Othello by Jules Margolis there are two faces, Iago is one of them he is whispering in Othello’s ear false things, trying to get inside his head. The painting Othello: My Warrior by Nabil Kanso, Shows all the chaos Iago has created and Othello along with Desdemona are in the middle of all the chaos. Iago is the person to blame for all the chaos because he wants to get revenge, he is jealous, and he is an evil man. Othello by Margolis Iago is feeding lies to Othello to get revenge. “For that I suspect the lusty moor,...
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...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)....
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...the identities of the key characters are shown to be a constitute of such circumstances with a particular focus on the influence of relationships. In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ the discriminative attitude of Venetian society towards people of black ethnicity is presented as a significant influential factor in the shaping of Othello’s identity. This is explored through the use language in which Othello is repeatedly referred to as the “Moor” and by the derogatory terms “thick-lips” and a “Barbary horse.” Othello’s black exterior denotes to his position as a ‘outsider’ and therefore his marriage to Desdemona, a white woman is considered unfathomable, “If she in chains of magic were not bound, whether a maid so tender, fair and happy, so opposite to marriage that she shunn’d,” Contrastingly, Othello’s elevated status in Venetian society, reflected in his high naval position, forms an identity that is greatly respected, so much so that not even the accusations of Brabantio affect his status. This is clearly demonstrated when the duke says, “Your son in law is far more fair than black,” thus signifying that Othello’s black skin hides an amiable interior. Othello’s important role in society is juxtaposed with society’s prejudices to...
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...mentioning the true nature of jealousy. Jealousy is a cruel thing and Iago plants the evil seed of it into Othello. Shakespeare’s use of Irony in Othello helps to develop Iago’s character as well as show the true nature of jealousy. The Irony in Othello changes or view of Iago’s character and reveals to us how sinister this man is. In Act III scene iii Iago and Othello are having a conversation when Othello says “Think my lord! By heaven, he echoes me, as if there were some monster in his thought to hideous to be shown.” This is verbal irony and since Iago truly does have a “monster in his thought” a sense of villainy is further shown in Iago by letting Othello think him a good man. Later of in the dialogue Iago states that “Men should be what they seem;” which also is ironic because Iago himself isn’t the man he seems to be. The true nature of this conversation is beginning to be revealed and again Iago’s true vile nature is shown because he is misleading Othello and setting him up. The whole conversation Iago is saying how he should not speak badly against his friend and leading Othello on to want more which is human nature. In this situational irony a heightened sense of awareness to Iago’s character is gained because of the revelation to his plot. Iago’s key characteristics are revealed in this section of Othello. Jealousy is a dangerous thing and can drive men mad. Iago plants a seed in Othello’s head that makes him jealous. The nature of jealousy in Iago’s words are “it is...
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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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...Othello Essay “Othello is responsible for his own downfall.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? Othello’s downfall is a result of his many flaws being played upon by Shakespeare’s most unforgiving, infamous villain; Iago. Accordingly, it is a combination of Iago’s efforts and cunning traps as well as Othello’s jealous, irrational nature that ultimately lead to Othello’s downfall. Othello’s blind trust and faith in Iago allows Iago to easily set moral traps designed to weaken Othello as a person. These manipulate his mind to the brink of insanity and in turn negatively overshadow Othello’s thought process, and given that Othello allowed this to happen, shows how Othello plays a part in his own downfall. Using Othello and the characters around him to his advantage, Iago manipulates Othello’s jealousy, insecurities, reckless behaviour and self-doubt to amplify the damage done by his own traps, thus proving that it is a combination of actions and decisions made by Othello and Iago, and the many characters around them that is ultimately responsible for Othello’s downfall. It is important to understand Iago’s character and his motives in order to understand his actions, likewise with so many Shakespearean characters. Iago is an arrogant, jealous character; “I know my price, I am worth no worse a place” acting out of pure spite and hatred for Othello; “I hate the Moor.” This line is juxtaposed to "My Lord you know I love you" which Iago repeats multiple times throughout...
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...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 Desdemona is having a love affair with Cassio by putting Desdemona’s handkerchief in Cassio’s room, which makes his evil plan more powerful and reliable. In addition, Iago wants to achieve his ambition to be a lieutenant. He wants to do away with Cassio by betraying him. He stands by Othello's side, and...
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...Jealousy is an emotion so powerful it could destroy the love between a husband and a wife. Othello is a tragic hero whose jealousy caused his downfall. Although Othello is a foreigner, he became the general of the Venetian army due to his courage, intelligence and his leadership skills. His love for Desdemona caused him to be easily manipulated by Iago. Othello’s fatal flaw is his jealousy. In order for Othello’s downfall Iago must plant the seed of jealousy where there is none. The flame that ignited his downfall was Othello choosing Cassio as his lieutenant. He did not pick Iago, who is experienced in battle and been with him the longest. Iago’s hate toward Othello caused Iago to use Othello’s love for Desdemona against him. Iago wanted everybody to suffer just as much as he has suffered. Iago’s plan was to make it look like Desdemona was cheating on him. He used every one of his assets to help bring Othello’s downfall. He used Rodrigo to get Cassio fired. Then Cassio was tricked by Iago into asking Desdemona to help reinstate him as lieutenant. Now all he had to do was make Othello think every time Desdemona is with Cassio she is cheating on him. He first left clues to make Othello think something is not right. He says” O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.” This made Othello even more curious about what Iago is trying to say. Eventually Othello started to believe Iago more, but, he was not quite convinced yet...
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...weakest point. Jealously and fear of the unknown is one of Othello’s biggest weaknesses. This is seen throughout the novel as Iago tries to take advantage of these qualities and strip Othello of his ranking. Greed and selfishness are also demonstrated throughout the novel. This is seen in Iago’s hatred for Othello and other characters with a higher rank. Rage is an emotion that can change a man’s judgment. The emotions of jealousy, greed and rage changes the decisions of the characters and causes the characters to re-act and make a decision they would not otherwise have made. Jealousy is one of the major emotions that cause characters to act differently. One example of jealousy throughout the play, Othello, is Iago’s jealousy of Cassio. Iago allows his jealousy to cloud his judgment. Iago continuously tries to make Cassio look like a fool in hopes that Iago would take over Cassio’s position of a lieutenant. In fact, Iago speaks out and says that Cassio is a, “Counter-caster”(1.1.31) and possesses the job that he desires, well he is stuck being, “ His lords ancient”(1.1.33). Through this we can see how Iago is jealous of Cassio and his position as Othello’s lieutenant. Iago’s goes through great strides to make Cassio look like a fool, in hopes it would result in Cassio’s demotion. Iago does this numerous of ways, one example was when Iago got Cassio drunk at the ball. Another was when Iago tried twisting Othello’s mind to make him believe that Cassio slept with his wife. ...
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...Shakespeare present jealousy in the poem 'the laboratory' and 'Othello' Jealousy is described as someone who is showing envy usually of someone because of their achievements or advantages, jealousy plays a major role in both Othello and the laboratory. throughout the both of them jealousy is used for destructive purposes only. as an audience we are led to feel that both jealousies are motivated not by hatred but by the passion for one another, crazy as that may seem. Shakespeare uses jealousy as a central theme throughout the play, without this aggressive and destructive emotion, there would be no solid plot. Shakespeare often refers to jealousy as a devouring emotion "Beware, my lord of jealousy! it is the green eyed monster which doth mock, the meat it feeds on" this fits extremely well with Iago's description of Othello being "beaten up with passion". This suggests exactly how strong Othello's monumental jealousy really is, once Othello becomes aware that his wife is unfaithful, Iago continues to feed his jealousy which causes Othello to indeed behave like a monster. however, its dramatic irony that Iago says this to Othello. the audience knows that Iago is perhaps the one "eaten up" with jealousy and Othello is none the wiser he holds; the form of personal and professional jealousy. The jealousy that is portrayed in 'Othello' is very similar to the one portrayed in Browning's poem The Laboratory, it explores the theme of relationship but through jealousy, the speaker...
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...Desdemona because of the difference in their race, age, and social class, and he uses that insecurity against the general. Thus, someone could validly argue that had it not been for stereotyping, Othello might not have fallen as he did. other factors contribute to his downfall as well. One of these is man's inability to view women without suspicion and jealousy. It is the idea of ownership that prevails in the way men view women. We see this idea Throughout the play. Desdemona is referred to as a treasure or a jewel, Cassio praises her as the "riches of the ship." Even though Othello loves Desdemona dearly, this tendency of men to want to control and the fear of losing runs deep within him. "We can call these delicate creatures ours, but not their appetites," Othello rages. It is easier for a man to trust another man who has served beside him in battle than it is for him to trust a woman who married him. If she "can deceive her father," she can deceive her husband, Othello grows to believe. Shakespeare examines the weaknesses of such generalities. Of course, these stereotypes are faulty generalizations, but it is Othello's faulty perceptions of women that prove most dangerous because he has the...
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...****Analyzing Jealousy In Othello English Literature Essay**** Shakespeare’s play of Othello is largely driven by a grand love story, and filled with jealousy. Through the juxtaposition of Othello’s credulous nature and Iago’s pernicious villainy, the image of jealousy is truly personified as an all-consuming “green-eyed monster”. Because of this venomous nature of the beast of jealousy, the events of the play manage to unfold in Iago’s lustful authority, which bring down the eponymous character to his tragic downfall. In human psychology today, the modern definition of jealousy remains relatively unchanged from Shakespeare’s time, albeit being expressed in more modern scientific terms. It is defined as “a complex of thoughts, feelings, and actions which follow threats to self-esteem and/or threats to the existence or quality of the relationship ... generated by the perception of a real or potential attraction between one's partner and a (perhaps imaginary) rival." (White, 1981, p. 24). In scenes of jealousy, there are typically a triad of people involved: a jealous and threatened individual, a partner of the opposite gender, and his/her third party rival. In the case of Othello, there are certainly three important people involved at the beginning: Iago being the jealous individual, Desdemona being the partner, and Othello being the third party rival. Iago definitely feels threatened by Othello’s dominance over him, both in his military rank and his relationship...
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...Jealousy is an emotion in which an individual envies a person, something materialistic, a relationship, or even achievements or accomplishments of someone else. Jealousy usually has a negative connotation; however, being jealous of someone or something can actually sometimes be good because it can push a person to work harder for what they want. Unfortunately, the acts of jealousy in Othello are not good and result in death. After examining jealousy in Othello, it is clear that jealousy ruins relationships and in some cases, jealousy is only satisfied by destroying others. Iago and Cassio are friends before all of the drama of being picked for lieutenant happens. Iago believes that he, himself, is a very good soldier and he should be chosen as Othello’s lieutenant. However, when Cassio gets chosen as Othello’s lieutenant, Iago becomes angry and jealous. Therefore, he wants to sabotage and destroy Cassio so that he can take his position. Iago is...
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...Frank Kelly Ms. Corley ENG3U - 1 9 March 2016 End Goal of Writing Othello When studying Othello, no analyst or reader can deny that the masterpiece written by Shakespeare is truly remarkable. However, there is debate as to whether the play was written to tell a story about a war hero who ascends to the peak of Italian military ranks and fell off due to his insecurities, or for Shakespeare to present an allegory narrating the chaos in seventeenth century England. The assertion made declaring Othello to be an allegory is very compelling. Just like an artist chooses every stroke of their painting, in Othello, Shakespeare’s words are all determined very conscientiously. This could potentially mean he was crafting a perfect narration to provoke the leaders of his time about the imperfections of the society they live in. The underlying themes throughout the book are extremely plausible claims in order to draw a parallel to an allegory. The most profound theme in Othello is how love can present shameful aspects and hereby, make someone act irrationally. Reputation is a compelling reason for why Othello acts aberrantly. He is proud of the reputation and power he had works so diligently for, therefore, he was not going to let it crumble. Lastly, Othello was an African leader in the Italian military, which was particularly irregular in that era. This feeds into his profound insecurities because he is looked at as an outlier. Clearly, Shakespeare was using this to show how racism...
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