...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 ultimate human being, both successful...
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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 the Shakespearean Tragic Hero The Tragedy of Othello is considered to be William Shakespeare’s most popular tragic plays but there are distinct differences in Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, and other tragic heroes. A Tragic hero is usually a character that makes a mistake that leads to his failure, but a Shakespearean tragic hero is initially one, who is born noble, but not necessarily virtuous; there are some great aspects of personality that he has in excess which would often also be his weakness which creates a conflict for the character. His own destruction brings out the principle or moral of the play. Scholars argues that Othello is not a hero but a murder that commits a crime of passion, but just as every Shakespearean tragic characters, Othello is a person that has made an error of judgment, had a fatal flaw and was destined for defeat; which when combined with external forces, will bring on a tragedies like Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and Macbeth. Like many other characters in Shakespearean tragic plays, Othello is not a weak character nor is he a person of failure, but he is the captain of the Venice army, he is married to one of the most beautiful woman of Venice named Desdemona, and he is very well known even though he was of a different ethnicity. When Brabantio accuses him of putting a spell on his daughter Desdemona; in front of the Venetian senate, no one believes the charges because of his outstanding reputation "Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor...
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...2015 Aristotle’s concept of a tragic hero “William Shakespeare’s “Othello” the Moore of Venice Tragedies frequently focus on a tragic hero that has a flaw that ultimately leads to his downfall. According to Aristotle, the tragic flaw is the most important part of the hero and the events that occur in the work is a reflection of that flaw. A tragic flaw is essential in a true tragedy. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello is a prime example of an Aristotelian tragic hero. His gullibility and jealousy are the main reason of his downfall. Othello deals with love lost because of gullibility and jealousy. According to Aristotle, the life and soul of tragedy is the plot; Incidents in the plot have the best effect if they occur unexpectedly, and in consequence of one another. A great tragedy grips the audience with the plot; Aristotle also states that the sense of the inevitable must be present in tragedy. The central character must be noble and have a higher stature than most men. The tragic hero must also have better qualities than secondary characters but must also exhibit flaws. Another part of the central character is that he is destroyed by himself, not by others, bad luck, or depravity. These are the criteria necessary to be classified as an ideal tragedy. The main character of Othello is an example of a tragic hero, his basic elements matches him up to a true hero as defined by Aristotle. Othello was a soldier all his life, due to his Moorish descent;...
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...Othello as a Tragic Hero William Shakespeare's famous tragedy Othello, the Moor of is arguably one of the finest, if not the finest, tragedies in the literary history of Western civilization. This paper discusses Othello as a tragic hero and compares him to Aristotle's concept of what a tragic hero actually is. First, we need to understand the characteristics of a so-called tragic hero as defined by the Greek critic, Aristotle. He indicates that a tragic hero must have these characteristics: (1) Be a nobleman, prince, or person of high estate; (2) Have a tragic flaw, and a weakness in judgment; and (3) Fall from high to low estate. Using Aristotle’s criteria, we can easily classify Othello, the Moor, as a tragic hero. At the time, it was common practice for the Italian city-states to have a foreigner, with proven military capabilities, serving as the head of their Army. Othello, an African Moor of noble birth, is just such a character and held the highest ranking military position as Governor-General of Cyprus. The city of Cyprus was a city-state in the great state of Venice. His title alone, Governor-General, exudes an air of nobility, confidence, and strength. It defines someone who is held in tremendously high esteem by the people of Venice. During Act 1, Scene 3, the Duke and a few Senators are discussing issues around a table when Othello enters the room. It's clear that Othello is held in high esteem when, as he enters, one of the senators states “Here comes Barbantio...
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...both Sophocles's Oedipu Rex and William Shakespeare’s Othello. Oedipus the King and Othello the Moor both experience a catharsis, or emotional downfall, due to fate. Fate is not only a prevalent theme in both works, but a basis of plot as well. Sophocles and Shakespeare both employ elements of fate being influential in their works. Fate in Oedipus Rex does not possess the same meaning as it does in Othello. In Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, however, fate is depicted as the idea that one’s destiny in predetermined. In Othello, fate pertains to the limit that is placed on the control of one’s own destiny. Fate can be used to show how different authors portray the theme in their work and how each different vision of fate...
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...thinking about Iago and Othello as rival characters in Shakespeare's Othello. The play shows us how good turns into evil in the complex character of Othello, who turns out to be more than a victim of Iago's wrongdoings but also a character who is both good and evil. In Shakespeare's play evil is not something absolute. Evil demonstrates itself as a different quality with each person, perhaps the point when a person forgets moral boundaries and gives way to instincts beyond his or her control. With Othello and Iago, Shakespeare uses characters who bring out opposite qualities in each other. We can imagine circumstances in which goodness can sprout out of evil. However, in Othello's case, the roles are reversed and evil sprouts from goodness. At what point does goodness become evil? Are they boundaries that can be passed, or are the qualities of a character's own judgement? We'll start out with the protagonist. The audience's expectations of Othello are lowered at the start of Act I when Iago presents him as a fiend who steals Desdemona away from her father using magic and enchantments. Later we discover Cassio's and Desdemona's far more elevated views of Othello. We learn about his previous life and not much mystery is involved in discovering what sort of man he is. Othello is not devoid of faults. He is prejudiced, jealous, and most importantly easily manipulated by Iago's schemes. Something about Iago brings out Othello's darker side, which leads to Othello forgetting any...
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...26/12/13 Othello, Review The National Theatre The Guardian The infamous ‘green-eyed monster’ is back with a vengeance in Hytner’s portrayal of Shakespeare’s Othello! In this tragic tale of trust, deceit and a magical handkerchief, the audience is treated to an interesting and excellent portrayal of Shakespeare’s Othello. Directed by Nicholas Hytner, this play takes a modern day approach, differentiating itself from previous re-enactments. In this interpretation, the cast is dressed in normal, everyday clothing in the scenes that Hytner interpreted as being in “London or a modern cosmopolitan centre”. Followed by a change in costume (for most characters) into military attire when the play is shifted to Cyprus. Hytner’s road to glory was essentially a U-turn from the original text. His focus was to portray the emotions experienced by characters and to downplay the racial differences. Highlighted when Lester emerges, as confidently as President Barak Obama walking into an important conference, wearing a dark/navy blue suit. The integration of Othello into the rest of the community is witnessed on the army base, when Othello is seen wearing attire that is exactly the same as his Caucasian counterparts. Previous versions such as Jonathan Miller’s 1981 film and Oliver Parker’s 1995 film both focus primarily on the racial difference between Othello and the rest of the cast which, reinforced with Othello often wearing light/white coloured, traditional clothing, which was always...
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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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...Deceit A typical characteristic one can observe in many of Shakespeare’s plays is how people deceive one another, so their own personal desires can be met. “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” “The Tragedy of Orthello, the Moor of Venice,” and “Macbeth” all consist of characters that are not what they appear to be. In the plays Claudius, Iago, and Macbeth present to the public a wholesome image; however, each of them possess a hidden agenda that creates chaos in the plays which one can observe through their spoken lines and their influences. These three characters are antagonists who cause demise in their respective plays. These villains are willing to fight for what they want, even if the death and destruction total is high. Claudius, Iago, and Macbeth will not be undermined at all. These plays illustrate how much planning and work takes place when they plan their attacks against those who are oblivious to their deceit. Shakespeare’s evil doers are not simple people. Claudius’s character in “Hamlet” epitomizes what extent people go to, so their plans work as they intend. For example, King Claudius’s speech to the council and a few other people in Act I, scene ii seems to be a normal speech one would give after the death of a ruler to rally everyone together. He says, “To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom/ To be contracted in one brow of woe,/ Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature/ That we with wisest sorrow think on him/ Together with remembrance...
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...the darker aspects of human nature without dwelling too far into them oneself. The concept of betrayal is explored in Shakespeare's tragedy Othello: The Moor of Venice, wherein the characters are faced with the consequences...
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...Othello Coursework Question 1: 'I took you for that cunning whore of Venice/ that married with Othello'. Looking again at Act 4 Scene 2 and Act 5 Scene 2 consider to what extent the presentation of Desdemona is that of a sufficiently convincing tragic heroine? William Shakespeare's ''Othello'' is a complex tragedy, with many conflicting desires, jealousy and memorable characters. As the audience, we are able to see the changes the characters face throughout the play. These differences can turn the entire play from romantic to a disastrous ending. The main female protagonist Desdemona lives through these changes in Shakespeare's ''Othello'', we as the audience are able to acknowledge her feelings and how she goes from a confident, brave young woman who doesn't think twice on what other's think about her and has the audacity to go against her father's wishes and marries the husband of her choice, Othello, to a broken betrayed and murdered girl. Throughout the play we are able to notice that Desdemona's character slowly breaks, her confidence begins to shatter as her husband begins to lose his trust towards her and slowly the audience is able to see their relationship disintegrate. Furthermore, the confidence she had from the beginning of the play is gone and replaced by the feelings of betrayal and lose of trust. Throughout the play she has been targeted by jealousy and tragic forces. I think Desdemona in some sense is a tragic heroine, looking at Shakespeare’s and Aristotle's...
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...Drama Essay “Othello, the Moor of Venice” Jami Bruno Liberty University In the drama “Othello, the Moor of Venice”, written by Shakespeare around 1604, we find Othello in a downfall that was fed by a villain named Iago. Othello soon becomes the tragic hero of this story. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is “someone who is a noble soul, from high estates, and has a downfall in the result of his hamartia or tragic flaw” (Kennedy, & Gioia, 2007). Othello is easily persuaded with bad advice, that his wife is being unfaithful and is in love with another man. Othello being insecure, is crushed when he is fooled into believing that his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful. With anger and jealousy in his heart he finds himself causing a downfall in the result of his own tragic flaw. Desdemona continues to stay faithful to her husband even as her husband accuses her of being in love with another man. She is a sweet, kind and intelligent woman who is truly devoted to loving Othello. Heartbroken to find her husband has turned against her and plans to kill her, she tries to defend herself with the truth. She is unable to dismiss the lies told to her husband by the villainous Iago. Iago’s hate for the Moor stems from several different directions. He plays the main reason Othello has a tragic flaw. Fueled by his own jealousy, Iago has started a rumor about Othello’s wife and Cassio, Othello’s honorable lieutenant. Emilia is the wife of Iago and Desdemona’s maid. She is submissive...
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...Shakespeare’s play Othello really hits a trigger to a person’s perception on self, the ego. Man’s ego as we learn through Shakespeare leads to self destruction. In the play Othello we start the exposition leading to Iago, telling us his major role as a deceitful person. Iago has great swindling skills as he takes advantage of Rodrigo’s foolish pursuit for Desdemona. Roderigo is a minor character in the play Othello but turns out to be a useful ploy for Iago. Iago has plotted against Othello for promoting Cassio to the post of lieutenant instead of him. “Iago reassures Roderigo that he hates Othello.” Iago as talented as he is waits for the perfect timing to create Othello’s downfall. Othello is a major role in the play, he is the hero who falls ill to his own mind. In the exposition we learn that Othello and Desdemona have married. Iago takes this opportunity to advise Roderigo to spoil some of Othello’s pleasure in his marriage by rousing Desdemona’s father against Othello. Roderigo with the help of Iago calls out to Desdemona’s father they “cry out that he has been robbed by thieves.” Desdemona’s father, Brabanzio a Venetian senator plays a minor role in this play. Brabanzio along with Roderigo are used as a ploy for the beginning revenge of Othello by Iago. Iago and Roderigo play on Brabanzio’s fears. “Brabanzio begins to take what he hears seriously and decides to search for his daughter.” It’s very interesting how no one has any idea of Iago’s role in all the accusations...
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...often associated with virtue, courage and valour. Within Othello, Shakespeare questions the meaning behind heroism and admirability in the context of a Venetian society, in which the play is set. Through the tragic descent of Othello’s composure and his actions, the audience is left to wonder whether or not his virtue and presentation as an admirable general and hero, actually exists. Act 1 of the play presents Othello's decisions and behaviour as the epitome of virtue and valour, showing him as a high statured character - the definition of a tragic hero in Aristotelian methods, as it demands a character of greatness to suffer the greatest downfall. Although not necessarily presented as high born, he is deemed to be virtuous through his military prowess and well articulated speech; this however may be argued by the drastic change of fate within act 3 where Othello’s so called ‘valiant’ image is challenged by Iago’s ‘pestilence’ whispered with his own mind which can be seen through his brash actions and broken language, additionally it can be argued that Othello can be deemed dishonourable in his own actions in the first act of the play by his unblessed marriage to Desdemona; therefore the overall presentation and view over Othello is left to debate. Through Shakespeare’s use of dramatic methods, we as the audience are thrown straight into the action of scene 1,in the form of in media res; it is Iago that announces Othello to the audience as a ‘black ram’ and a ‘devil’, casting...
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