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Othello
A soliloquy is side speech given by a character that is directed to the audience; it most often used to reveal emotions or thoughts of a character in a play. In This Research paper I am going to be discussing three different soliloquies of “Othello”. In his first soliloquy after this conversation with Roderigo, Iago says in an excerpt:I stand accountant for as great as a sin,But partly led to diet my revenge,For that I do suspect the lusty Moor Hath leaped into my seat; the thought whereof Doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards;And nothing shall or content my soul Till I am evened with him, wife for wife; (p. 724)
The meaning of this soliloquy is him telling to the audience that he cannot get any sleep at night knowing that he is doing something evil. Othello is very emotional and feels strongly about desdemona, this is observed through repitition. Othello Says :It Is Cause”(Act 5 Scene 2 Lines 1 and 3) and then Later repeats “put out the light” (Act 5 scene 2 lines 7 and 10) three times. This repitition shows his emotions and justifies his actions, it also shows that he is trying to force himself to kill desdemona but he doesn’t really want too.
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This motif is entwined with Desdemona’s perceived lack of honesty, she and Iago being dualistic opposites in the work – Desdemona, honest, angelic, but not believed; Iago, dishonest, devilish, readily
The truth comes out after Othello has murdered his wife and before he kills himself he says, “must you speak of one that loved not wisely, but too well.” (Shakespeare 360), meaning that he wants to be described as someone who loved too much, but who was not wise. His jealousy and fear of ruining his reputation after murdering Desdemona lies within his final speech. Although, he mentions in his speech, “Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, perplexed in the extreme” (Shakespeare 360), trying to convince the audience not to see him the way the events seem to make him look. He is trying to imply that he was not easily made jealous, but was tricked and manipulated by Iago. Othello wants to avoid having a bad reputation and would like the audience to remember him as an honorable
Iago revels in his treachery, after counseling Cassio to restore his reputation with Othello in such a way that he may further incriminate Cassio. Iago deceives his victims by giving them false guidance, much like Saul accuses one possessed by Satan of doing to those interested in the word of God:
Iago is not an irrational, mentally unstable sociopath who goes around killing people for pleasure. Yet, it also can’t be agreed that Iago is quite physiologically sound. He is an extremist who has reasons for his misdemeanors, though they aren’t necessarily the ones he claims. Some of his faults can be connected/traced to environmental factors, his life lived unloved and self-doubt as a result.
In Act three, Scene three, Desdemona agrees to speak to Othello in Cassio’s behalf) As Desdemona and Cassio discuss Cassio’s loss of rank and trust in Othello’s eyes. Iago brings to Othello’s attention the discussion taking place between Cassio and Desdemona. Iago knowing full well why the discussion is happening. Iago hints the pair seems to be spending a lot of time together. Iago plants the seed of doubt in Othello’s mind Othello begins to ponder the idea of whether Iago suspicions are true.
Othello is a man of romantic nature. He fell in love with the beautiful Desdemona. He was accused of stealing her away from her father. Othello was of a different race and did not fit in with her family. Othello makes a plea for Desdemona and tells his story which wooed her to begin with. Othello tells of the love that her father showed him since his boyish days. This was like a match made in heaven that overcame many obstacles which got in their way. Othello could not understand why he was good enough to work and fight alongside of her father, but was not good enough for his daughter.
Othello is a man who is respected as a General in the Army. Brabanzio even considered him a friend. Thanks to Iago planting a seed in Brabanzio ear about his daughter, Desdemona, Brabanzio accused Othello of taking his daughter away from him by means of drugs or poision. Othello has fought on the battle-field and now finds himself on a very different kind of battle-field. He finds himself in a position of being forced to defend his honor, friendship and his love. There has been accusations made against Othello, so in a room filled with signors, masters, the Duke, and Brabanzio, Othello has a strategy of battlement in his own way. He tells the Duke to send for Desdemona, “Send for the lady to the Sagittary, And let her speak of me before her father” (1.3-115-116).
Of Shakespeare’s five greatest tragedies, Othello is by far the most passionate and gripping. It is a tale of love, deception, evil, honesty, and virtue. Othello himself is set apart from other Shakespearean tragic heroes by the absolute feeling of affection the audience feels for him even unto the very end of the play. Any discerning reader painfully recognizes the virtue and goodness of Othello throughout the entire play, in contrast to the general degeneration of character so typical of a tragic hero. It is this complete pity that makes the death of Othello so tragic as the audience lends their full support to the inevitable and unavoidable fall.
Come, go with me apart; I will withdraw, To furnish me with some swift means of death For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant.” (III,3,2167) Proof of Iago 's evil is easy to come by, but he is no more evil that when he uses his wife as a pawn in his twisted revenge plot.
Response to William Shakespeare's Othello. Following this mingled conversation in which Desdemona playfully reverses Othello's insinuating diagnosis; Desdemona informs her. husband that she has sent for Cassio to speak to Othello. However, Othello ignores this piece of information and claims a cold in the head, asks for her handkerchief.
Othello’s own problems lead him to murder Desdemona. He has insecurity issues with himself. In the beginning of the play, Othello is confident. Iago speaks of Othello in a lowly manner oftentimes. He even calls him an “old black ram” and describes him as “tupping your white ewe” (1.1.9) when he wakens Brabantio with news of Desdemona’s marriage to Othello. Othello starts to degrade himself by saying “rude am I in speech” (1.3.96). This loss of confidence puts a dent in his relationship with Desdemona, laying the pavement for her later death. He is gullible for allowing Iago’s remarks to affect him. Therefore, Othello’s own personal conflicts lead to Desdemona’s demise.
Shakespeare's Othello is a novel that depicts on the intense relationship between Othello, Cassio, and Iago. One charter may see the other as a dear friend and a comrade, but the second one may see the first as an inferior person that he/she is envious of due to something they have. Othello is a tragedy of trust, if you learn to trust then you live in happiness, but the power of distrust is enough to make a man attempt evil and corrupt actions. During the course of the book some of the characters relations become strong, but then at the last possible moment most of those relations revert and a few increase. It is a difficult thing to explain, but I'll break it down for you. Each character had his own relation towards another, Othello had a strong friendship towards Iago, as if he were his brother. Othello sees Cassio as a fine young soldier, but as the story goes on he begins to despise Cassio because he was fed false information about Cassio that upset the war hero greatly. Iago hates Othello, because he gave what he thought was an underqualified soldier a promotion, so he is out for revenge. Iago is also jealous of Cassio for the reason just given, he thinks he deserves the promotion and is very envious that Cassio beat him to it. Why did these people's relation change? What role does trust play in the entire play? When do we know when to trust and when not to trust? These are all questions that wonder in your heads because in some cases it is bad to trust, but in others trust is what keeps relationships and friendships alive, don't be confused its just a matter of knowing when to trust and when not to trust.
Essay Question: Kyle MacLachlan says that he would love to play Iago because he looks “benign.” Explain using lines from the play, images from the film, and using the method used in class why benign, and evil at the same time creates such an interesting prospect for the actor.
Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. “The Engaging Qualities of Othello.” Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Introduction to The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. N. p.: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1957.
The Use of Soliloquies in William Shakespeare's Othello Soliloquy is a stage device which can be found throughout the works of many modern day playwrights, and is famously used by Shakespeare in his theatrical tragedy, “Othello.” We see at many key moments, both the lead roles of Othello and Iago, speak when no other characters are present or listening, revealing their inner most thoughts to the audience, illuminating their private intentions and allowing them to evaluate what their actions have already accomplished, without offering the other characters the chance to learn what they are really like. Some critics express the opinion that modern audiences find that soliloquy is often ‘outdated’ and ‘embarrassing.’ In a time of film, where facial close-ups and various other informative techniques can be adopted to reveal characters inner-most thoughts and emotions, the soliloquy in contrast is delivered in neither a subtle or particularly complex manner. Soliloquy can sometimes be seen as an easy way out for writers to reveal their characters and their intent without having to put in any work demonstrating them through dialogue and stage direction.
The two male leads in Othello, Iago and Othello, both speak directly to the audience sharing their innermost thoughts through their soliloquies. The protagonist of the play, the tragic Othello, uses soliloquies to show his emotions about what he is told by deceitful Iago regarding his wife’s unfaithfulness. Othello’s soliloquies tend to be emotionally driven and as the play progresses they tend to be become more infected as he descends into rage and jealousy. Iago’s soliloquies however reveal his plans and ideas as to what he wants to create next in the havoc he releases onto the lives around him. His are also quite the opposite of Othello as Iago tends to have a physical drive behind his thoughts he shares with the audience. William Shakespeare uses these as a technique in his plays to allow the audience into the mind of his character without the use of third person narration.