The Monster in Othello This essay is about William Shakespeare's Othello. It focuses on Iago's words to Othello, "O, beware, my lord, of Jealousy. It is the green-eyed monster." in act 3, scene 3 and just how important this warning was not only for Othello, but also for Roderigo and for Iago. Before considering the importance of Iago's words, it is important to define what jealousy means. According to The New Lexicon Webster's Encylopedic Dictionary of the English
In Shakespeare’s play Othello, the main character Othello is typically victimized and portrayed as a mere scapegoat of the villainous Iago’s devious plans. However, Othello is not completely void of responsibility for the death of his wife. Othello, the tragic hero, is just as responsible as Iago for his premeditated murder of Desdemona due to his own internal flaws. Specifically, flaws such as his vivid imagination and his self over-idealization are brought to the surface by Iago, which consequently
Iago and Honesty in Othello Iago uses the word "honest" in act three of Othello in three primary ways. The first way he uses it is to mean honourable, about Cassio. He uses this meaning of the word to force Othello to doubt Cassio's honesty, and question his hounorablility. The second way is to mean faithful, both about Desdemona and Cassio. Iago uses it in the context that the two may be "truthful," again to make Othello doubt. The third way is Iago's most effective use, which is to use
Conventions of Othello Shakespeare has been a part of the American Society for many years. Compared to other Authors, he has a different style of writing but within his own writings, they are all very much alike. He has written many plays including Othello and Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare was a man who wrote plays that followed the same literary conventions. These conventions included tragic hero, fallacy, irony, and also suspense. A tragic hero is a male figure who is high in society and one who
is an argumentative essay about how villains in Shakespearean literature become evil through the circumstances around them. They are not born evil. This essay talks about Macbeth, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet, which are used to reference examples of Shakespeare’s view on the subject. Macbeth is about a man who is blinded by power and kills anything and everything that tries to take the crown from him. He is persuaded to do these things by his wife and the three witches. Othello is about a man who
Othello’s Themeland Built on a broad base of multiple themes, Othello is one of William Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies. Let’s sift through the themes and try to rank them in significance. In the Introduction to The Folger Library General Reader’s Shakespeare, Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar consider the arch-villainy of the ancient to be the most potent theme: Othello avoids all irrelevancies and the action moves swiftly from the first scene to the denouement. We
Cassio, the Lieutenant, in Othello Michael Cassio, the lieutenant who supposedly stole away Iago’s coveted promotion in Shakespeare’s Othello, is a strange sort of character. He shows great appreciation of other people; he is radiant with truth and honor; and yet he patronizes a prostitute, Bianca. This essay will delve into the character of Cassio. Blanche Coles in Shakespeare’s Four Giants comments on the character of Cassio: In a casual reading of Othello, it may seem that the
In Shakespeare’s play “Othello” the main characters Othello and Desdemona suffer a tragic fate due to their actions and unforeseen circumstances. A majority of Desdemona’s suffering is down to Iago’s manipulation. However, it could also be argued that Iago is not completely to blame for the misfortune of Desdemona. We as the readers can see evidence of this at certain points in the play where Iago has planted the seeds of despair and Desdemona and Othello have fallen for his plans. In this essay, I
English Composition 1102 February 25, 2014 Othello: A Tragedy of Jealosuy “Jealousy is troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.” Those are words from a famous entrepreneur and philosopher, William Penn. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the act of jealousy is a powerful sensation seen almost in every aspect and relationship throughout the tragedy. Furthermore, it is one of the most important topics in the play. Based on the conflicts within Othello, jealousy can be defined as troubles or
Racism and Interracial Marriage in Othello Othello: The Moor of Venice is probably Shakespeare's most controversial play. Throughout this work, there is a clear theme of racism, a racism that has become commonplace in Venetian society which rejects the marriage of Othello and Desdemona as anathema. The text expresses racism throughout the play within the language transaction of the dialogue to question the societal ethos established by Othello, thereby making him nothing less than a cultural
Othello: Moral and Immoral Aspects of the Play Certain aspects of the moral dimension of the Shakespearean tragedy Othello are obvious to the audience, for example, the identity of the most immoral character. Other aspects are not so noticeable. Let us in this essay consider in depth this dimension of the drama. Francis Ferguson in “Two Worldviews Echo Each Other” describes the deception of Iago: how he paints as evil a guiltless association between Cassio and Desdemona: The main
William Shakespeare wrote works that are typically known for their tales of love, drama, and tragedy. While there are a diverse number of themes in Shakespeare's many plays, it is not often that many of the works are associated with irony. One work in particular, Othello, is mainly recalled as a story of deception, jealousy, and even racism, but seldom is the story analyzed for its use of direct contradiction and cynicism. For example, the villain of the story receives more attention than the protagonist
Othello as a Mirror of Man In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, the characters are symbolic of qualities found in every human. The main characters, Othello, Desdemona and Iago, are key examples of this. Othello is symbolic of jealousy and pride; Desdemona is symbolic of kindness and honesty and Iago is symbolic of deceit and selfishness. Shakespeare uses all of these traits to depict his characters in Othello and exaggerates their personalities throughout the play. In this essay
The Complex Character of Iago of Othello Iago can be clearly characterized as the villain in Shakespeare’s Othello. The notion of the "honest" Iago does at times appear not to be a misnomer. In this essay I shall attempt to explore the complexities contained within the character of Iago. One of the most interesting questions that crops up is the one concerning Iago’s motives. What are his reasons to kill every major Venetian in Cyprus? Shakespeare seemingly sets the stage for Iago’s
Othello, a play written by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy which meets its tragic ending, as Iago plots a plan that ends up with the death of five people. Iago’s manipulation being set as Othello’s main plot, one might hardly remember the Clown, who appears only twice in the overall play. Keeping the focus on the Clown, in this essay, I would like to answer the question - “by the use of the Clown, how Othello conforms to, or deviates from, Shakespearean tragedy’s convention, and for what purpose
and Sex in Othello and King Lear Many of Shakespeare plays are littered with crude and graphic sexual references, jests, and insults. But there is one type of character present throughout Shakespeare's plays that twist the sexual imagery and repartee, and that is the villain. There is a deeply rooted combination between sex and evil. This essay will develop this idea in depth by focusing on Iago of Othello and Edmund of King Lear. Iago is probably viewed as one of Shakespeare's greatest
'Othello is a study into the potency of evil' Discuss this view of the play, paying careful attention to Iago's motives and destructive achievements (you should concerntrate on Act III Scene III though you will have to relate it to other parts of the play). Potent in its literal sense means powerful. This essay therefore is based on a statement saying that the play is a study into the power of evil. Evil is conveyed in many different ways in Othello, but they all seem to radiate from Iago. Therefore
Othello: its Universality Pro and Con In the Shakespearean play Othello there are elements which the audiences of 400 years ago found appealing, and which the audiences of today find appealing. This is the secret of the universality of the drama – a quality which some critics question. H. S. Wilson in his book of literary criticism, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, discusses the lack of universality in the protagonist of the play: Still, the play is Othello’s story: he is
Pure evil is like a cancerous plague that harms all those who come upon it. In the tragic play “Othello” by William Shakespeare, Iago is a character that represents pure evil – a malignant cancer to all those around him. His evil is exposed through his choice of words, his ability to manipulate people, and his opportunistic ways. First, Iago’s evil is shown through his choice of words that demonstrate his vulgarity and his sinister intentions. Iago’s language is extremely base and forward;
Gender Bias in Othello Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello is an unfortunate example of gender bias, of sexism which takes advantage of women. The three women characters in the drama are all, in their own ways, victims of men’s skewed attitudes regarding women. Let us delve into this topic in this essay. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine comment in the Introduction to Shakespeare: Othello that sexism is a big factor in the play: At this point in our civilization the play’s fascination