Othello’s Universality of Appeal
The Shakespearean play Othello has enjoyed popularity on the stage and in print for 400 years. What are the features which enhance this quality among readers? And what detracts?
Does the playwright’s use of “double time” contribute to its universality of appeal? In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode explains the advantages of “double time” to Shakespeare:
“Double time” is a classical topic of Othello criticism; one of its uses is to remind us that the play, more largely considered, is characterized by a kind of imaginative duplicity. Thus one can isolate a plot of monumental and satisfying simplicity without forgetting that the text can be made to support very different interpretations. The richness of the tragedy derives from uncancelled suggestions, from latent subplots operating in terms of imagery as well as character, even from hints of large philosophical and theological contexts which are not fully developed. (1200)
Additional reasons exist for such a broad appeal. Kenneth Muir, in the Introduction to William Shakespeare: Othello, explains in broad terms the basis for the play’s universality of appeal:
If, however, the interpretation offered above is sound, Othello is clearly not without universal significance, for, apart from its dramatization of the difficulty of discovering reality behind appearance, its two main characters exemplify opposing principles which together constitute the human psyche. Othello believes in love, in complete commitment, in nobility, in vocation, and in absolutes. Iago believes in nothing, and least of all in other human beings. (39)
More reasons for the play’s popularity appear. A. C. Bradley, in his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, describes the modernity of the drama as a reason for its popularity:
One result of the prominence of the element of intrigue is that Othello is less unlike a story of private life than any other of the great tragedies. And this impression is strengthened in further ways. [. . .] But Othello is a drama of modern life; when it first appeared it was a drama almost of contemporary life, for the date of the Turkish attack of Cyprus is 1570. The characters come close to us, and the application of the drama to ourselves (if the phrase may be pardoned) is more immediate than it can be in Hamlet or Lear. Besides this, their fortunes affect us as those of private individuals more than is possible in any of the later tragedies with the exception of Timon.
The point is that the book could teach what freedom is. It could inspire readers/ people to try and achieve that freedom. Another example of a great theme is when Jim was getting all happy for Cairo
The plate tectonic theory is a theory that geologists use to help explain the Earth’s surface processes and events. It explains that the sliding of these plates are either away from each other, sliding past each other, or sliding into each other and causing one of the plates to slide beneath the other. There are three kinds of plate tectonic boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform plate boundaries. A divergent boundary occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other. Magma then flows up from the mantle to fill in the space between the plates, forming a raised ridge called a mid-ocean ridge. The magma also spreads in the exterior, forming new ocean floor and new oceanic crust. A convergent boundary occurs when two plates
...e. The play Othello focuses on the tragedy of the main character Othello to point out flaws in a generally good character; it teaches the readers valuable lessons to becomes better human beings by not making the same mistakes as Othello does in the play.
In the Shakespearean tragedy Othello the number and description of themes is open to discussion. With the help of literary critics, we can analyze this subject in detail.
Plate tectonics is a theory in earth science about plates that ride on the asthenosphere. These plate tectonics carry continents and ocean basins. There are seven major plate tectonic plates and many minor plates. There are two types of tectonic plates: oceanic and continental plates; continental plates have a density of 2.7 g/cm^3 but oceanic plates have a density of 3 g/cm^3.The area at which these plates meet are called plate boundaries. There are three types of plates boundaries that we have identified: convergent plate boundary, divergent plate boundary, and transform plate boundary.
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.
Shakespeare's Othello is not simply a play which embodies the conflict between insider and outsider. The paradigm of otherness presented in this play is more complicated than the conclusion, "Othello is different; therefore, he is bad." Othello's character is to be revered. He is a champion among warriors; an advisor among councilmen; a Moor among Venetians. Yes, Othello is a Moor, but within the initial configuration of the play, this fact is almost irrelevant. His difference is not constructed as “otherness.” Othello, by his nature, is not an “otherized” character. Besides being the dark-skinned Moor, Othello varies in no real way from the other characters in the play. Further, Othello and Iago can be seen as two sides of the same destructive coin. With Iago as a foil and subversive adversary, Othello is not faulted for the indiscretions he commits. It is the invention and projection of otherness by various characters in the play, especially Iago, which set the stage for the tragedy of dissimilarity which is to ensue.
Nick Potter states: “Othello is a tragedy of incomprehension, not at the level of intrigue but at the deepest level of human dealings. No one in Othello comes to understand himself or anyone else.” Within Shakespeare’s Othello, no character fully understands themselves of one another. This is especially true in human dealings, where the intentions of characters and how others interpret them are often misaligned. Conflict, and eventually, tragedy arises in Othello due to the incomprehension between characters, as well as within the characters themselves. From the reader’s perspective, it is tragic to understand the reality behind all the incomprehension, since the characters are oblivious to what the readers are aware of.
Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar in “The Engaging Qualities of Othello” maintain that the popularity of this play has been consistent for about 400 years because
Othello is a play with the ability to transcend time and evolve with changing value systems. It is by considering these different perceptions and their contexts that our understanding and appreciation is enriched.
The polysemic nature of the play Othello enables a myriad of interpretation and perspectives take explained and accepted. This is evident through the various critics and films that have all interpreted Othello in different yet plausible ways. Issues such as racism, sexism, jealousy and love have been frequently noted in the play allowing Shakespeare to convey how he felt about his society at the time. Applying these matters to his works, not only has he expressed his views on the society, he has also allowed us to grasp what it was like during that period of time. Though that is the case, Othello is still able to leave its audiences feeling ill at ease no matter which perspective they view it from.
There are two types of addictions: psychological and physical. When a person is psychologically addicted they believe that they need the drug in order to live. A user gets attached to the drug thinking its normal during their daily routines. “A user may associate certain actions or rituals with taking drugs” (Nagle 22). Drug addicts think it’s necessary to get high before they do certain things. For example, some may get high before eating a meal or before going to bed, they get a feeling of accomplishment as if they’ve done something good, the drug rewards their nerve system. Drug users alter the way their brain works by the constant use. However, “if a person takes a drug often enough the brain changes so it can handle all of the changes” (Nagle 16).
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Their main purpose is to survive and their functions allow them to do so. All cells have common features whether they are eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells. The common features include a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes, and DNA. A plasma membrane which is also known as a cellular membrane, surrounds all cells and its primary function is to protect them. Plasma membrane is made up of two layers of phospholipids which are a class of lipids and has many proteins embedded in it. The proteins have a function of providing support and shape to a cell. There are three different proteins in cell membranes (see appendix 1). The plasma membrane also regulates the entry and exit of the cell, as many molecules cross the cell membrane by osmosis and
Drug addiction is a very big problem in today’s society. Many people have had their lives ruined due to drug addiction. The people that use the drugs don’t even realize that they have an addiction. They continue to use the drug not even realizing that their whole world is crashing down around them. Drug addicts normally lose their family and friends due to drug addiction.