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Othello critical analysis
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Jealousy in the Play, Othello
Othello is one of the best and most famous literary works of William Shakespeare's that expresses the danger of jealousy. The play studies how jealousy can be accelerated by ordinary circumstances evidence leading to the destruction of lives. The protagonist in the play succumbs to jealousy brought about by people leading to death at the end of the play. In the play, jealousy takes many different forms from professional competition to sexual suspicion, but whichever the form, it always leads to destruction. This paper focuses on the theme of jealousy depicted in Shake spheres play expressing what it drives people to do. Envy and jealousy are the most profound themes in the play from the start to finish. As the
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It is clear that the love he shares with his wife is real and true despite the doubts of the people who try break them up. Brabanito also shows jealousy of their love describing it as being bound by magic. He said that, “my daughter is showing more love to Othello instead of me, her father” (Act II, Scene 1). To answer the questions on witchcraft as the cause of their love, Othello says that the love was caused only by the dangers he underwent. In the books explaining Othello, the tragic hero in the play and the commander of armies in Venice celebrated as a heroic figure who is open-minded. However, he allows Lago to twist his love for Desdemona into a strong jealousy. Desdemona is the most sympathetic character who loves her husband deeply thus having her purity contrast the wickedness of Lago. Meanwhile, Othello defense appointing Cassio as a lead solder instead of Lago shows nobility and honesty as early expressed from his speeches. Othello's rage of jealousy begins in the third scene of the play, as he spies on Desdemona and Cassio conversing in the garden. However, when Cassio notices Othello approaching them, he swiftly exits. Lagos seems how to act on his plan by putting ideas on Othello's mind that Cassio walked out of guilt of luring his wife. By using the words of guilt. Lagos is trying to show that Cassio had been doing something bad and filled with wrong intentions. The garden is also symbolic to represent the growing jealous of the protagonist and Lago's deceit towards Cassio and Othello. Furth more, a significant symbol in the play is the handkerchief bestowed by Othello to his wife. Jealousy changes the handkerchief to represent reality instead of her own words. She tries to speak to her husband and explain her point of view but he doesn't want to hear any of it. Instead, he keeps repeating, “the handkerchief” (Act III, Scene 3). This depicts his journey. Napkins
characters. But the theme and conflict that is most exemplified in this play would have to be jealousy.
In the beginning Othello is seen as a calm collected man when put into an awkward situation, such as being ridiculed by his wife’s father in thinking that Othello has used some sort of magic to gain Desdemona 's infection. Othello’s calm collected ways start to deteriorate after he is convinced by Iago, a deceiving evil man that Desdemona has slept with Cassio. Othello’s self control no longer exist once he is fully convinced that it is in fact true that Desdemona has been unfaithful. His sense of what is real and what is not real is thrown out the window. Othello starts to become extremely jealous of his used to be beloved Cassio, and after considering giving back his spot as liternuanat he denies him that. He starts to become cold and distant towards his wife, and starts to call her out of her name. As Othello continues to lose control the people around him start to doubt his abilities of being able to protect Cyprus, and even his wife starts to doubt him, and agree with her father. No one knows who this man is anymore, he has started to act in an insanely matter. He can longer be his true self and take on the responsibilities of being general as he starts to crack. With Othello being faced with evil, him being calm is no longer an option for him because he can’t face the fact that the person he loves so dearly is cheating on him. Going back the they handkerchief, the symbol of his love for her. Othello seeing Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief sets him over the edge becoming truly convinced that his wife has betrayed him. Even when Desdemona and her maid Emila, Iago’s wife, has told him countless times that she has not been unfaithful, he is so far gone from reality that he does not believe either one of them. With the state of mind he’s in he cannot bear the thought of another man touching his wife. Othello and Iago plan to kill Cassio and Desdemona. After he
The play, Othello is one of the most famous tragedies composed by William Shakespeare during the Renaissance period. It powerfully portrays a world where the acts of evil ultimately vanquishes fidelity, nobility and integrity. The central themes jealousy and manipulation embodies the foretold tragedies and the downfall tragedies of the characters due to one’s insecurities. Through the use of literary techniques and figurative language, Shakespeare has effectively explored the themes of jealousy and manipulation.
The issue of jealousy is one of utmost importance in Othello and is exhibited through the use of literary techniques such as characterisation and symbolism, in conjunction with universal values such as honest...
The common thread of jealousy ties together the main plots in Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and The Winter's Tale. In each of these plays, the main conflict is centered around some form of jealousy. While jealousy is the mutual, most prominent cause for turmoil in these plays, its effects on the characters, and ultimately the plots, is different in each case. This difference has much to do with the way in which the concept of jealousy is woven into each play, and what it is intended to accomplish.
In the play Othello, there are many jealous and selfish characters. Each of the characters at one point or another let their jealousy take over. It seems like they all have these plots and plans on how to hurt another character in the play either physically or emotionally, as an act of selfishness, so that they can feel better about themselves. One main character who seems extremely jealous in this play is Iago. Infact, probably the most jealous. Many bad things happen because of Iago. The first bad thing that Iago did, was tell Barbantio (Desdamona's father) that Desdemona has married Othello, the Moore. Iago was mad at Othello, because Cassio had made Othello a higher position and not Iago. Iago thought that he was the one who qualified for the position as general, not Othello. Iago was jealous because of this, so he decided to tell Barbantio about Desdemona and Othello. This was bad, because Barbantio did not know yet, and something like that should have been said by his own daughter, not someone who was not part of the family. The way Iago went about telling him was also bad. He called to his house in the middle of the night. He yelled it to Barbantio from downstairs into his window in a rude manner. " quote from Othello here." He wanted Barbantio to be upset about what had happened, and most of all, he wanted Barbantio to be mad at Othello and do something bad to him.
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock.The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss. Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er. Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves” (3.3.163-168). In Shakespeare’s Othello, jealousy is the common theme that becomes Othello’s undoing. Through text in the play, the audience can notice Othello slowly begin to become crazed through his speech.
In Shakespeare 's play Othello, hostile jealousy warps reality for Othello which leads to the demise of his marriage as well as himself. Many critics have analyzed the topic of jealousy, most of them coming to the conclusion that Othello showed signs of underlying insecurities and possessiveness which lead to jealousy however; Nordland pointed out that jealousy was not caused by pre-existing insecurities and scars from past traumatic experiences but it created doubts and issues of self esteem in Othello after he is gripped by delusional jealousy, courtesy of Iago. To properly explain Othello 's metamorphosis of a honorable man into "the green-eyed monster" (3. 3. 196), one must define jealousy for the irritant that it is. Jealousy is a multi-dimensional emotional
From this point on, Othello insecurity manifests into a seemingly irrational fear of being cuckolded, and his self-perceived worth diminishes exponentially. Othello comments on the likelihood of Desdemona cheating, by explaining how it may be “for [he is] black / And have not those soft parts of conversation / That chamberers have…” (3.3.280-282) Othello’s frustration with the threat of being cuckolded puts strain on his relationship with Desdemona, and she quickly becomes a victim of domestic abuse. For example, Othello acts as an interrogator, demanding to see the handkerchief which he gave her that symbolizes faithfulness and commitment towards Othello. (Quotation) When she is unable to produce their symbol of trust, Othello’s anger manifests inside him. The audience is shown a stark contrast to Othello’s typically cool, collected and composted nature. This abrupt and irrational change in behaviour is emphasized when Othello strikes Desdemona in front of Lordovico, (4.1.245) Othello’s
Is it only natural for us to be jealous? Jealousy is a form of hatred built upon insecurity; it is the root of all evil. Many things that lead to jealousy, for example are our jobs, relationships, and material goods, simply because we don’t want to lose them. Humans don’t have much control over jealousy; it is an instinctive emotion that everyone will feel at some point or another. Its intensity is often shielding emotions that have been buried of possessiveness, insecurity or embarrassment. The extent of madness that jealousy will bring a person in to is alarming. It is true that jealousy is the fear of abandonment because it will leave people with nothing in life, as it did to Othello in William Shakespeare’s story Othello.
Shakespeare juxtaposes the lives of Othello and Iago to accentuate the difference between Iago’s ideal and realistic perceptions of self. Othello represents the idealistic individual, who has rank, money, power, and a beautiful wife. He directs his jealously onto Othello, changing Othello’s reality in a negative manner. When shown optical proof of the handkerchief, Othello loses self-control and has an incoherent thought process- he is transported to Iago’s world of dishonesty and disillusionment. Iago’s control is complete when he receives the position as lieutenant. Although, no matter how much recognition he receives, “the monster” of jealousy lurks within. Iago’s omnipresence blurs the lines of morality and ethics, causing an internal battle within Othello and leading to the innocent death of Desdemona. While Othello lacked probable cause to act in such a violent manner, her death is justifiable because of Iago’s malicious intent and manipulation that coerced Othello to commit the act. In Act 5, The purposeful destruction of the lives of Othello, Roderigo, and Cassio along with the casualties of Desdemona and Emilia neither appease nor satisfy Iago’s intense jealousy- instead, his silence on the subject substantiates his cruel and unusual
Othello is a Shakespearean play that portrays jealousy and how it can destroy lives. In William Shakespeare's Othello, Jealousy is described as someone who is feeling or showing envy of someone else. Jealousy is also decribes as the most disastrous emotion. There are many instances throughout the play that show jealousy between the characters. In fact the thrive of jealousy is what made lago start planning a scheme that leads to the death of innocent people including Othello, Desdemona, Emilia and Roderigo.
In Shakespeare’s Jealous Husbands: Othello and Leontes by Paul Dean is a play that dramatized the comparison on how Jealousy in Othello with Jealousy in Shakespeare’s late romance The Winter’s Tale, serves as a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change for further action. Shakespeare’s ideas about jealousy came from a variety of literary and cultural traditions, beginning with narrative of the Fall as he read it in the Book of Genesis and as he saw it in the medieval mystery plays still being performed during his adolescence. Jealousy is a leading motive in this story in the form of ‘‘covetousness, because the serpent offers Eve equality with God in knowing good and evil’’ (Genesis 2:5). The trace by Dean of the theme of Jealousy in other Shakespearean plays, and analyzes the differences and the similarities that connect both Jealousy in Othello and Jealousy in Shakespeare’s late romance The Winter’ Tale, where it serves as a motivation for further action.
Of the seven deadly sins, envy is one that is nothing to be jealous of. Envy is subtle, insidious, and devours us, introducing itself in many shapes and forms, but all evil if acted upon with poor intentions. At times in which we are envious of others, more often than not, we compromise our character for the worse. When we act upon the envy that consumes us, there is a tendency that the envier and envied are affected mentally or physically and those surrounding become collateral damage. The result of relationships when envy is added to the equation is only deterioration. When envy is the driving force behind actions, it leads to the corruption of good people, reminding us to learn how to control envious emotions while on the pursuit of our desires.
The role of jealousy, love and betrayal play a major role in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. The entire play is based on the human interactions of the characters as related to Othello and Desdemona. The characters’ personalities, their social status, and their relationships to each other control the story line and their fate in the play. Othello is portrayed early in the play as an outsider with animalistic characteristics by Iago and Roderigo because of jealousy. “Your heart is burst; and have lost half of your soul/Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/Is tupping your white ewe”.(531) Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, accuses Othello of using witch craft on his daughter. “If she in chains of magic were not bound/ Whether a maid so tender, fair, and happy/ So opposite to marriage that she shunned…” (535) This point is important because Othello must defend himself not only to Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, but to the entire Venetian Senate. “And till she come, as truly as to heaven,/ I do confess the vices of my blood./ So justly to your grave ears I’ll present/ How I did thrive in this fair lady’s love, / And she in mine.” (539) Othello proves himself to be an intellectual hero early in the play. He has worked hard to gain respectability and power, but because he has a different background, is from another country, is dark-skinned and is older than Desdemona, he becomes jealous very quickly of Cassio. Cassio is from the same social class, is compatible with Desdemona and is a young handsome man. Iago has also convinced Cassio to seek favor with Desdemo...