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Women in shakespeare tragedy
Othello critical analysis
Analysis of tragedy of othello
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Recommended: Women in shakespeare tragedy
The motif trust related to women
William Shakespeare is undeniable one of the greatest authors of all times. He wrote some of the most famous plays and poems we know and his plays are still shown all over the world. Shakespeare is a genius with words; he uses multiple ways to express his thoughts, keep the audience interested and to describe situations. He frequently uses different motifs in a single play. Some of them are used in a very interesting way. In his Tragedy Othello, the motif trust is used to portray women as untrustworthy. This depiction is inconspicuous but very important for the plot of the play and the action of some main characters in the play.
It already starts with Brabantio, Desdemonas father, who feels betrayed by his daughter. She leaves him to be with Othello, “the moor”, and Brabantio does not support this connection. He also blames Othello for the „deception“ of his daughter but the most he blames her since you should “trust not your daughters' minds / By what you see them act. Are there no charms / By which the property of youth and maidenhood / May be abu...
Othello is a book filled with countless metaphors and opposites referring to dark themes. Shakespeare certainly included various descriptions of black people in Othello. Many of these motifs are combined with clever metaphors and other literary devices. Motifs in Act 1 are mainly the representations of black and with Iago connecting to all.
When the well-known English dramatist William Shakespeare began writing Othello, he had already been educated in the classics and in literature. Although his contemporary Ben Jonson said that Shakespeare knew "little Latin and less Greek," scholars know that Shakespeare knew, at least, about Greek ideas about comedy and tragedy. He was not incredibly educated, but he was aware that his play would comment on ideas about comedy. By looking at a few crucial scenes in the play, this paper will demonstrate that, although most people consider Shakespeare’s Othello a tragedy, it is actually a black comedy.
...kespeare's Othello is a play of multiple themes. The human psyche itself is on display as well. The dualities of relationships is also prevalent. For example the relationships between Othello and Desdemona and between Iago and Emilia. The concept of illusion, of the difference between what is perceived in a person and what is real, is explored through the perceptions of key characters of one another in spite of overwhelmingly different realities. Finally, the theme of character reversal is also explored through the violent contrast between Othello as he was before and Othello as he is now; the complete reversal of character being summed up in Othello’s last, stirring soliloquy. In accordance with the central idea of duality and opposites inherent in the play, Shakespeare has encoded three of the play’s key themes through such contrasts of character and language.
Love, honor and jealousy are basic human emotions that at birth we all unlawfully subscribe to. These fundamental emotions are the basis for William Shakespeare 's well-known tragedy Othello. Shakespeare uses the basic flaws in human emotion to discuss the issues of his time, some of which still affect us today. It is important to be well acquainted with the particular time period that the play in written in as well as the time period in which it takes place. For the simple fact that it helps the reader better understand and fully grasp the characters actions as well as their underplayed gestures. During the time period it was written and the period where it is set in, women basically are voiceless. They are considered property in a male driven
Within Shakespeare’s Othello there is an analysis into the context of the female. Brabantio’s rhyming couplet “Look to her, Moor, If thou hast eyes to see/ She has deceived her father, and may thee,” demonstrates his domineering and patronising attitude, as the Elizabethan era was a patriarchal society and the role of the female was to be ‘obedient’ to their father or husband. Brabantio also endeavours into placing a seed of doubt in Othello’s mind as a result of his jealousy. Consequentially Brabantio objectifies Desdemona when he states, “Where has thou stow’d my daughter?” exemplifying how he deems her as a possession, which can be stolen like any other. Othello prolongs this objectification through asserting that he “won his daughter” portraying Desdemona as a prize to be won, and a possession to be owned and argued over by husband and father. Desdemona is depicted early on in the play as the “angel” wi...
There are many similarities between William Shakespeare’s Othello and Geoffrey Chaucer’s Pardoner, out of his collection of tales entitled The Canterbury Tales. The stories can be compared to each other in different ways. The two most prominent themes in the stories are found in love and deception. The two themes are centered on the idea that tricking someone into trust will gain a person their own desires. The antagonists in both Othello and “The Pardoner’s Tale” are men that have one objective and they use any means necessary to accomplish their selfish and personal pursuit. The stories of both Othello and The Miller’s tale have a trifecta of characters that keep the stories in motion; the similarities between the two stories have very parallel plot structure. They both contain a power struggle, regardless if it is for personal gain between two men over one woman, in relation to how this woman can grant them their desires, or whether it is for the pursuit to get away with their villainous ply for material possessions. Whether it is love, power, or sex. Geoffrey Chaucer’s Pardoner, from The Canterbury Tales, and William Shakespeare’s Iago, from Othello, are both good examples of misleading and deceptive characters. These two literary figures techniques of manipulation are acutely effective on the other characters in Chaucer’s and Shakespeare’s works.
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.
The character Othello, from the tragedy Othello, is portrayed as faultless in many ways in the beginning. However, as the story goes on, many unattractive qualities are revealed through Othello’s actions. One flaw of his is that he is too trusting. Othello believes Iago’s lies and so unable to trust from then on. Such as, when he believes Iago when Iago tells him that Desdemona gave Cassio her handkerchief, although this is quite untrue. Later on, he does not believe Desdemona when she continually tells him that she is not cheating on him, as his trust has been destroyed. Another equally important flaw of his is jealousy. Othello is jealous of the suspicious relationship between his lieutenant Cassio and his wife Desdemona. This is ironic because there really is no such affair between the two. Othello has many flaws which allow him to seem more humanlike and connect to society.These many flaws of Othello allow for more genuineness to be seen within him, and as a result he appeals more to the public. Authenticity is imperative for the public to connect with the character Othello and really enjoy the Shakespearean tragedy. Othello is...
Othello and Desdemona are happily falling in love when the story begins, on a Venetian street at night, in the middle of a conversation between Iago an officer in Venice\\ 's military, and a Venetian gentleman named Roderigo. The two men have been speaking of the recent elopement of Othello, the commander of Venice\\ 's army and a Moor, with Desdemona, the daughter of a Senator in the city. Roderigo has been a suitor for Desdemona, and he is upset by the news. Iago tells Roderigo that he hates Othello, because the Moor passed him over for a promotion and named Cassio, as lieutenant in his place. The two men proceed to the house of Brabantio and awaken the Senator. They tell him that Othello has eloped with his daughter. Iago leaves, saying that he must still pretend to be loyal to Othello, and Brabantio and Roderigo gather armed men to go seize the newlyweds.
In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, the Moor, Othello has just been mislead by the deceitful Iago that Desdemona, Othello’s wife, may be cheating on him. Iago attempts to convince Othello that it is Desdemona’s nature to betray him, just as she did to her father. Othello acts as if this news does not bother him, and he does not believe it. Although, once Iago exits the stage the audience hears Othello’s true thoughts in this soliloquy.
Othello is a play based on a woman named Desdemona who marries Othello against her father’s wishes. Her father Brabantio tells Othello “ Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and my thee.” Meaning if she has lied and went against my wishes, then she most likely will you in the end. So ultimately when the handkerchief Othello had given Desdemona when they got married came up missing, he remembered what Brabantio had told him that day. He instantly does not trust her and believes she is messing around with Cassio, which is Othello’s Lieutenant. Othello plans Desdemona’s death, he smothers her with a pillow until she is barely breathing. All of a sudden there is a knock at the door. It is Emilia, Desdemona’s waiting gentlewoman. She comes in to tell Othello that there has been a murder outside
The basic theme of Othello is man's struggle with his own psychological conflicts. Our antagonist, Iago lets us into his own demented mind using soliloquy. Shakespeare uses this method to let us know what he is thinking, feeling, and plotting. Most of us know an Iago. One of our own mortal enemies, our friend who all the while is stabbing us in the back. He is the portrayal of pure evil. Othello, our protagonist, stuggles with the common man's own fears. He suffers greatly his own hubris, he is so afraid of having his pride hurt. But his jealousy is the main conflict. Jealousy something each of us deal with daily. We have all fallen victim to the 'green-eyed monster' e.g., (1085). After all, what is one of the highest causes of divorce in the United States? Adultry. It doesn't seem to matter how good a person we are doubt always seems to creep through and take over. An example of this parody is when Othello is confronted by Iago concerning Desdemona's possible unfaithfulness. Othello states 'Villian be sure thou prove my love a whore, Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof.' e.g., (1090). His fear wont let him trust her completely. Yet, he won't believe it without proof. These are things we deal with today. Private detectives are thriving today with spouse's wanting proof of their husbands or wives unloyalty. The realism of this script is uncanny.
In Othello Shakespeare wrote about jealousy with an tragic ending that lead to Desdemona's death. Desdemona is a sweet Venetian Lady who has fallen in love with “The Moor”, Othello. Iago played games with othello's head to make him believe that his wife, Desdemona. Iago was responsible for Desdemona's death at the end of this novel. Although , Othello murdered her , Iago had led this to happen by causing Othello to be crazy jealous of the lie that iago placed into his head that she is cheating on him with Cassio his lieutenant.
Shakespeare used characters and social values to create the tragedy Othello as a statement about deception and honesty, as well as a cautionary tale about jealousy. In the tragedy of Othello a man by the name of Iago is overlooked by the general,Othello, with the position of military lieutenant, which was given to his acquaintance, Cassio. Iago instantly becomes jealous and as a result of that, he then proceeds to deceive the main characters of the play, mainly Othello, as well as Desdemona, Roderigo, and Cassio. Through the deception also comes the irony of honesty, as Iago deceives the characters by being dishonest more than anything, while the others think he is being completely honest.
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...