The Character of Othello
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.
Othello by William Shakespeare is a play about a black general who is alone in being black. No one else in either Venice or Cyprus is from Africa as the Moorish Othello is. In fact, with such a high position in the Venetian military, Othello appears to fit right into the role as general; his race is almost of an invisible quality. His race seems invisible because his nobility and the respect others have for him transcend the mistreatment that he might receive in being so physically different. However, this play is not free of racism or noticing race and its connotations. Othello does not truly have a race until he either manifests himself into his race or others choose to notice it. Thus, race is a latent quality in Othello, one not fully apparent until he gets too personal with the fair-skinned people around him and they reject him or he feels rejected and searches for reasons.
In William Shakespeare's Othello there is a wide array of themes. One of the themes, which is found true to nearly every character, is of the act of control throughout the play. Another theme portrayed through Iago, is the recurring use of words such as "monkey", "lion", etc. in "romantic" conversation.
There are many literary works that contain villains who play an essential role in the development of the work as a whole. However, I believe that the ultimate villain of this kind is Iago in Shakespeare’s play, Othello. Through manipulation and scheming, he beguiles the other characters of the novel.
Othello is one of Shakespeare’s four pillars of great tragedies. Othello is unique in comparison to the others in that it focuses on the private lives of its primary characters. When researching the subject of Othello being an Aristotelian tragedy, there is debate among some critics and readers. Some claim that Shakespeare did not hold true to Aristotle’s model of tragedy, according to his definition in “Poetics,” which categorized Othello as a classic tragedy as opposed to traditional tragedy. Readers in the twenty-first century would regard Othello a psychological thriller; it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat creating the emotions of terror, heart break, and sympathy. This paper will focus on what Shakespeare actually intended regarding “Othello” and its Aristotelian influences.
In the Elizabethan times, there was a common belief that all beings belonged to a structure called the "Great Chain of Beings". At the top of the chain was God, who was the absolute symbol of perfection, followed by angels which had reason, human beings, and then animals, that were full of passion. It was believed that the human being was a mixture of both the angel and the animal, thus there was conflict between these two halves of a human being. The angel was representative of all that was right and virtuous and in contrast, the animal was representative of all that was wrong and self-serving. When Iago made the comment that, "Hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light," (I, i, 394-395) his calling upon the forces of darkness to achieve his goal illustrates the imbalance in the conflict that rages in his soul. Iago is an individual who’s perspective of the world is dominated by his animal nature. Due to his own lack of virtue, Iago does not believe that any virtue exists at all. In his actions, he seeks to bring all around him to the same level of existence. The motive for the evil he commits is none other than to commit evil. Thus beyond all of the reason and thought that he cloaks himself in, Iago is really a character that is truly dark at his core.
"Othello"
"Othello" was written by one most influential writer in all of English
literature, William Shakespeare during his great tragic period. Othello is set
against the backdrop of the wars between Venice and Turkey that raged in the
latter part of the sixteenth century. The subject of Othello is "Love and Death",
while the theme suggests "The Incompatibility of Military Heroism & Love".
"Othello" consisted of three major characters including: Othello, Desdemona,
and Iago, each of which play a key role in the play.
Othello is the protagonist in the play "Othello".
In the Shakespear’s play “Othello” it is clear to see that the relationship between him and Desdemona is a complicated one wrought with passion and confusion which leads to emotional trauma and physical abuse. At point and times in the story of “Othello” love was transmuted different. Othello was not as gentle and kind as Desdemona when it came to his lover he a times exhibited symptoms of insanity. He also at times exhibited lack of confidence that is found in the perceived unity of marriage. This was apparent that the two lover on loves battlefield were on two opposing sides, Desdemona was honest and faithful to Othello until their tragic end.
Books related to Othello Othello - The protagonist and tragic hero of the play. A Moor commanding the armies of Venice, he is a celebrated general and heroic figure whose "free and open nature" will enable Iago to twist his love for his wife Desdemona into a powerful jealousy. Desdemona - The daughter of a Venetian Senator, and Othello's bride. The most sympathetic character in the play, she is deeply in love with her husband, and her purity contrasts strongly with Iago's wickedness. Iago - Othello's ensign, and Shakespeare's greatest villain. His public face of bravery and honesty conceals a Satanic delight in manipulation and destruction. Passed over for a promotion by his commander, he vows to destroy the Moor. Cassio - Othello's lieutenant, promoted in place of Iago. He is an inexperienced officer but an honest man, with a great concern for his good name. Emilia - Iago's wife and Desdemona's attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is deeply attached to her mistress. Roderigo - A jealous suitor of Desdemona. A vain, melodramatic fool, he follows Desdemona and Othello to Cyprus and acts as a willing tool for Iago. Bianca - A courtesan in Cyprus, and Cassio's mistress. Brabantio - Desdemona's father, and a Senator in Venice. A friend of Othello, he feels betrayed when the Moor marries his daughter in secret. Lodovico - Brabantio and Desdemona's kinsman, he acts as a messenger from Venice to Cyprus. Gratiano - Brabantio's brother. Clown - Othello's servant. Montano - The governor of Cyprus before Othello. The Duke of Venice - The official authority in Venice who presides over some scenes and events in Othello. Roderigo, meanwhile, appears as a whiner and dupe for Iago--if he is the best suitor Venice has to offer, then Desdemona's preference for Othello is understandable. As for Othello himself, we hear the racist insults of Roderigo and Iago, who refer to him as "thick-lips" (I.i.66) and "an old black ram" (I.i.88-89), so his identity as an African and an alien in Venice are firmly established. At the same time, Othello's importance in Venice is clear: he can appoint officers, converse with the chief citizens, and marry the daughter of a Senator. This is the paradox of Othello--as a heroic general, he is tremendously powerful, but as a black man in a white society, he is tremendously vulnerable. This is our first glimpse of t...
Desdemona is one of the protagonists of the play contributes to the play and also fleshes out certain aspects of characterisation mainly where Othello and Iago are concerned. Thus her relevance is highlighted consistently throughout Othello, since without her ppresence, Iago would not have succeeded in manipulating Othello, and Othello's drastic transformation would not have been made evident.