Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
this that you call love? sexual and social tragedy in othello
Critical Comment On The Character Of Othello And Iago
Critical Comment On The Character Of Othello And Iago
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The plot pushes forward into the joyful and innocent love between Emilia and Iago. Even though their relationship is not mentioned enough as that of Othello and Desdemona, a reader can definitely interpret the psychological aspects of both relationships. Desdemona is one who would never consider cheating or being unfaithful towards Othello. Emilia however states it as a “ ...a great price. For a small vice.” Emilia has a different view of men: “They are all but stomachs, and we are all but food; To eat us hungerly, and when they are full, They belch us.” Iago’s views on love are motivated by extrinsic needs. He would much rather choose forbidden love over sacred love. He denounces true love in all its forms, he does not understand why Desdemona would truly want to love a black man. Iago's view on love is, “...merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will.” Iago’s cynical attituide and personality is such he will never experience what true love really is. In the end both Othello and Iago kill their wives. Othello is loses sight of imself and takes his own life. Iago reacts in childish manner and flees the scene in the play. Iago and Othello have been used to uncover the theme of love itself in Shakespeares play.
There was also another theme in Shakespeare's Othello, the concept of illusion. Through Iago's masterful deceptiveness Othello was tricked. Cassio and Desdomona will be used as the scapegoats to explore this theme of illusion. Iago begins to corrupt Othello in Act 3, asking Iago: “Think’st thou I’d make a life of jealousy, To follow the still changes of the moon with fresh suspicions?” just a few lines later he also says “I saw’t not, thought it not, it harmed not me.”, Othello becomes suspicious of Desdemona....
... middle of paper ...
...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.
Picture this- William Harold Shakespeare, the most coveted playwriter in the history of the world, sitting at his desk, perspicaciously pondering over what shall become his most prominant and delicated tragedy of yet. Of course, given what little is known about Shakespeere displays, such deepseated imagery cannot simply be accomplished without first the propriety of haste and vinction.And yet, his very own rhetorical vibe displays allows such a vague pictoration to be concieved. Throughout the whole of Othello, the great Shakespeare remarks through an astounding displays show of pronouns, allitteration, and cacophonous diction his own resentment of both the King of Italy and the poor conditions of the said novelist.
Dual Nature of Characters in Othello Many of the characters in Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello, are duplicitous to the extent that how. they are perceived in public is not how they behave in private. The perception of the public plays.
Othello and Iago are diverse in their characters and in their colors. It could be said additionally, notwithstanding, that they are comparative because of their untrustworthiness. Iago is overcome with his longing for vengeance to such a degree that he places it vigorously. Othello 's adoration and possessiveness of Desdemona assume control him until he in the long run would rather murder her than permit any other person to have her. In this way, despite their differentiations, Iago and Othello both speak to the furthest point of the same thing - human emotion.
Othello, a play by William Shakespeare, tells the tragic tale of the black Venetian general, Othello, and how he is manipulated by his ambitious friend, Iago. Iago becomes angry at Othello when he promotes Michael Cassio rather than Iago to the lieutenancy. Iago then schemes a plot to take down Othello. Iago uses Desdemona, Othello’s new wife, to take down the great general. He leads Othello to considering that his wife is cheating on him with Michael Cassio. This causes Othello to become suspicious and eventually drives Othello into killing Desdemona. In the end, Othello learns that his wife was faithful, and Iago had lied to him. This upsets Othello and causes him to also kill himself. Iago’s many motives are never revealed to the audience or the characters as in the last scene he states, “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word.” (Othello. Act 5 Scene 2: 355-356). In the play Othello, Iago is the master manipulator that formulates devious plots against the characters of Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello by using their desires to his advantage to reveal their underlying weaknesses.
Before coming directly to the forming of the love-theme that differentiates Othello from other Shakespeare plays that utilize the same theme, I turn arbitrarily to Iago to inspect a distinguishing mark of his of which the relevance to thematic form in the play will appear a little later. When Iago with unperceived scoffing reminds Roderigo, who is drawn with merciless attraction to the unreachable Desdemona, that love effects an unwonted nobility in men, he states a doctrine which he “knows” is true but in which he may not “believe.” Ennoblement by love is a real possibility in men, but Iago has to view it with bitterness and to try to undermine it. (333-34)
In the play Othello (1603) by William Shakespeare, love and hate are two most critical far-reaching themes expressed throughout the play. There is no doubt that whether Othello loves Desdemona during the initial parts of the play and hence they get married. Then as the play progresses, Iago, the villain in the play manipulates Othello, by gaining his trust and injects him with the poisonous seeds of hate and jealousy. Thus, the great love between the couple fades away as hatred, jealously and revenge takes over Othello – which only ends after he murders his wife. Iago’s character was very diabolical from the very beginning of the play and it can be analyzed that Iago’s motivation for wrecking Othello’s happiness and his life arises solely from hatred. But, the real question that we need to focus, is that on whether Iago loved Othello at the same time? Can Iago’s evil actions be compromised if he wished that if he couldn’t be with Othello; Othello shouldn’t be with anyone - even if it included destroying
Shakespearian tales always leave us with a plethora to ponder about the Elizabethan age and Shakespeare himself. “Othello” is no break in this mold, leaving us to ponder the roll of Iago within the harsh tale of love and murder. Iago is the one to tell Othello of his wife’s betrayal with Cassio, hence making up a story that will work to his favor yet betray those around him. Iago betrays his wife, Emilia, but not only her as he drags Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio into the mix of lies and the hatred he is spreading to improve his rank with Othello. But were Iago’s acts unjust and done for the sake of it? Is he a heartless man who’s only happiness is to bring sorrow upon others? No, Iago has a just reason for what he does, even though he causes the deaths of Cassio, Emilia, and Desdemona in his search for revenge; Iago is not a heartless fiend, just a man wronged.
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 many instances, Emilia and Iago’s relationship serves as a reflection of the misogyny of the play and the time period in which it was written. Throughout the play, the conduct of Iago and the rest of the male characters suggest they hold relatively strong antifeminist beliefs. Iago is especially expressive in his discrimination, frequently condemning the entirety of the gender as weak, useless, and sexually indiscriminate. Both an expectation that women should remain chaste and a fear of their deviation from this societal standard are prevalent and trouble various male characters. Iago is particularly concerned with these issues and accuses Emilia of having not one, but two, affairs. In his soliloquy he arraigns “…it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sheets / [Othello] has done my office,” or that everyone thinks Emilia and Othello are having an affair (1.3.387-88). It’s fairly evident that he has l...
“I asked her to wear something revealing, so she showed up in a prophet's toga.”(CITE) Jarod Kintz’s words are an example of miscommunication, or failure to comprehend meaning. In this case, it is implied that one person misunderstood the message of another, but incomprehension also applies to problems other than falsely interpreted requests. Incomprehension can occur when people misinterpret another’s words or intentions, or when a person misreads situations or events. The outcome described in Kintz’s quote is unexpected and unintended, but there are instances of incomprehension that have consequences of greater severity. Perhaps a classic tragedy with a high body count falls under these parameters.
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare’s Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55)
Shakespeare develops the character Iago into an instigator and evil man. Iago attempts and succeeds to convince Othello that his wife has had an affair with his friend Cassio. We see Iago beginning his plans at the very start of the play. “But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at, I am not what I am.”(Oth 1:1:64-65) He immediately tries to start trouble with Brabantio and Othello over the marriage to Desdemona. Iago want to get in Othello’s way because he was passed over for general and Cassio was chosen instead. We see from the start how he plots against Othello and he involves several characters in his plans. “And what’s he then that says I play the villain? When this advice is free. I give and honest, probal to thinking, and indeed the course to win the Moor again? For tis easy Th’ inclining Desdemona to subdue in any honest suit; she’s framed as fruitful…”(2:3:295-300).
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55)
The tragedy of Othello, written by William Shakespeare, presents the main character Othello, as a respectable, honorable, and dignified man, but because of his insecurities and good nature, he is easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his peers and alleged friends. The dynamic of Othello’s character significantly changes throughout the play. The contrast is most pronounced from the beginning of the play to its conclusion, switching from being calm and peaceful to acts of uncontrolled venomous rage. Othello’s motivation in the play appears to be his love and concern for his wife Desdemona, which ironically, ends up being his downfall in the end.
Shakespeare’s Othello consists of the themes betrayal, love and dishonesty. At the centre of this play is the tragic downfall of Othello at the hands of his so called friend Iago. In this essay I will be discussing the reasons for and against Othello being responsible for his downfall through looking at critical interpretations of his character and actions.