othello review

770 Words2 Pages

Shakespeare has produced an incredibly large library of work, including 38 plays and countless sonnets. His plays are divided into four main sections: the Histories, the Tragedies, the Comedies, and the Romances. Othello falls under Tragedy, as it ends with the death of numerous characters, including the principals. Shakespeare's work has been produced since the Renaissance in all artistic mediums from the original theater to opera, symphony, film, and ballet. It has also been consistently revisited countless times by the same artistic medium because it is said to be timeless.
Othello's main topics are love, murder, jealousy, miscommunication, chastity, history, and even magic. The play encompasses the classic elements of Shakespeare's tragedies, pulling in a bit of history and military strategy. It opens in Venice, a widely known city of artistic and military strength and moves to Cyprus, a small island in the Mediterranean. The majority of the play takes place in Cyprus, where the typical Shakespearean motifs of miscommunication and vengeance for disloyalty are explored. Many of Shakespeare's comedies and romances focus around this problem of communication between lovers and friends. Othello, however, takes this quandary to the tragic level, as he presents intricate plots of revenge and primitive murder on the basis of unfaithfulness.
This play attacks many serious issues, often ignored during the times. The title character is a Moor, an outsider, someone differentiated b...

Show More
Related

  • Othello and Antigone

    841 Words  | 2 Pages

    Othello, takes place in Venice during an attack of the island of Cyprus . The

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Othello and the Movie O

    1551 Words  | 4 Pages

    When Shakespeare composed the tragedy Othello televisions were not. Along with no televisions, life in the late 1500s had many different qualities than it does today. This time period had no war on drugs and no high school shootings. Peer pressure was not an issue. The audiences of Othello in the 1500s did not face the circumstances that we, American high school students, face today. With these significant differences in daily life, come the attempts of movie creators to help prevent our modern day tragedies.

    Read More

  • Othello

    789 Words  | 2 Pages

    In William Shaspeare play Othello, Iago make Othello believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. He does by taking advantage of any situation to make of Othello doubt. Iago make Othello thing a lot of crazy thing on his head, Othello got so jelous leading him to kill his own wife, Desdemona, satisfying iago obseccion for revenge.

    Read More

  • Othello: A Study of Prejudice and Power Imbalance

    928 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello” shows how a manipulative villain can create chaos within a society. The play was written around the year 1603 and takes place in Venice Italy before it is repositioned to Cyprus. This Shakespearean tragedy shows the effects of jealousy, love, desire, betrayal and passion in a society with an imbalance of power in a race, gender, and social position.

    Read More

  • Movie, O Cannot Compare to Shakespeare's Othello

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the production “O” the main character’s position in society does not truly capture the same importance as it did in Othello. The life of a war leader seems much more influential than that of a basketball star’s life in high school. The drama that comes with being on the high school basketball team lacks the responsibility that Othello has. Othello has a well-known reputation for being able to handle himself in many situations emotionally and physically, which may be the reason the Duke of Venice chose him individually to lead the war in the foreign land of Cyprus. This being such a huge obligation for Othello, it created tension for the audience, especially one at the time of this plays creation. As the war breaks out between Venice and Turkey, things seem to be extremely tense within the characters, especially, Othello. Between the defeat of the Turkish and Cassio’s drunken fight, the recently captured Island of Cyprus and the venetians look overwhelmed with a lot of explosive emotions. Othello’s responsibility in the war creates an easy way for the audience to emphasize with the pressures his character faces.

    Read More

  • Othello Analysis

    2032 Words  | 5 Pages

    The European Renaissance forever changed the life of the contemporary individual. Explosive advancements in education, technology, and trade broadened geographic and mental horizons; however, in England these developments were paired with population crises of poverty and unemployment. In addition, the increased interaction with foreign cultures fomented by various commercial and diplomatic engagements gave rise to apprehension in English sensibility. Eventually, Christian England would attempt to reshape these ‘strangers’ in their image and modern racial tensions sprung forth. Recursion of the trope of race, under the guise of blackness, heathenry, or even femininity occurs extensively in literary tradition, and especially within Shakespeare’s oeuvre. “There exists in all literature an archetypal figure who escapes both poles of the classic definition – appearing sometimes as hero, sometimes as villain, sometimes as clown…[he] has been named variously the ‘shadow,’ the ‘other,’ the ‘alien,’ the ‘outsider,’ the ‘stranger.’” It is with this borderline figure, mired in ambiguity, that this investigation is concerned: primarily with the stranger as the Moor in Othello, the Welsh in Henry IV, Part 1, and the woman in both.

    Read More

  • Othello is Not a Tragic Hero

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    Othello has been described as one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays because the play focuses on its themes of good and evil, military, politics, love and marriage, religion, racial prejudice, gender conflict, and sexuality; but the controversy and debate surrounding Othello is “Why is Othello a qualification for a tragedy?”

    Read More

  • Othello, The Moor of Venice

    1326 Words  | 3 Pages

    Othello, the Moor of Venice is one of the major tragedies written by William Shakespeare that follows the main character, Othello through his trials and tribulations. Othello, the Moor of Venice is similar to William Shakespeare’s other tragedies and follows a set of specific rules of drama. The requirements include, following the definition of a tragedy, definition of tragic hero, containing a reversal of fortune, and a descent from happiness. William Shakespeare fulfills Aristotle’s requirements in this famous play. Aristotle, the famous philosopher, outlined several requirements in which a play or piece of drama is to follow.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Othello

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Othello

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Act three, Scene three, Desdemona agrees to speak to Othello in Cassio’s behalf) As Desdemona and Cassio discuss Cassio’s loss of rank and trust in Othello’s eyes. Iago brings to Othello’s attention the discussion taking place between Cassio and Desdemona. Iago knowing full well why the discussion is happening. Iago hints the pair seems to be spending a lot of time together. Iago plants the seed of doubt in Othello’s mind Othello begins to ponder the idea of whether Iago suspicions are true.

    Read More

  • Holding The Attention Of The Audience In Othello

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    The plot of a play is defined by Aristotle to be "the arrangement of incidents," and it is therefore logical that the events of Othello perform an integral part in sustaining the interest of the audience. Shakespeare was clearly well aware of the importance of a good script and captivating plot, as the tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, features twists, turns and revelations, each grasping and holding the attention of the audience. For example, within only one scene of the tragedy, Act IV Scene I, the readers and viewers of Othello witness Othello's emotional breakdown, the continued manipulation of characters by Iago and the arrival of Lodovico to Cyprus. The intriguing plot maintains it's momentum throughout the play, never giving the audience a chance to focus their attention elsewhere, and thus holding their interest until the final line.

    Read More

  • Free College Essays - The Tragic and Serious Othello

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    Othello, a play by William Shakespeare, takes place in Venice during the invasion of the island of Cyprus by the Turks. The protagonist of the story, Othello, is a newlywed, Moorish general with a very gullible nature. The antagonist of the story is Iago, an officer under Othello who wishes to be promoted to lieutenant, but the position was given to the young and attractive Cassio. Other major characters in the play are Desdemona, Othello's wife who is accused of having an affair with Cassio. In addition, there are Roderigo, a Venetian who is deeply in love with Desdemona; and Emilia (Iago's wife) who could have prevented the death of Desdemona.

    Read More

  • Othello’s Physical and Psychological Journeys

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    Othello is the tragedy, and, incidentally, the name of a Moor who serves as a general in the Italian military. He spends the first act of Shakespeare’s play in Venice, but is ordered shortly to Cyprus to fight the Turkish invasion. His journey isn’t officially noticeable at all in the play. One moment he’s defending himself in the Senate of Venice, the next he’s in Cyprus, taking credit for being victorious in a battle the storms fought for him against the Turks. The story unravels from there. His soon-to-be-lieutenant, Iago, whispers in his ear about his wife, Desdemona, and the unforgivable crime of adultery, throwing Othello’s orderly world to the winds of fate.

    Read More

  • othello

    578 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Othello The Moore Of Venice Essay

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    The tragedy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. As it hath beene diuerse times acted at the Globe, and at the Black-Friars, by his Majesties servants. Written by William Shakespeare set in Venice. The plot is based on a story about two people who love each other dearly and the problems and conflicts they face from the start. The conflicts are, for the most part, tied in with racial issues and questions of loyalty.

    Read More

More about othello review

Open Document