Otello Aslam

Othello

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves” as Victor Frankl once explained, that it is our environment that makes us who we are. And if we don't like who we have become, than we have to change ourselves to change the environment we are in. In Shakespeare's Othello, the order and disorder of the setting parallels the order and disorder of Iago's character.

The story begins in Venice where Iago's character is parallel to the setting that is “orderly [and] law-binding”, of the city where the society is peaceful. Iago's charter reflects the current setting, since Iago has not yet caused any problems. He is acting orderly, like when he did not get the promotion, Iago simply said “there’s no remedy” (). Which develops his character as a peaceful person,because he simply accepted Othello's decision and dose not fight back or go against it. Thus reflecting the setting, because just like the setting Iago is acting orderly and peaceful. Not only did Iago not fight back when he did not receive the promotion, he also questioned himself “weather I in any.. term am affined to love [the] Moor” (1.1.40). By Iago questioning himself, it shows that Iago is being civil, because he is not attacking Othello, or hating Othello right away for not promoting him. Instead he is making a decision through thinking logically weather or not he likes Othello. So like the orderly setting of Venice, Iago’s character is the same because by thickening through the options you have before making a decision represents order since the decision will have reason behind it. Furthermore, Iago not only thought through his decisions while in the tranquil city of Venice, but he also provided security for Ro...

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...arter thorough violence when “[h]e stabs Rodrigo” (5.1.61). Thus Iago’s character reflects the setting, since anger leads to violence because both anger and violence are directly related to each other. Also because it is our anger that causes us to become over passionate which causes us not to behave in order, casing us to commit violent acts . In short the new chaotic and tense,setting parallels with Iago’s character. Since Iago, stirs conflict between people, murders Rodrigo which reflects both a chaotic and tense environment.

Altogether, in the story Othello, as the setting changed from orderly, to unpleasant, and to chaotic, Iago's character reflected the setting each time. As his character also changed through the story, from being orderly in Venice to finally becoming violent in Cyprus. Thus Iago’s character is parallel with the setting.