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Brief analysis of OTHELLO
The language, style and the use of symbolism in Othello
Brief analysis of OTHELLO
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The presence of certain literary elements creates a more dramatic and realistic image for the readers throughout the piece. William Shakespeare included literary elements in The Tragedy of Othello to bring the story line to life. Throughout the tragedy, Shakespeare used the elements of theme, dramatic irony, and symbolism along with many others. These three literary elements are significant because they help readers fully understand the complexity of the plot. The theme of jealousy, the dramatic irony, and the symbolism throughout the tragedy create the thrilling atmosphere readers experience.
The theme of Jealousy is apparent throughout the tragedy. From the beginning, Iago is jealous of Cassio because Othello promoted Cassio to lieutenant
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Shakespeare did just that throughout The Tragedy of Othello by keeping the readers informed of Iago’s plan. No one but Iago, Rodrigo, and the readers know about the plan that is taking place. The readers know that Desdemona did not commit adultery and that she and Cassio are innocent. However, it is suspenseful because Othello does not find out that his wife is innocent until the end of the tragedy. Othello also does not know that Iago is a villain until the end, therefore Iago is able to build up Othello’s trust. Othello shows his trust for Iago by telling Cassio, “Iago is most honest,” which is ironic within itself because the readers know that Iago is deceiving Othello (pg 1482, line 7). The irony that the readers know everything while the protagonist does not is what keeps the plot line so …show more content…
When Othello first gives Desdemona the handkerchief as a gift it symbolizes his love for her. Emilia explains that the handkerchief was Desdemona’s, “first remembrance from the Moor” and that she always keeps it with her. The symbol changed drastically when Iago takes the handkerchief from his wife Emilia, who was Desdemona’s close friend and maid. When Iago gets the handkerchief he leaves it with Cassio so that Othello will find it. Iago knows that once Othello see Bianca, Cassio’s love interest, with the handkerchief he will believe that Desdemona gave it to Cassio and that they committed adultery. The handkerchief then becomes a symbol of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness to her husband. Othello becomes furious and says, “let her rot, and perish, and be damned tonight; for she shall not live,” which shows the change in the symbol of the handkerchief as well as Othello’s feelings for Desdemona (pg 1516, line 166). The handkerchief is significant because without it, Iago would not have been able to provide proof of Desdemona and Cassio’s
...demona’s handkerchief was the main object and symbol that was known for betrayal. In result, Iago had been the primary reason why we experience betrayal in the play. Due to Othello giving away the handkerchief was a sign for his affection to his beloved wife. In addition, it then moves from person onto the next person which was caused by Iago. Once Othello becomes jealous it makes it act on as an illusion since Desdemona. She had been faithful the entire time during their marriage and thinks that she has been cheating on him. The people Iago had betrayed with this handkerchief were: Othello, Emila, Cassio, and Desdemona. Furthermore, it was intended to have significance as a symbol of sacred trust. It was known as the “pledge of love” to Desdemona.
Iago talks about jealousy and deception in this same scene, but never gives any proof or direct descriptions of Desdemona's betrayal. Yet we know that Othello's perception has been sufficiently influenced to make him angry and sick by the end of this conversation. He tells Desdemona he has a headache, but he refuses any help from her. When she puts her handkerchief to his head, he pushes it away saying, "your napkin is too little" (3.3.285). This takes on more significance later on in the play when we find out that this handkerchief is the first token of love Othello ever gave to Desdemona.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s Othello, many different archetypes that commonly associate with readers are found all throughout the story. These different archetypes include situational, character, and symbolic types. A common situational concept in Othello is the unhealable wound represented by the character Othello, the character archetype being the scapegoat represented by Cassio, and the symbolic archetype being the handkerchief Othello gives to Desdemona which represents trickery and deceit.
In Othello, the jealousy factor is deliberately introduced by Iago, with the precise intention of destroying those whom he feels have wronged him. Since it is intentionally used with malicious intent, it has catastrophic results. Iago himself is jealous of Cassio; he feels that he should have been appointed to Cassio's position by Othello, and since he wasn't he hates both Othello and Cassio. Iago channels the jealousy that Othello and Cassio have made him feel, and uses it against them in a hateful plan. Iago starts the process by planting the seeds of jealousy in Othello's mind, telling him Desdemona has been unfaithful. He then proceeds to cultivate the growing jealousy by feeding it with more lies, and twisting innocent events into situations which would serve his needs (his telling Othello that Cassio and Desdemona met in secret, and convincing him that Desdemona vied for Cassio's reinstatement as lieutenant because she loved him, for example). When the seeds had flourished, and Iago had succeeded in driving Othello mad with jealousy, Iago harvested his crop and convinced Othello to kill Desdemona. Othello's killing Desdemona would both rid Iago of Desde...
Texts and their appropriations reflect the context and values of their times. Within Shakespeare’s Othello and Geoffrey Sax’s appropriation of Othello, the evolution of the attitudes held by Elizabethan audiences and those held by contemporary audiences can be seen through the context of the female coupled with the context of racism. The role of the female has developed from being submissive and “obedient” in the Elizabethan era to being independent and liberated within the contemporary setting. The racism of the first text is overtly xenophobic and natural, whilst the “moor” is unnatural whereas the updated context portrays Othello’s race as natural and racism as unnatural. Therefore these examples show how Shakespeare’s Othello, and it’s appropriation, Geoffrey sax’s Othello, reflect the context and values of their times.
The play “Othello” by William Shakespeare was written in 1604 during the Elizabeth era. Othello is one of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s dramas. He enjoyed unheralded success in the combat zone, which gave him the reputation as one of Venice’s most competent generals. Even though he has great success in the battlefield, he has a dramatic flaw that causes a downfall in his life. The dramatic flaw that causes his downfall is jealousy. This was brought on by a simple persuasion of Iago, the evil character in the play. Even though Iago used extreme manipulation to get Othello to be jealous, Iago did not really have to try very hard to get Othello in a jealous state of mind. Othello was blinded by his jealousy which led him down a path of constant questioning of his wife and his friend Cassio. Throughout the play we see his dramatic flaw sink him deeper and deeper into a cloud of doubt which eventually leads him to kill not only his love of his life but also himself.
Jealousy’s true destructive wrath and the pure evil it brings out in people can be revealed through Iago’s actions throughout the tragedy Othello. Throughout the play, jealousy is a ruler over Iago’s thoughts and actions, influencing the way he feels about himself. Iago’s jealousy is exhibited while speaking with Roderigo “One Michael Cassio, a Florentine/ (A fellow almost damned in a fair wife)/ That never set a squadron in the field, / Nor the division of a battle knows/ More than a spinster—unless the bookish theoric, / Wherein the toged consuls can propose/ As masterly as he.
Continuing Act three, Scene three, Othello feels the beginning of a headache. Desdemona offers Othello a handkerchief to ease the pain upon Othello’s forehead. The handkerchief is a gift from Othello to Desdemona as a symbol of the love shared by Othello and Desdemona. In Othello’s pain the handkerchief falls from Othello’s hand and Emilia steals the handkerchief. Iago uses the characters of the play as pawns, including wife Emilia. Jealousy is the fuel and the handkerchief is the spark. With the handkerchief in Iago’s possession, Iago can continue to spin the web of lies and deceit. Iago plans to leave the handkerchief in Cassio’s lodgings to further support the suspicion of Desdemona’s infidelity.
of being an honest man. Iago knew that an important man like Othello couldn’t ignore. the possibility that his wife was cheating on him. Nobody suspects that Iago is a deceitful man and would plot and plan to destroy Othello, Cassio and Desdemona in such a way. cunning way to go.
The Tragedy of Othello William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, from the sixteenth century is an excellent example of Renaissance humanism. “A poet of unparalleled genius, Shakespeare emerged during the golden age of England under the rule of Elizabeth I.”(Fiero 3:98) He produced comedies, tragedies, romances and histories. According to Webster’s pocket dictionary, a tragedy is defined as a form of drama in which the protagonist comes to a disaster, as through a flaw in character, and in which the ending is usually marked by pity or sorrow. I would like to concentrate on the character Iago and the theme of deceit.
William Shakespeare masterfully crafted Othello, the Moor of Venice as an Aristotelian tragedy play. The main protagonist of the play, Othello, is the perfect example of a tragic hero. Shakespeare was influenced by Aristotle’s concept of a tragic hero and used Aristotle’s principles to create Othello. William Shakespeare attempted to create an Aristotelian tragedy play with a tragic hero and succeeded in Othello, the Moor of Venice by weaving in pity and fear into each line and action. The power of pity and fear creates the upmost tragic situation and follows in accordance of Aristotle’s definition of tragedy. Othello makes the ultimate act as a tragic hero by killing himself at the end of the play. “Othello, more than any play in the canon, has a fascinating and contentious performance and reception history,”
Already there is a high importance to the handkerchief in the start of the story. This being due to the fact that it originally came from Othello’s mother. The reason it is also seem to be placed on a pedestal is because it is believed by Othello to possess magical powers. He had been told that it was woven by a 200-year-old sibyl also known as an Egyptian charmer. The process was done by using the silk from sacred worms, and the dye from mummified virgin hearts. Later being given to his mother; who he claims used it to keep his father from being unfaithful to her. This further illustrates Othello’s fixed perspective of the handkerchief, and the value of fidelity that it holds within it. When he presents Desdemona with the handkerchief, he expects nothing but love and faithfulness in return. The handkerchief, as mentioned, does give a variety of meanings to each of the characters as it falls into each of their hands throughout the entire story. So for Desdemona, the strawberry embroidered handkerchief, means nothing but Oth...
This quote by Iago is significant for its accurate description of jealousy. The destructiveness of the monster is self-created and “feeds on” Othello’s heart. Simultaneously, Othello feels guilty for being jealous of Cassio (without a concrete reason) and that shame that builds up in Othello will eventually be unleashed in the form of anger. Without having to doing much Iago, must wait as the insatiab...
Within the play Othello, Emilia’s faulty decision to concede Desdemona’s handkerchief to her husband Iago cements the fate of Othello, Desdemona, and Roderigo as it is the final object of proof that the three require to take action against their perceived offenders. Although Emilia made frequent claims to know the true nature of men, and teased Desdemona’s naivete regarding her husband, Emilia submissively chooses to turn over the handkerchief to her husband once he has demanded it without a true explanation for why he wants it. She is aware of the torment that it’s loss will cause her mistress, since it is a valued possession, but she underestimates importance and the impact it could have with the couple. Once Othello believes that Desdemona
My first thought after careful review of the play and on the subject of jealousy is Iago is a monster. From what I gathered Iago’s only issue was Othello had passed him over for a promotion (Act 1.1, 8-14). Iago then was set to end Othello because of jealousy of being passed over on the promotion. Not only did Iago plan to destroy just Othello, but also the person whom he promoted over him Cassio.