It is speculated that throughout Shakespeare's life he wrote an estimated thirty seven plays that have been discovered; while most of his plays were considered comedies, Shakespeare also wrote a great number of tragedies that are still being performed today and considered some of the greatest plays of all time. Among the many plays in this category, Othello is one of the tragedies written by Shakespeare that is considered a classic and is still performed by professionals today. This play was written in 1604 by Shakespeare but is said to be an adaptation of a play written in 1565 by Giovanni Battista Giraldi. Shakespeare's rendition of this play is titled Othello and mentions many of the same players of the Giovanni’s original. Similarities
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Subsequently, the plays are extremely similar but, in the end, are simply different ways of telling the same story. Nevertheless, Shakespeare's version of this tale conveys a message of jealousy and deception that is brought upon by one man's thirst for power that ultimately leads to the murder suicide of two of the play's main characters. Iago’s deceit also causes a circle of lies that affects Othello, Cassio, Roderigo and even his wife Emilia. Not only does the play exhibit blatant emotions portrayed by every character but this play also hints at subtle nuances of hidden treachery provided by the antagonist, that lead to the play's conclusion. Accordingly, this can lead to some confusion as to whom the play's protagonist could be. As this may be a difficult problem to solve there are many resources and examples that will be presented to explain whom is the protagonist of Othello. In the play, there is mention of two characters, Iago and Othello, who can both be considered the protagonist of this play due to their frequent appearances and verbiage throughout the …show more content…
His choice to make the title of this play Othello is a clear indicator that Shakespeare wanted Othello to be perceived as the protagonist of this play. Another key indicator of Othello being the protagonist is how he is the main target of everyone's spite, especially Iago. Examples would be the way Iago poisons Othello's mind and taints the trust that Othello has towards everyone in the play. Moreover, Othello is presented with or is a part of every conflict within the story, either coming from within himself or being brought on by another character. Additionally, conflicts that stem from within Othello only arise after Othello witnesses the conversation between Cassio and Desdemona. This is because Othello still partly believes Desdemona is faithful and only until Othello witnesses this conversation does he begin to believe Iago’s lies. Similarly, conflicts arising from other characters all come from Iago’s malicious remarks and manipulation of every character's weaknesses. While these reason may not directly provide proof of Othello being the protagonist, the reasons that point Iago as the antagonist are more evident and help identify Othello as the main
Subsequently, the plays are extremely similar but, in the end, are simply different ways of telling the same story. Nevertheless, Shakespeare's version of this tale conveys a message of jealousy and deception that is brought upon by one man's thirst for power that ultimately leads to the murder suicide of two of the play's main characters. Iago’s deceit also causes a circle of lies that affects Othello, Cassio, Roderigo and even his wife Emilia. Not only does the play exhibit blatant emotions portrayed by every character but this play also hints at subtle nuances of hidden treachery provided by the antagonist, that lead to the play's conclusion. Accordingly, this can lead to some confusion as to whom the play's protagonist could be. As this may be a difficult problem to solve there are many resources and examples that will be presented to explain whom is the protagonist of Othello. In the play, there is mention of two characters, Iago and Othello, who can both be considered the protagonist of this play due to their frequent appearances and verbiage throughout the …show more content…
His choice to make the title of this play Othello is a clear indicator that Shakespeare wanted Othello to be perceived as the protagonist of this play. Another key indicator of Othello being the protagonist is how he is the main target of everyone's spite, especially Iago. Examples would be the way Iago poisons Othello's mind and taints the trust that Othello has towards everyone in the play. Moreover, Othello is presented with or is a part of every conflict within the story, either coming from within himself or being brought on by another character. Additionally, conflicts that stem from within Othello only arise after Othello witnesses the conversation between Cassio and Desdemona. This is because Othello still partly believes Desdemona is faithful and only until Othello witnesses this conversation does he begin to believe Iago’s lies. Similarly, conflicts arising from other characters all come from Iago’s malicious remarks and manipulation of every character's weaknesses. While these reason may not directly provide proof of Othello being the protagonist, the reasons that point Iago as the antagonist are more evident and help identify Othello as the main