To really understand a piece of literature is to know the cultural and contextual elements of it. Particularly in this case, with a book like Othello, it is important to be able to clearly understand background details. To begin with, place and time had a significant sized part in the work. The beliefs and culture from back in the time period of Othello completely differ from nowadays. This makes it so much more interesting to look into and read.…
A telltale sign of a good story is when one can identify and relate with the characters. Shakespeare is known as one of the absolute best at creating flawed characters that are still worth caring for. It’s difficult to connect with real people and fictional characters alike when they present themselves as flawless, because human beings aren’t perfect and they relate and bond over these imperfections. One of Shakespeare’s greatest yet most troubled characters is Othello; a courageous man, blind to his own detriments,who that has worked for everything he has despite imposing circumstances. Othello is an extremely complex individual whose personality traits coincide remarkably well with those of world-renowned rapper and fashion designer Kanye…
One important moment occurs when Othello faints due to jealousy in Act 4 Scene 1. While this incident does not have direct consequences, it reveals important information about Othello’s state of mind. Iago has successfully manipulated Othello’s emotions through lies and careful language, such that Othello has collapsed due to emotional distress. He is quite a contrast with the calm and reasonable man who, at the beginning of the story, was confident in the stability of his marriage.…
Shakespeare’s use of ambiguity causes Othello’s climax to be ambiguous. The protagonist determines what the climax is, which is debatable because either Othello or Iago can be the protagonist. Although there is ambiguity regarding the climax, Shakespeare provides salient evidence for the climax. When Iago is the protagonist, he manipulates Othello until he finally causes Othello’s catastrophe.…
Othello’s self-perception changes throughout the play,…
From start to finish Iago moves the characters of Othello as though they were chessmen. He utilizes their individual goals and interests to spur them to whatever insidious arrangement he wants. His dexterous control of those characters go from persuading Roderigo to serve Cassio another glass of wine, to driving Othello to the conclusion that lone by slaughtering Desdemona might he be able to spare himself and humanity from her slippery demonstrations of treachery. In any case, for every situation Iago doesn?t need to push hard on the grounds that his proposed activities either appear to be innocuous resolutions to each character?s burdens or exploit character blemishes. For every situation, since he doesn 't need to push hard, he can keep…
In Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the title character is a 16th century Moorish general of the Venetian army who, because of the cultural and historical background of the play’s setting, the playwright, and the original intended audience, is portrayed as both well-respected for his stereotypical military prowess and disparaged for his race. Similarly, because of Othello ability to fulfill the desires of the Venetian people they loved and adored him. It was not until they gained perspective into who Othello was, a Moorish man, that they hated the color of his skin but loved the content of his character. African American men in today’s American society are both praised for (physical superiority) and hated for the thuggish image that many people…
Othello, by Sir William Shakespeare, is a play about a black moor, Othello, who marries Desdemona, the daughter of a Senator. This play contains various themes such as racism, love, betrayal, revenge, and gender. Shakespeare defies gender norms of the Renaissance by portraying Desdemona as a woman who does not conform to female expectations of the Renaissance. In this sense, the Renaissance ideals of femininity were submissiveness, piety, patience, silence, and chastity. This rebelliousness against heteronormativity is what eventually causes Desdemona’s death.…
Iago's Manipulation of Characters in William Shakespeare's Othello Introduction The play 'Othello' was created by William Shakespeare. Othello is a tale set in Venice at the time when adultery was a hanging offence. It…
Curtis Karner Mrs Markovich ENG3U In the play Othello by William Shakespeare the theme of betrayal has an effect on many of the plays characters. Othello and Rodrigo both endure a crippling betrayal at the hands of the sinister Iago. Iago betrays his General Othello by trying to ruin his relationship with Desdemona through a series of devious acts designed to get revenge on Othello for not promoting him to Lieutenant. Iago betrays his friend Rodrigo by using his deep lust for Desdemona against him, he uses Rodrigo’s stubbornness to manipulate and ultimately betray him.…
The creation of the relationships between husband and wife or a mistress and a man show how a man and sex can give a woman more power. Also, Shakespeare stresses the significance of a man’s reputation. Iff their reputation can be questioned, the man feels defeated and does drastic things to prevent embarrassment. This is evident in the play when Othello believes his reputation is shattered because he gets cheated on, and he feels he needs to give up his position as a soldier and kill his wife for betraying him. Also, during this time, men believe their woman should do whatever they ask of them, and submit to them, and women believe it is their duty to do so.…
Trust, such innocence and beautiful word that could connect each other, can become anybody nightmare if it falls into the wrong hand. People, sometimes, put their trust on something that they can't even prove or at least try to understand. Othello in the tragedy Othello by William Shakespeare also made such mistake. He chose friendship over love just because of Iago always honest. He had put his faith in Iago's hand instead of believing in his love.…
The theme of identity in Othello is brought up by the way certain circumstances shape a certain identity. In this essay I will explore the female identity, the racial identity, the military identity and the manipulated identity and how it evokes certain actions or response. The supposed female identity has been decided by the men of the society, as seen by the outright proclamation of what Iago believes to be the proper, perfect woman. In 2.1, Iago not only uses repetition of the word “never”, the choice of diction of such an absolute word like “never” reflects that all these criteria of women was what was assumed by the society to be obvious and completely correct, that the conduct of women to be “never proud”, “never loud”, “never gay”, is something that has been established and should be abided by.…
Shakespeare takes advantage of the importance placed on the word cuckold, as he uses it in many of his plays such as Othello. Othello’s pride is attacked and he feels as though he must make up for his “lost” pride. He is made to feel like less of a man for the lies he is being fed and therefore transforms…
In many literary masterpieces ‘Outsiders’ are projected as alien characters evoking the curiosity and inquisitiveness of their audience and reader. These mysterious characters are often marginalised from the mainstream society as a result of social prejudice, isolation and their true tragic heroic character. As Othello, Gatsby and Heathcliff are victims, they successfully provide a close insight into the anxieties and conflicts of society in their day by introducing the social stigmas an outsider would have been exposed to in their contemporary times. Othello’s character is a reflection of those victims who in retrospect have tolerated constant racial discrinimation resulting in instability and homicide around the character. Whereas in Brontë…