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Brief analysis of OTHELLO
Critical Comment On The Character Of Othello And Iago
Othello's tragic flaws
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Recommended: Brief analysis of OTHELLO
Shakespeare’s play Othello is often criticized as being one of the most limited and bland of his great tragedies. This is most often the case because the character of Othello is often seen as flat and one dimensional, not a true tragic hero. We see his actions as predictable, his blind loyalty to Iago as foolish, and his mistrust of Desdemona unwarranted. I feel that it is very easy to fall into this trap as readers because we have the whole picture of what is going on, we see everything and we are distanced from the events. We have no stake in the outcome of the play, we will not lose anything over one outcome or another. Othello and the other characters are right in the midst of these events with a limited view of what is happening and …show more content…
In the tradition of the Shakespearean tragedy the ultimate punishment is death. This is the point where Othello appears to fall short. Many readers of the play feel Othello got what he deserved and this undermines the tragic nature of what happens. The source of most of the audiences animosity towards Othello is the fact that he kill Desdemona. As readers we know that Desdemona is almost laughably innocent and we want to dislike anyone that would dare harm such a pure heart. This fact however makes events even more tragic because she would have forgiven Othello had he chosen not to murder her. Another source of animosity is the fact that Othello is seen as jealous, and as Bradley point out “Jealousy, especially sexual jealousy, brings with it a sense of shame and humiliation” (Bradley, Lect. 5, 178). We like to think that we are above jealousy, especially sexual jealousy because such emotions seem petty and unwarranted. As people we like to be in control of ourselves, but jealousy is something we cannot control, something that just happens to us. Othello’s jealousy makes him seem to be a monster who strikes down a pure, fair maiden. It is this characterization, often associated with the villains, that make us dislike Othello and forget it was really Iago who brought out this dark side of
Northrop Frye once said, “Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divisive lightning.” Othello is the pillar of tragic heros, first playing the part of a loving husband with a beautiful wife, then being manipulated into believing his wife was cheating on him and killing her. Throughout the play, he played the part of the protagonist, everyone hoping he would figure out Iago was lying to him. Othello being the protagonist made the fact he was also a villain bittersweet. His apparent love for his wife Desdemona, his ‘just’ reasoning for killing her, and Iago’s deserving end all contribute to the tragic work as a whole.
Snyder, Susan. “Othello: A Modern Perspective.” Shakespeare: Othello. Eds. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.
In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, the character Othello is portrayed as a fairly good man. By some, he may be known as a bad person, but he has become greatly beneficial to the growth of Venice and the state of Cyprus. Othello is a good man even if he committed murder to his wife because he was a great war general and contributed to Cyprus in time of need. While Othello murdered his wife Desdemona, he did it purely from misunderstanding and jealousy. Iago made Othello believe Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio even though she never did such actions.
Othello avoids all irrelevancies and the action moves swiftly from the first scene to the denouement. We never get lost in a multiplicity of incidents or a multitude of characters. Our attention remains centered on the arch villainy of Iago and his plot to plant in Othello’s mind a corroding belief in his wife’s faithlessness. (viii)
Othello as Tragic Hero I would agree that it is helpful to an understanding of Othello's character to think of him as a tragic hero. On the surface, the opinion may be different because he kills his wife and commits suicide to end his anguish. However, if we look deeper the suffering that Othello has to go through, and the way that this powerful and heroic character is tricked and knocked off his high perch by Iago (a lower status member of the army) he can be seen as a tragic hero. All Shakespeare's tragic heroes seem to have certain qualities that put them in this category.
In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, we see a black man marrying a wealthy young white woman named Desdemona. The black man named Othello serves the Italian government, as a general, this man is a very a loyal and trusting person. Othello is easily persuaded as stated by Iago, his ancient, who wrights this passage about him ““The Moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, And will as tenderly be led by the nose As asses are. (Act 1, 3,405.)“ This shows us the kind of man Othello is a trusting man, and thinks that everyone is telling the truth. This opens Othello, to believe on the lies that Iago, is telling him. However, Othello is not a stupid man, he is a general after all, and must be shown proof when people put up arguments especially against his own wife, cheating on him. Now the question is why did Othello not look for his own proof of the acquisition laid up against his wife cheating. He surly is not stupid, considering that he has such a high position. In this essay, I will explain why, Othello does not look for more proof, of his wife’s affairs and merely believes Iago.
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?”
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare’s Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55)
Essential to the success of Othello is the fact that the issues and themes explored in this tragedy, written by Shakespeare in about 1604, are still relevant to the modern audience. The interest of an audience is held by themes that are fundamental to the human condition, as these reflect our world and examine human nature. Othello explores the issues of racism, gender, domestic violence, the supernatural and the pathology of the entirely evil person, which are all remarkably relevant to our time. Thus the interest of the audience is held, as issues that affect the viewers and readers of the play spark individual opinions, reflection and thought.
The tone of the story is tragic and serious. Meanwhile, there isn't any point of view because this is a play and a play doesn't normally have a narrator. Shakespeare lets the reader make up his/her own imagination with the characters' words and behavior. Since Othello is the protagonist, he is explained in more detail. Although Othello is a brave warrior, he is a jealous person; his jealousy also prevails over his good sense. The whole play depicts the fact that jealousy causes corruption. There are many conflicts found in Othello, and person vs. person is one of them. An example is when Iago seeks revenge against Othello and Cassio because of his anger and jealousy. Person vs. society appears when Desdemona's father Brabantio, disapproves her marriage to Othello because he is several years older than Desdemona, from a different class, and a different race. An internal conflict of person vs. himself is found when Othello is in a dilemma about whether or not should he believe that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him. Othello loves and trusts Desdemona until his jealousy is aroused by the cruel manipulations of Iago. Iago's intention was to persuade Othello to believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. As Iago succeeds in convincing Othello that Desdemona is guilty of adultery, it leads to the climax of the play. And so Othello must face emotions he can't deal with. His jealousy drives him insane, and his judgment is replaced with anger and hate. At this time, the reader notices that the death of Desdemona is inevitable. Othello smothers her, and he eventually kills himself when he knows that Iago falsely accused Desdemona. This also represents the tragedy of the play.
Othello is one who believes in justice and fairness and will make no exception, even for the love of his life. Ultimately, he murders her because he is, “One that loved not wisely but too well.” (V, ii, 398) This, above all, gives the play its powerful end. Othello’s true flaw is not vile, destructive jealousy, but rather pure and prevailing love.
The tragedy of Othello, written by William Shakespeare, presents the main character Othello, as a respectable, honorable, and dignified man, but because of his insecurities and good nature, he is easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his peers and alleged friends. The dynamic of Othello’s character significantly changes throughout the play. The contrast is most pronounced from the beginning of the play to its conclusion, switching from being calm and peaceful to acts of uncontrolled venomous rage. Othello’s motivation in the play appears to be his love and concern for his wife Desdemona, which ironically, ends up being his downfall in the end.
Othello being very easily manipulated led him to make choices that would later on kill his wife and even kill himself. Othello having poor judgment lead him to trust the wrong people and this tied to him making the wrong decisions. His jealousy and obsession with Desdemona was what lead him to kill her. If Othello did not possess these traits the drama would have ended completely different. Othello let himself believe everything Iago told him, if he chose to trust his wife the whole conflict would have been averted. His obsession with his wife was so strong that he could not help think about what she did with Cassio and the only way out was to kill her.
Othello is a play with the ability to transcend time and evolve with changing value systems. It is by considering these different perceptions and their contexts that our understanding and appreciation is enriched.
The Tragedy of Othello, the moor of Venice, otherwise known as Othello, is a Shakespearean tragedy believed to be written in 1603. The quarto edition of the play first appeared in 1622; the version printed in the 1623 Folio edition is around 160 lines longer than the quarto and has over a thousand words differences in the writing. Othello revolves around the four central characters: the titular character Othello, his wife Desdemona, the main antagonist Iago and his lieutenant Cassio. Due to the play’s themes of racial prejudice, betrayal, love, jealousy, revenge and appearance vs reality, it has been consistently performed in theatres worldwide and Othello has been the source for many film and literary adaptations. In this essay, I aim to explore the different ways in which Othello is