Redemption in Death in Othello
The brilliance of a tragedy lies in its ability to maintain its moral and the values it explores even in the tragic ending or in the downfall of its heroes. William Shakespeare does just this Othello, so quintessentially that the deaths in the end do not only refrain from undermining or canceling out the virtues of the play, but they actually restore them to the deceased, who have died because they have lost them. In this play, love, loyalty, and honesty are of foremost importance in the human condition, and when those are questioned or lost, chaos ensues. The tragedy lies in the fact that the truth is revealed only too late, and because of this only death can restore those values. The loss or misunderstanding of the major virtues in Othello lead to the tragic ending, but because Desdemona retains these virtues into her death, she allows them to be restored, and when the truth comes out, Othello dies to reclaim his honor and complete this restoration.
The love between Othello, the Moor, and Desdemona, his wife, is strong from the outset of the play, and Othello relies on this love and on Desdemona’s loyalty. When Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, brings him before the senators, accusing him of corrupting Desdemona, Othello is so confident in her love for him that he offers his life if she says she does not love him: “If you do find me foul in her report, /…let your sentence/ Even fall upon my life” (I, iii, 117-19). He reaffirms this when Brabantio suggests that Desdemona will deceive him. Othello responds, “My life upon her faith” (I, iii, 289) Twice, then, he has trusted his life to Desdemona’s loyalty. This not only emphasizes his love for her, but also his reliance upon her...
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Since at least the 1980’s performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) have been a major challenge in the world of Major League Baseball, and past trends indicate they will continue to pose an ongoing problem. A number of the most prominent and accomplished professional baseball players, such as Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Roger Clemens, are also the most famous examples of baseball players who have broken longstanding records, attracted countless numbers of fans, and allegedly have taken performance-enhancing drugs. Athletes who have been caught using steroids in order to increase and better their performance rates have been suspended, fined and traded from the teams on which they once played. Despite the punitive actions taken against them by the League and lawmakers, players continue to use performance-enhancing drugs and likely will continue to do so, because the associated athletic effects will draw more fans and bring more money to the individual player and franchise.
Rhoden, William C."Why Baseball Should Keep Talking About the Past." The New York Times. The New York Times. 12 Jan. 2010. Web. 09 Feb. 2010.
The problem of steroid use in baseball came into the national spotlight during the 1990s. It was during this time that home run records were being broken at an incredible pace. It was also during this period when several famous baseball players began to speak out about steroid use in baseball. The most controversial expose about steroid use in baseball is perhaps that of Ken Caminiti in 2002. Caminiti admitted publicly that he was using steroids when he won the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1996 and in the several seasons following that. That revelation of his drug use highlighted the issue of steroid use in baseball. From that point on, the professional baseball league was under constant scrutiny from the public as well as from the federal agencies. Many had criticized Major League Baseball as ineffective in its efforts to address the issue of steroids use in professional baseball. When the BALCO incident exploded in late 2003 and affected many big name players in baseball, the public and Congress demanded answers from the accused baseball players. It was then that steroid use in baseball sparked media frenzy and legisl...
Picture this- William Harold Shakespeare, the most coveted playwriter in the history of the world, sitting at his desk, perspicaciously pondering over what shall become his most prominant and delicated tragedy of yet. Of course, given what little is known about Shakespeere displays, such deepseated imagery cannot simply be accomplished without first the propriety of haste and vinction.And yet, his very own rhetorical vibe displays allows such a vague pictoration to be concieved. Throughout the whole of Othello, the great Shakespeare remarks through an astounding displays show of pronouns, allitteration, and cacophonous diction his own resentment of both the King of Italy and the poor conditions of the said novelist.
In these following articles “We, the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals”by William Moller, and “Cheating and CHEATING” by Joe Posnanski, I found time to consider the use of steroids in baseball for the first time. In these essays, Moller and Posnanski tapped into the running commentary about performance enhancing substances and their relative acceptability in the baseball arena. “We, the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals declare that the entire steroid outcry is pure hypocrisy” [Moller, p.548], while Posnanski challenged “baseball in Willie Mays’s time, like baseball in every time, was rife with cheating and racism and alcoholism and small-mindedness” [Posnanski, p.556]. Both pieces seemed in agreement that substance use in baseball is typical, and I find it hard to believe otherwise, except in obvious rebuttal of the facts. But this line of thinking extends out into a more global conversation about when it is acceptable to use drugs, and when it is not. Rather than arguing the morality of drug use or the ethics of improvement, feel the greater issue ...
Firstly, when the men of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, confront Othello’s men, Othello calmly says, “Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.” (10). Othello is confronted on the matter of his elopement with Desdemona with force and with words. Not only is he very cool about his dealings with violence, but also when he is asked to tell the story of how he had Desdemona fall in love with him he states the truth, and he doesn’t leave out any details of how he accomplished it. He openly admits that had any other man told his story, that man also would have won her heart.
that completely destroys his life”("Othello"). Othello is shown he is a good man within the first few scenes of the play: “She wished she had not heard it; yet she wished That heaven had made her such a man” (1.3.162-163). This line in Act I spoken by Othello, is an indication that he is a good person although it may appear that he has stolen Desdemona away from her father. Othello speaks that although he has taken Desdemona as his wife without Brabantio’s consent, he is a good person for stating his reasons for his actions as well as standing his ground. After Othello’s marriage to Desdemona, the conflict is started when Iago insinuates t...
Snyder, Susan. "Beyond the Comedy: Othello" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (page 23-37)
In the last 10 years or so professional sports have been fighting a battle it seems won't end. The battle against performance enhancing drugs like Steroids and HGH. These drugs have created a major problem for sports like Baseball, Football, Soccer, Cycling, and Track and Field. Some of professional sports most favorited players have been found guilty of steroid use. New York Yankees 3rd Baseman, Alex Rodriguez has been found guilty of steroids on countless occasions. MLB home run record holder Barry Bonds has been found of guilty as well. Professional wrestler Chris Benoit also tested positive for steroids. With names as big as these it shows how much of a problem this is causing in sports.
William Shakespeare’s drama Othello is one concentrated contest between the forces of the morally good and the morally bad. Let us analyze this contest in detail in this essay.
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