In two plays one being a classic, Othello by William Shakespeare and the other a modern play, Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar each end with a whack both emotionally and physically. The religion that both of the main characters in Othello and Disgraced were raised into have the most instrumental impact on the conclusion of the play’s plot line. Othello and Amir both struggle with fully letting go of the religion in which they were raised in, Othello, from Act 5, Scene 2 shows how Othello battles his new found religion with his old religion, whereas in Disgraced, it is in Scene 3 that we really start to see Amir's views on his past religion, both plays ending in a single act of violence that conclude the play.
In Act 5, Scene 2 in the play Othello we begin to really see the battle at which Othello is experiencing with his old Islamic religion and his new Christian religion. Christianity was the dominant religion in Othello although in a quote by Othello “Are we turned Turks? And to ourselves do that Which heaven hath forbid the Ottomites? For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl.” (2.3.161-163) we learn that Christianity was not, in fact, his first religion but rather he was Muslim and converted to Christianity. When Othello says the line “Have you prayed tonight, Desdemon?” (5.2. 26) we get the understanding that this line is coming from his new found religion. This is known because
…show more content…
Jory: We?
Amir: Yeah… I guess I forgot...which we I was.
Jory: You’re an American…
Amir: It’s tribal, Jor. It is in the bones. You have no idea how I was brought up. You have to work real hard to root that shit out. (3.pg 62-63)
Amir starts by shedding a dark light on his past religion but very soon begins to praise the religion. He plays this sudden pride on the way in which he was raised. This piece of evidence directly states that Amir feels conflicted feelings towards his religion because of how he was raised and that it is embedded in
While Amir is a Sunni, his childhood friend Hassan is Shi’a, an inferior division of Islam. Simultaneously, Amir and Hassan belong to different ethnic groups-Amir is Pashtun while Hassan is Hazara. During his childhood, Amir would constantly mock Hassan’s illiteracy and poke fun at him. But, the pivotal demonstration of pressure from his surroundings that makes Amir commit his own act of cruelty is when he watches Assef rape Hassan for refusing to give him the kite that Hassan caught for Amir. To this, Amir describes the look of Hassan’s face to “a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb” (76). Throughout his upbringing, Amir constantly believed that his father blamed him for killing his mother in childbirth. To Amir, Hassan’s rape is a sacrifice that Hassan has to pay the price, the lamb to kill, in order to win his father over. To justify his refusal to intervene, Amir reminds himself that “[Hassan] was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (77). Amir’s surroundings cause him to have a negative outlook on people that his society deem lower. Amir knows he is morally wrong for not helping Hassan, but his need for his father’s love overpowers his friendship. Adding to his pressures, Amir believes that Baba prefers Hassan over him, a belief that further drives him to be cruel to Hassan. As a result, Amir’s motivation for validation and love from his father
Amir watches Hassan get raped which leads him trying to find some sort of way to get rid of his guilt. All of this is caused by him knowing what he did was wrong. It shows Amir admits his guilt after it happens and he tries to relieve himself of it: “In his arm I forgot what I'd done. And that was good.” It shows him trying to get relief through hassan hurting him with a pomegranate. It shows Hassan knows this when he says “Are you satisfied? Do you feel better?” Amir keeps looking for ways throughout the entire book to relieve his guilt.
...ve, as for the first time in his life; he is standing up for someone else, instead of cowering down. These events prove that, although Amir is not brave in the first chapters of the novel, near the end, his character becomes the man his father desired. The irony here is that, Baba is not alive to witness Amir’s actions.
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?”
unbalanced if his wife can foresee her own death when they are still newly wed.
Right from the opening scene, Othello presents an aura of evil and disloyalty. The play begin...
In Act three, Scene three, Desdemona agrees to speak to Othello in Cassio’s behalf) As Desdemona and Cassio discuss Cassio’s loss of rank and trust in Othello’s eyes. Iago brings to Othello’s attention the discussion taking place between Cassio and Desdemona. Iago knowing full well why the discussion is happening. Iago hints the pair seems to be spending a lot of time together. Iago plants the seed of doubt in Othello’s mind Othello begins to ponder the idea of whether Iago suspicions are true.
Snyder, Susan. "Beyond the Comedy: Othello" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (page 23-37)
Many older plays or movies are remade to appeal to a different age of people. These renditions often follow the same story line with only subtle differences to be more appealing. Many of Shakespeare’s plays have been made into movies to enhance the studying or understanding of his plays. An example of this would be Othello which has been created into a movie called “O”. Othello and “O” both follow the same story line. The similarities between them make "O" an excellent rendition of the play. Othello by William Shakespeare and “O” directed by Tim Nelson are very similar in many ways; however, they have distinct differences in their Protagonists. The heinous villain, Iago from Othello and the devious teenager, Hugo from “O” have many of the
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.
...conduct the night of the wedding feast. 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.
In the play, Othello, and the short story, Dead Men’s Path, they both share similarities but also various differences. Othello, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare approximately around 1603, contains five acts in the entire play. Act I of Othello revolves around the main characters: Iago, Othello, Desdemona, Brabantio, and Roderigo. The conflict of interest is shown when Roderigo finds out that the girl whom he loves, Desdemona, has eloped to Othello. Iago is not pleased with Othello anyways. Iago and Roderigo team together to sabotage Othello for the various reasons they are angry with him. On the other hand, Dead Men’s Path is a 1953 short story, written by Chinua Achebe. The story revolves around one character in particular, Michael
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.
killing her himself at the end of Act 5. Othello was led to do this by
In Othello by Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there happens to be a villain everybody loves to hate. In Othello there is Iago and in To Kill a Mockingbird there is Bob Ewell. Harm is insinuated by both men, but who is truly the most malevolent villain? Given these two manipulative characters, Iago is more of a villain.