Free Essay: Comparing Heroism in Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Othello

579 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Racial Discrimination in Literature

Tragic Heroism in Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Othello

In tragedy the reader often sympathizes and empathizes with the protagonist who attains "wisdom through suffering." Tess Durbeyfield, in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Othello, in William Shakespeare's Othello are protagonists who elicit the sympathy of the reader as they suffer, act, and triumph over their antagonists, who are embodied by the characters of Alec D'Urberville, Tess' wealthy defiler, and Iago, Othello's amoral lieutenant. In both works the protagonists succumb to the pernicious influences of revenge, which are instigated by their antagonists and result in the deaths of the protagonists. Such tragedy in the protagonists' stories allows the reader to experience catharsis and realize the tragic heroism of Tess Durbeyfield and Othello.

Tess Durbeyfield, an innocent dairymaid with "innocent instinct towards self-delight," displays her character in her persistent devotion toward Angel Clare, her husband. Her suffering is evident in her defilement by Alec D'Urberville, a wealthy aristocrat, and in her separation from her husband. In the "First Phase" Tess is physically taken advantage of by D'Urberville who recognizes her innocence and vulnerability. Later, in "Phase the Third," she then falls deeply in love with Angel Clare, an affluent agriculturist. Tess soon alienates Angel by revealing her earlier encounter with D'Urberville.

Othello is an outsider and soldier who "loved not wisely but too well." His noble character is evident in his overwhelming fidelity towards his wife, Desdemona: "My life upon her faith," and the reader is quickly cognizant of the strong relationship between Othello and his wife. However, he is manipulated by Iago, his amoral lieutenant, and Othello's reality about his wife becomes twisted by Iago, who cleverly uses rhetoric to persuade him that his wife is disloyal. Iago informs the reader of Othello's transformation: "This may do something. The Moor already changes with my poison." Eventually, Othello is driven to murder his wife as a result of Iago's deception: "Get me some poison, Iago, this night. I'll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unprovide my mind again. This night, Iago!"

At the conclusion of each work the protagonist reaches a realization of her/his actions and accepts the responsibility for the consequences. In the novel, Tess realizes how D'Urberville abuses her and the importance of Angel Clare, her husband, and therefore murders D'Urberville and begs Clare to accept her into his life again: "I could not bear the loss of you any longer- you don't know how entirely I was unable to bear your not loving me!" Tess accepts the consequences for her actions and accepts her execution: "it was as is should be.

Show More
Related

  • Tess Of The D Urbervilles And Heart Of Darkness Analysis

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    While both novels show women embodying traditional male roles and characteristics, the chivalric trait of honour in a woman is most prominent in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. While males are dominantly seen as the providers in Western society, Marlow’s aunt secures his position with The Company. Comparably, Tess takes on her inebriated father’s responsibility as a caretaker and provider when she attempts to deliver the wagonload of beehives for

    Read More

  • Honest Betrayal in Othello

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    Iago's honest betrayal has left Othello pondering over Desdemona's faithfulness. Believing the words of his most honest ancient, Othello gullibly succumbs to his insinuations of his wife, Desdemona, as being unfaithful. Through Othello's soliloquy, he is not the self-confident General formerly portrayed as. Instead, his indecision over his wife's infidelity has caused him to explore his flaws as a human being, showing signs of appearance versus reality.

    Read More

  • Rebuttal to Killing Them Softly

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...rth thinking about, it is in the best interest of the “population as a whole” that the Food and Drug Administration be given the rights to control the image that tobacco receives and exploit its negative aspects.

    Read More

  • The Death Penalty: Can It Ever Be Justified?

    1422 Words  | 3 Pages

    One point that Koch tries to address is the value of human life. Koch is noted as believing that “life is indeed precious.” He feels that the death penalty helps to establish this fact by demonstrating that if a person commits a heinous crime such as murder, they will suffer the worst of consequences (476). How, though, does the taking of another life demonstrate that life is indeed so precious? All other facts aside, is it not simply the end to another life? Most citizens would be in agreement that such inhumane crimes deserve severe ramifications, but ending a life to make up for an unlawful death would contradict these principles of the value of life. Bud Welch supports this theory. His daughter, Julie, had her life viciously taken from her in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Welch, although enduring the greatest pain of all, concluded that Timothy McVeigh’s execution “is simply vengeance; and it was vengeance that killed Julie.” Welch understood the true value of all human life and was able to put his natural emotions away and theorize that vengeance has ...

    Read More

  • Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

    1539 Words  | 4 Pages

    Tess' two "choices" as her husband, Alec d'Urberville and Angel Clare, hold many of the patriarchal stereotypes of the Victorian Age, chasing Tess as more of a metaphorical piece of meat than a passionate lover. As their secrets are revealed on their wedding night, it becomes harder and harder for Angel to love Tess, seeing her as "another woman in your shape" (Hardy 192). The author, at this point in the relationship between Tess and Angel, perfectly exemplifies the values and culture of the Victorian age. Though both Angel and Tess are guilty of the same misbehaviors in their pasts, Angel believes that "forgiveness does not apply to [Tess'] case" (Hardy 191). Under the reign of Queen Victoria, the role of men in sexual relations was strictly reproductive, and the sex act was considered a release of helpless energies, basically holding no sins of love or conjugal travesties. For women, however, it was a softer, more passionate act, meaning more of the love than the fertilization, and emotionally pulling the sex partner too close to just scoff the happening off and move on with life (Lee 1). Such conflicting views in the perspective of sexual intercourse make it nearly impossible for Angel to "forgive [Tess] as you are forgiven! I forgive you, Angel" (Hardy 191). Jeremy Ross also believes that Hardy "abandoned his devout faith in God, based on the scientific advances of his contemporaries" (Ross, Jeremy 1).

    Read More

  • Othello's Honor

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Tragedy of Othello, William Shakespeare tells the tale of the “noble Moor” whose honor and innocence bring about his downfall. Shakespeare writes of the power of jealousy, and the art of masterful deception and trickery. The story primarily takes place in Cyprus, during a war between the people of Venice and the invading Turks. In this play Shakespeare shows the feelings of Othello’s embittered right-hand man of, Iago, who feels he is passed over for a promotion and swears his revenge. He proceeds to manipulate his friends, enemies, and family into doing his bidding without any of them ever realizing his ultimate goal. He makes Othello believe that his new wife, the innocent Desdemona, is committing adultery with his newly promoted officer Michael Cassio. After this seed of jealousy has been planted, Othello’s mind takes its course in determining the true outcome, with a little more nudging from Iago. The course of action he proceeds to follow is one that not only ends his own life, but also the life of his wife and others. In Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Othello, Othello is a man who is still truly honorable, despite the course of action he takes to resolve his perceived problem.

    Read More

  • Othello Analysis

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tess' true strength is her determination to overcome her misfortunes. When the Durbeyfields' horse, Prince died, Tess took control of the situation of the horse's death and the beehive delivery. She takes care of the kids and she had done well in school, even though Tess seems to go nowhere. Also when she leaves her job of taking care of the flock at the d'Urberville household, because of her experience with Alec, it showed she tried to take control of the situation. Even when Alec was following her home on his carriage asking her why she left, 'Her lip lifted slightly, though there was little scorn, as a rule, in her large and impulsive nature.

    Read More

  • Injustice in Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

    1803 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...cept her. ?Unadvisable? gives the impression that Angel does not really care one way or another. All of this is unfair to Tess, as Alec?s decision to rape her was not her fault in any way. Also, Angel?s sexual history is more promiscuous than Tess?s, and yet he sees only her flaws. Hardy uses specific word choices and diction to thoroughly inform the reader of the injustice of Tess?s circumstances.

    Read More

  • Manipulation In Othello

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...erent character, more Iago like than Iago himself. He has no regret for what he has just done, and no respect to his innocent wife Desdemona, whose obedience and naivety led to her untimely downfall as well. Othello is a victim in the sense that he was puppeted by Iago, but also a villain in the sense that he is controlled the strings all along. He goes along with Iago’s judgement instead of his own, refuses to shed light on the situation by simply asking the two involved if they were actually involved, and even as his wife pleaded that he recognise she was innocent of any infidelity, he was already in too deep in his own jealousy to stop himself from himself. It is important that we remember both sides of Othello, and that we learn to distinguish this transformation of him as a character, for the thing that makes one a victim can also be one’s own tragic flaw.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Othello - Othello and Iago

    811 Words  | 2 Pages

    The tragedy "Othello" by William Shakespeare is a story based upon the revenge of two characters, Othello and Iago. These two characters help to prove Murphey's Law which states that if something wrong can happen it will: for Othello it is the wrongful killing of his wife and friend, for Iago it is getting caught for his actions and finally being tortured. Many historians, actors, and readers would like to argue that Othello and Iago are very complex but at a closer look you will notice that their actions are purely based upon revenge for their iniquities.

    Read More

  • Tess Being a Victim of Fate in Tess of the D'Urbervilles

    2062 Words  | 5 Pages

    However her constant bad luck caused her to make bad judgements which then caused us the readers to believe it is fate. To conclude Tess’s innocent and beauty proved to do her no good and she was also unaware of her sexuality. Her lack of common knowledge and wanting from her also made her susceptible to other men.

    Read More

  • Philosophy of Teaching Statement

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...to teach as a college professor, but I will be happy in any teaching job that I can find within my area. My greatest joy will be in teaching students about the world around them and seeing the results of this knowledge. The past experiences and the future experiences of my school career will help me to implement my plans and develop new ideas. I will, in my classroom, be able to use the philosophies of essentialism, behaviorism, progressivism, and existentialism in an eclectic approach to benefit the students that I will be teaching. There are many things left for me to learn, and like the progressivists, I believe that there is constant change in the world around us. With this change there will always be something new for me to learn and therefore something new for me to teach. The job of a teacher is an occupation filled with never ending surprises and joys.

    Read More

  • Depiction of Class in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy

    2548 Words  | 6 Pages

    Hardy’s novels are ultimately permeated upon his own examination of the contemporary world surrounding him, Tess’s life battles are ultimately foreshadowed by the condemnation of her working class background, which is uniquely explored throughout the text. The class struggles of her time are explored throughout her life in Marlott and the preconception of middle class ideals are challenged throughout Hardy’s exploration of the rural class. Tess of the D’Urbervilles revolves around Hardy’s views of Victorian social taboos and continues to be a greatly influential piece from a novelist who did not conform to the Victorian bourgeois standards of literature.

    Read More

  • Integrity In Othello Essay

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare uses Iago and Othello as the main characters of the play, showing how Iago manipulates Othello into believing his wife is cheating on him. Iago, or “honest Iago”, the villain of the play, a perfectionist at manipulation, that manages to influence people into thinking his deceitfulness is an act of honesty. He spends all of his time plotting against Othello and Desdemona, eventually convincing Othello that his wife has been cheating, despite the fact that Desdemona has been completely faithful. Othello, Venice’s most competent general, and the protagonist of the play. He was a noble and respected war hero, and a loving husband, however he was the target of Iago’s atrocities, which lead him to become an irrational, violent, and insanely jealous husband who murders his own wife at the end of the play.

    Read More

More about Free Essay: Comparing Heroism in Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Othello

Open Document