What is the reason for suicide? Most people would say, that person was depressed, or maybe they were lonely. In Henrik Ibsen’s book, Hedda Gabler, the play results in a character shooting themselves. As well as, William Shakespeare’s Othello, the play ends in a suicide. To find out the reason for those suicides, you must take it back to the start of it all…the beginning of the play. Why exactly did these two characters find it necessary to take their life? It seems that Hedda took her life because it was the easy way out. For Othello, he could not live with something horrible he had done, so suicide was his only answer.
Hedda Gabler should change her name to manipulator, because that’s what she does. Who does she manipulate? The answer is,
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Unfortunately, that love does not stay there long, as Othello finds out a treacherous thing about his wife. The horrible act she has committed, is supposedly cheating on him. The reason the word supposedly is used, is because you find out that she has not cheated on him. Meet Iago, the man who has plotted against Desdemona, simply, setting her up. The reason he is doing this, is because is plotting revenge against Othello as well. He suspects that Othello has slept with his wife, “For that I do suspect the lusty Moor Hath leaped into my seat; the thought whereof Doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards; And nothing can or shall content my soul Till I am evened with him, wife for wife.” (Act 2, Scene one, page 1037-1038). He concocts an evil plan against Othello and his wife. Iago eventually tells Othello of how his wife, Desdemona is cheating on him. Othello does not completely believe him at first, he will need convincing. Iago had left Desdemona’s handkerchief at a man name Cassio’s house, to make it look like she left it there. Othello starts acting strange and his poor wife has no idea why. He eventually accuses her after she claims to be faithful to him, “Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell” (Act 4, Scene 2, page 1075). She seems genuinely confused and shocked that he would accuse her of such a terrible thing, “By heaven, you do me wrong! (Act 4, Scene 2, page 1077). …show more content…
It resulted in horrific death, as well as many deaths along the way. Suicide seemed to be the only way out in these two plays. Both Hedda as well as Othello decided that they could not live anymore with the circumstances that surrounded them. You realize throughout these plays that both characters, as well as others have many flaws. Their flaws follow them every step of the way, and ruin them as well. Othello’s main flaw in this play is jealousy. You see his jealousy overtake him and control his actions. If he not been so prideful, he may have been able to hear what his wife had to say, and understand that she was telling the truth. His pride and jealousy not only ruined his marriage, but resulted in murdering his wife and himself. Hedda on the other hand, had many flaws that ruined her as a person. She was quite rude, ungrateful, prideful, and even a manipulator. Her flaws affected in her in the ways that she had treated other people. These two plays show you that your flaws can overtake and control you. It is only right to address them, and admit where you are wrong so that everyone can live in peace. These two plays also teach you that when you are prideful or jealous, it never results in something positive. It can ruin friendships, families, and most importantly, your marriage. Although these two plays did not end on a positive note, they did teach a great lesson on how us humans have many flaws. If
Lawrence uses impacting syntax in order to shift the societal view of Hester Prynne. Lawrence states that “the first thing [Hester] does is to seduce
Hedda Gabler is a text in which a very domineering society drives a woman to her suicidal death. Many argue that Hedda’s death is an act of courage, as rebellion against the rules of the society, however other believe that Hedda’s actions show cowardice, as she is unable to cope with the harsh reality of the her situation. Hedda's singular goal throughout the play has been to prove that she is still in possession of free will. Hedda shows many examples of both courage and cowardice throughout the play, differing to the character she is with.
Othello, the main character in Othello, thinks his wife is unfaithful becuse Iago, his friend, tells Othello that Desdemona, Othello's wife, has not been faithful. This is where everything goes crazy. He believes Iago, who is not telling the truth, but he believes him anyway. He kills Desdemona after going crazy and Iago kills Cassio, the character Desdemona is not unfaithful with but Othello thinks she is. In the end, they don't live except for Cassio. Othello kills himself, representing the way he ends his own life. As Othello says in the end, " . . . I die . . ." (5.2.64).
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The story is about Othello, who is a general in the Venetian army and is convinced by his trusted ensign, Iago that his wife is cheating on him. Eventually Othello kills his wife and when he finds out the truth he then kills himself. Most of the conflict in the play stems from Othello’s value assumption that women are not equal to men, which leads to dramatic and value irony. Othello’s relationship with Desdemona, his trust in Iago and Othello’s jealousy indicates Othello’s belief that women are not equal to men.
In the Shakespear’s play “Othello” it is clear to see that the relationship between him and Desdemona is a complicated one wrought with passion and confusion which leads to emotional trauma and physical abuse. At point and times in the story of “Othello” love was transmuted different. Othello was not as gentle and kind as Desdemona when it came to his lover he a times exhibited symptoms of insanity. He also at times exhibited lack of confidence that is found in the perceived unity of marriage. This was apparent that the two lover on loves battlefield were on two opposing sides, Desdemona was honest and faithful to Othello until their tragic end.
This quote brings light to how Hedda acts on a daily basis where she is driven by possessions. In Hedda Gabler the theme of internal pressure is portrayed throughout the play. This can be seen through Hedda’s greed and materialism, her uncaring attitude and her manipulative personality. Firstly, Hedda is shown as a very uncaring person towards the people around her.
This tragedy is brought about by a simple manipulation of Iago, the villain of the play. The jealousy led Othello to a path of constant questioning of his wife, and his friend Cassio. Throughout the play, he sinks deeper and deeper into his doubt and eventually that causes him to kill not only the love of his life, but also himself. In her work, “This that you call Love”: Sexual and Social Tragedy in Othello, Gayle Greene (2004) argues that the tragedy occurs from adherence to patriarchal rules and stereotypes (Greene 655-659). According to Gary Greene, the tragedy is caused by “men’s misunderstandings of women and women’s inability to protect themselves from society’s conception of them” (666).
The first love one may want to peer into in both Othello and King Lear is the Love one may hold for a significant other. This type of love is prevalent in Othello between Othello and Desdemona, and can be compared to King Lear through Goneril and Regan with their husbands and having Edmund thrown in the mix. Desdemona's love for Othello is made very clear right from the start when she goes to bat for him against her father. This is seen when her father was so upset that he brought charges upon Othello to try and revoke their vows. She gives reasons why her explanation of the reasons she loves Othello defines her essential character as a woman of loyalty and fidelity to him, and not simply to a picture of him gleaned from a story told by him (B. Long). Later on in the play Desdemona's loves continues to shine through until the very end when Othello has became so enraged he is over her about to take her life she pleas to keep through her reinstating her love for him. According to the critic B. Long this is not just a scapegoat to save her life but that she truly loves him in a very genuine way; one may have a hard time finding text to prove otherwise. If Desdemona's love for Othello was a subservient love, generated by seeing his facade in his mind and fueled by her delight in his honors and heroic parts, Othello's love towards Desdemona is rather different.
Hedda Gabler is a play with an undoubtedly interesting main character; Hedda herself. While she may have her faults, neurotic traits and undeniable issues it would be glaringly ignorant to ignore the fact that she is, above all a tragic victim. In order to properly showcase how Hedda falls somewhat perfectly into the mould of a tragic victim we must first figure out what exactly a tragic victim is. The most prominent and fitting description seems to come from the Greek philosopher Aristotle in his ‘Poetics’, while his definition is actually of a tragic hero instead of victim it is never the less still an extremely accurate definition and is still able to depict both victims and heroes equally well; he tells us that a tragic victim –or hero- is usually of noble birth, had a tragic flaw that usually leads to their downfall, be a character that the audience can relate to and feel pity or fear for and that the fall of the character is at least partially of their own making. By this definition Hedda is most certainly a tragic victim, and there is little room to argue against this.
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.
It has been suggested that Hedda Gabler is a drama about the individual psyche -- a mere character study. It has even been written that Hedda Gabler "presents no social theme" (Shipley 333). On the contrary, I have found social issues and themes abundant in this work.
For example, her true feelings toward Tesman, her true feelings for Lǿvborg, her manipulation of her husband, and her sickening behavior. After reading Hedda Gabler, one immediately notices the way Hedda treats Tesman and his family. She treated Tesman’s aunts with extreme disrespect by insulting them, and not even trying to see Tesman’s terminally ill Aunt Rina. Hedda even laughs at the effort Tesman put into getting her “the house of her dreams”. When asked about if she was happy about finally living in her “dream home”, Hedda responds, “You also believe that myth?”
choosen out of all her other suitors to carry off the lovely Hedda Gabler. Soon after Hedda
Even before he realizes his unjust actions, Othello laments over his dead wife, crying out how, now that Desdemona is no longer with him, there should be a, “huge eclipse / Of sun and moon, and that th’ affrighted globe” (V.ii.100-101). When Othello finally understands the truth behind his what he has done, the height of his suffering reaches its peak as he wails, “’tis happiness to die” (V.ii.290). His lengthy, painful misery meets a timely end when he takes his own life (V.ii.356). Unfortunate yet apparent, Othello’s realization of his own actions against pure innocence directs him down the path of incomprehensible anguish, utter recklessness, and, ultimately,
Ultimately, Othello's jealousy gets the best of him, because he murders his wife regardless of her innocence, He realizes Iago lied to him all along and decided the best is to kill himself. Literary critics have different interpretations