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Elements of a shakespearean tragedy in othello
Elements of a shakespearean tragedy in othello
The character analysis in the play Othello by Shakespeare
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William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Othello, is the depiction of the spiraling downfall of the Venetian general as he falls victim to the destructive consequences of another man’s envy. The story is ultimately fueled by the vindictive nature of the antagonist, Iago, as he attempts to seek revenge on Othello for promoting another man as his lieutenant. It is suggested that, prior to the story, Iago was an honest and trusted character; however, with feelings of degradation and even humiliation, Iago twists his seemingly “good” characteristics and assets, such as intuition, perception, and cunning, into tools of evil and betrayal. The antagonist acts as a puppet master as he fabricates circumstances and situations, allowing him to merely plant misconstrued ideas into the other characters’ minds. Ultimately, Iago’s jealousy and preoccupation with revenge ignites conflict and drives the characters to their downfall.
Prior to the play, Othello had promoted Michael Cassio to the position of his lieutenant, passing over Iago. Besides this action, there is very little to explain Iago’s hatred for Othello or his motives, showing that Iago essentially destroys the other characters for no true purpose. For example, though Iago has clarified that he is angry because Othello chose Cassio for the promotion, he later says, “And it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sheets / He has done my office: I know not if’t be true” (I.iii.1023). In other words, Iago believes that Othello is having an affair with his wife, Emilia, although he cannot be certain. Iago does not seem to have a credible or tangible motive, but rather a few inconsistent excuses he uses to justify his actions to the audience. In fact, poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge has described him as a ...
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As early as the first scene of the play Iago shows us strong motives for his actions. In this first scene we see Othello, a general of Venice, has made Cassio his new lieutant. Iago feels he truly deserves his promotion as he says "I know my price, I am worth more no worse a place."(l.i.12) Iago over here is confused why Othello has made such a stupid decision. Iago is a man with a tremendous ego who knows, sometimes overestimates, his worth. Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman, understands Iago when Iago said that he is "affined to love the Moor."(l.i.41-42) What Iago really means is "I follow him to serve my term upon him."(l.i.45) Iago wants to use Othello for his personal goals. We also must put ourselves into Iago's shoes. He is a man whose self-esteem and professional carrier have just been torn apart. Iago makes his actions of revenge toward Othello almost immediately by informing Brabantio, a Venetian senator and father of Desdemona, that "an old black ram (Othello) is tupping (his) white ewe (Desdemona)."(l.i.97)
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