Othello And 1984 Analysis

In everyday society, all people face challenges and adversity, some of which prove to be more difficult than others. In modern society with faceless mega corporations, mass media, and powerful governments and their surveillance, many find it hard to trust them, to discern between whether they are being told a lie or the truth, and to decide who to believe. In both 1984, by George Orwell, and Othello, by William Shakespeare, many of these ideas are prevalent and demonstrated in both pieces of work by the motifs of manipulation and rebellion. In Othello, the titular character is convinced by his so-called friend, Iago, that his new wife, Desdemona, is being unfaithful in an attempt to steal his position. In 1984, Winston is a normal citizen

However, because it is Winston's own government manipulating him, and the fact that it is them he is rebelling against, this makes 1984 more relevant to today’s society. For the most part, what someone sees is what they believe. But what happens when someone else is controlling what they see, hear, and even feel? This is one of the main ideas explored in both 1984 and Othello, as both main characters are manipulated. This is shown through the manner in which they are both turned away from the truth, the scope of who was being manipulated, and the extent of the manipulation. In Othello, Othello is manipulated by Iago, someone he thinks is his friend, into thinking his wife Desdemona is unfaithful to him. Iago aims to torment Othello until he is able to steal Othello's position of governor. Eventually, this leads to Othello not trusting his wife at all, and saying: “Why, so I can, sir: but I will not now. This is a

In Othello, the manipulation, and whole story, revolves around a select few individuals. One of the text features in the print version of Othello is the list of Dramatis Personae. This shows that, as with many Shakespearean plays, the entirety of Othello contains a minimal thirteen characters, of which only six greatly impact the story. The manipulation is primarily between two of these characters, Othello and Iago. This sort of manipulation is not nearly as relevant to the average person when compared to the manipulation which takes place in 1984. Within contemporary society, the majority of people are smart enough to recognize when they are being manipulated, and one may have more logical means of acquiring status or money, such as hard work or civil discussion. In 1984 however, the manipulation which takes place is much more prevalent in the modern world. 1984 features manipulation on a grand scale. Nearly everything that the citizens of Oceania know about The Party is quite possibly a lie fabricated by the government to keep the populous content and working hard. Production statistics, war reports, arrests, and all means of propaganda are all created to manipulate the people to keep them ingenuous to the injustice they face. This is much more present in modern society, as on a constant basis some new corruption scandal is uncovered. In recent news, the leak of The Panama Papers revealed