Pride And Betrayal In Othello

652 Words2 Pages

aIrasema Gracia
British Literature
Dr. Millan
Analysis Paper # 2
Pride and Inferiority; the Most Powerful Murderer.
Feeling betrayal from the person you love can be one of the most hurting and painful feelings somebody gets to experience in life, but the feeling of being betrayed accompanied by publicity can cause more harm to the situation. That feeling of “Everybody knew except for myself” can be extremely excruciating and can cause extreme harm like portrayed on the story written By William Shakespeare Othello. In the story Othello, we have the protagonist Desdemona and Othello who are married to each other, and the antagonist, Iago, who ruined their marriage by lying to Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. This story ends in a tragedy as we would expect from the author Shakespeare, but the key that led to the tragedy was the theme of pride. Othello was a very powerful and prevailing male character, who believed his men above anyone including his wife. Othello wouldn’t have been able to go on with the embarrassment of knowing people believe his wife has been lying to him. Othello’s self-conscious and pride was the motive that led him to killing his innocent wife, Desdemona.
In the drama of Othello, Shakespeare shows the interpretation of how this story involves critical theories. After Desdemona is allowed to accompany Othello to Cyprus, Othello conveys to the duke, that he "assigns his wife" and implies Desdemona as his wife, is his possession. This shows and proves what the expectation of women of this time was. Women to be obedient and quiet toward their men. Act II scene 2 sees Othello devote his love to Desdemona, the tone within Othello's voice is briefly defined as slightly demanding, speaking of hi...

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...3-96. The argument between Desdemona and Othello his tone becomes violent. Othello continues his irrational obsession with the handkerchief where Desdemona unintentionally infuriates Othello’s anger and jealousy. Shakespeare's use of repetition of "the handkerchief” creates great effect in the final scene because of the power of proof the handkerchief beholds. Othello found it so hard to believe and forgive his wife Desdemona, after knowing she had also lied to her own father about marriage neither Barbatio or Othello accepted the fact they had been betrayed . Like Martha Widmayer mentions “ Infidelity is no “small vice” to Othello and Brabantio, each of ho willingly pays the “great price” of the loss of his world, Desdemona, rather than tolerate betrayal.”

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Works Cited

Widmayer, M. (1996). Barbantio and Othello. English Studies, 77(2), 113.

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