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The characters in Othello
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Othello characters analysis
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The novel Othello by Julious Lester is one of the most interesting love stories I have ever read. Iago the greatest villain of all times plays with the red handkerchief to ruin and sometimes determine love for people.
Othello loves his red handkerchief and gives it to Desdemona to have as a symbolism of love for them. Desdemona takes the handkerchief and puts it in her blouse.
Othello has a headache when he gets home so Desdemona puts the red handkerchief to his head to make him feel better. Othello pushes away her hand and she drops the handkerchief. Later Emily sees the handkerchief and picks it up knowing it is Desdemona’s. When Emily goes home Iago sees she has the handkerchief and asks her for it and tell her he will give it to Othello. Iago being the villain that he is takes the handkerchief and puts it next to Michael Casio’s head. When he wakes he notices the handkerchief and wonders how it got there but he just puts it in his pocket.
Michael is waiting in the garden for Desdemona but Instead of Desdemona showing up Belinda shows up. She goes to hug him and she sees the handkerchief, she takes the handkerchief from him and asks him where he got the handkerchief. Michael swears he has no idea how he got it. Belinda takes the handkerchief and puts it next to her bosom.
Othello thinks Desdemona is cheating on him so he goes to look for some proof of it. Othello is walking through the courtyard when he sees Belinda with the handkerchief hanging out her shirt. He goes up to her puts his hands around his neck and asks her where she got the handkerchief that belong to his beloved Desdemona. Belinda thinks it was Desdemona’s then Michael Casio deserves to get in trouble for it, since he lied to me. Othello thinks to himself that if she got it from Michael Casio then Desdemona must have given it to Michael. He now thinks Desdemona has bean cheating in him.
Othello feels that he is weak and he needs the rest of his soul back from Desdemona. He goes back to the house with intention to kill Desdemona. He feels he is doing it for honor. He goes to Desdemona and he tells her to free her self of any sins she might have and then strangles her to death while she is pleading to whom she loves the most not to kill her.
In the beginning Othello is seen as a calm collected man when put into an awkward situation, such as being ridiculed by his wife’s father in thinking that Othello has used some sort of magic to gain Desdemona 's infection. Othello’s calm collected ways start to deteriorate after he is convinced by Iago, a deceiving evil man that Desdemona has slept with Cassio. Othello’s self control no longer exist once he is fully convinced that it is in fact true that Desdemona has been unfaithful. His sense of what is real and what is not real is thrown out the window. Othello starts to become extremely jealous of his used to be beloved Cassio, and after considering giving back his spot as liternuanat he denies him that. He starts to become cold and distant towards his wife, and starts to call her out of her name. As Othello continues to lose control the people around him start to doubt his abilities of being able to protect Cyprus, and even his wife starts to doubt him, and agree with her father. No one knows who this man is anymore, he has started to act in an insanely matter. He can longer be his true self and take on the responsibilities of being general as he starts to crack. With Othello being faced with evil, him being calm is no longer an option for him because he can’t face the fact that the person he loves so dearly is cheating on him. Going back the they handkerchief, the symbol of his love for her. Othello seeing Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief sets him over the edge becoming truly convinced that his wife has betrayed him. Even when Desdemona and her maid Emila, Iago’s wife, has told him countless times that she has not been unfaithful, he is so far gone from reality that he does not believe either one of them. With the state of mind he’s in he cannot bear the thought of another man touching his wife. Othello and Iago plan to kill Cassio and Desdemona. After he
At the beginning of the action, the two ladies relationship furthers the plot by creating a circumstance in which Desdemona’s handkerchief goes missing. Desdemona’s most valued token of Othello’s love is a supposedly magic handkerchief that belonged to his mother and Desdemona keeps it with her at all times. When she drops it Emilia swipes it to try to please her husband, Iago. By stealing the handkerchief Emilia unwittingly sets in motion Iago’s scheme that will eventually lead to the death of herself, Othello, and her beloved Desdemona. Without this handkerchief Iago’s scheme would never work because it is the only piece of substantial proof of Desdemona's infidelity can use to convince Othello. Therefore, without Desdemona and Emilia's close friendship there would be no plot. Toward the end of the play, Emilia and Desdemona’s relationship becomes crucial to the plot again. After Othello kills Desdemona Emilia is the one who puts together the facts and unearths Iago’s scheme, risking her own life to do so. After witnessing Desdemona’s death Emilia says, “O thou dull Moor, that handkerchief thou speak’st of I found by fortune, and did give my husband- for often, with a solemn earnestness he begged of me to steal ‘t”(5.2.267-272). At the threat of her own death she revealed Iago’s treachery and concluded the plot by explaining how Iago’s scheming led to the death of four different people. Without Emilia’s proximity to Desdemona she would never have been able to take the handkerchief and her knowledge of Iago and Desdemona’s natures made her the only character able to uncover Iago’s scheme. Certainly, Desdemona’s close relationship and differing characters were essential to the plot of the
Othello, a play by William Shakespeare, takes place in Venice during the invasion of the island of Cyprus by the Turks. The protagonist of the story, Othello, is a newlywed, Moorish general with a very gullible nature. The antagonist of the story is Iago, an officer under Othello who wishes to be promoted to lieutenant, but the position was given to the young and attractive Cassio. Other major characters in the play are Desdemona, Othello's wife who is accused of having an affair with Cassio. In addition, there are Roderigo, a Venetian who is deeply in love with Desdemona; and Emilia (Iago's wife) who could have prevented the death of Desdemona.
This item represented Desdemona’s love for Othello, but also all of the scandal that happened in the play. It was traditional in this time for women to give their handkerchiefs to the one they loved. In this play, however, while Desdemona did give Othello her handkerchief to represent her love, Iago used this item to manipulate Othello so that he could take Cassio’s place. In a way, the handkerchief is the second most important part of the conflict. Iago had a copy of the handkerchief made identical to Desdemona’s, and placed in on Cassio. This ended up causing the main uproar of the
Interestingly, as Othello is preparing to kill Desdemona, he still believes that he is using reason to make his decisions. He says, “It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul./ Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars,/ It is the cause” (V.ii.1-3). While he does not speak his reason, he is confident that he has one good enough for which to kill. This continues into an emotional set of lines about how much he is dreading preforming the necessary deed. It is not until the last set of Othello’s lines that he admits to being a fool overcome with
Othello is a man of romantic nature. He fell in love with the beautiful Desdemona. He was accused of stealing her away from her father. Othello was of a different race and did not fit in with her family. Othello makes a plea for Desdemona and tells his story which wooed her to begin with. Othello tells of the love that her father showed him since his boyish days. This was like a match made in heaven that overcame many obstacles which got in their way. Othello could not understand why he was good enough to work and fight alongside of her father, but was not good enough for his daughter.
Iago plants the handkerchief on Cassio. Convinced of Desdemona’s infidelity, Othello smothers his beloved wife in their marriage bed. Emilia then proves Iago’s guilt and Desdemona’s innocence to Othello. Othello stabs Iago, who is under arrest, but fails to kill him and commits suicide.
Lago ensures Othello and asks to speak with him later. This is where Lago and Cassio discuss and joke around about Bianca. With Othello overhearing everything, he assumes that Lago and Cassio are talking about Desdemona. At this very moment, Bianca comes in and throws the Handkerchief in Cassio’s face. While General Othello is watching, he is left to assume that Cassio and Desdemona were having an affair behind his back. This infuriates Othello and leads him to murder his own wife.
He suspects that Othello and Emilia have been together intimately. He then seeks revenge on the Moor; in the process, he uses his own wife as an accomplice. This leads to, the case of the missing handkerchief! Emilia is completely naive and without any suspicion she never suspects that Iago envies the Moor and will use the handkerchief to deceive him. When Emilia says: I am glad I have found this napkin!
1.) In the play “The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice” written by Williams Shakespeare, he reveals the main themes in Othello’s final speech. The two main themes Othello illustrates in his final speech are reputation and jealousy. In Othello’s speech he says, “When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, speak of me as I am.” (Shakespeare 355), showing the importance of his reputation. He is unable to cope with criticism due to his low-self-esteem and therefore, cares what other individuals have to say about him. Othello’s dark skin is the reason why he does not have high-self-esteem and becomes jealous when Iago tells him about his wife having an affair with Cassio. Othello loves Desdemona but he feels that he is not good enough for her
Throughout the play, Othello is looked at as an outsider who gained respect as a general and then gained attention for secretly marrying Desdemona. To overcome his status as a Moor, Othello feels the need to always appear to be in control which consequently makes him susceptible to being manipulated. Eventually, his desire to be respected becomes his greatest weakness and leads to him betraying the person who loved him the most. Othello’s willingness to assume the worst about his wife, and his decision to kill her for her alleged infidelity gives rise to different theories as to what his true motive for murdering her was. In the Stuart Birge film adaptation, Othello is overridden by emotion due to being betrayed by a woman he loves dearly whereas in the Oliver Parker version, he seems to murder his wife as revenge for making him look bad by cuckolding him. Although the text of the play suggests the Oliver Parker version is more accurate, both interpretations seem plausible.
From this point on, Othello insecurity manifests into a seemingly irrational fear of being cuckolded, and his self-perceived worth diminishes exponentially. Othello comments on the likelihood of Desdemona cheating, by explaining how it may be “for [he is] black / And have not those soft parts of conversation / That chamberers have…” (3.3.280-282) Othello’s frustration with the threat of being cuckolded puts strain on his relationship with Desdemona, and she quickly becomes a victim of domestic abuse. For example, Othello acts as an interrogator, demanding to see the handkerchief which he gave her that symbolizes faithfulness and commitment towards Othello. (Quotation) When she is unable to produce their symbol of trust, Othello’s anger manifests inside him. The audience is shown a stark contrast to Othello’s typically cool, collected and composted nature. This abrupt and irrational change in behaviour is emphasized when Othello strikes Desdemona in front of Lordovico, (4.1.245) Othello’s
Continuing Act three, Scene three, Othello feels the beginning of a headache. Desdemona offers Othello a handkerchief to ease the pain upon Othello’s forehead. The handkerchief is a gift from Othello to Desdemona as a symbol of the love shared by Othello and Desdemona. In Othello’s pain the handkerchief falls from Othello’s hand and Emilia steals the handkerchief. Iago uses the characters of the play as pawns, including wife Emilia. Jealousy is the fuel and the handkerchief is the spark. With the handkerchief in Iago’s possession, Iago can continue to spin the web of lies and deceit. Iago plans to leave the handkerchief in Cassio’s lodgings to further support the suspicion of Desdemona’s infidelity.
Therefore the handkerchief implied considerable measures to Othello, although it was given to him by his mother. The cloth holds unique powers, and if its lost so will the devotion in their marriage. “To Othello the handkerchief is a sentimental item he provided for Desdemona and inquiring that she treasure it, in this way to him it’s an image of his affection for her and of the confidence and trust which tie their marriage; by losing it she is dismissing him”. Geller, Michael J., 2014, pp. 113-117.
Upon proof that Cassio has the handkerchief, Iago gets Othello to effectively divorce Desdemona and align himself with Iago. His plan to kill her is not only persuasive but very clever: he knows that Othello will be put to death for the crime. Othello says,