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Othello Explication
In William Shakespeare’s Othello, unspoken fears of being an outsider and concerns about his public image contribute to the downfall of a tragic hero named Othello. Othello, a general in the Venetian army’s, final monologue reflects the importance of reputation and the conformity needed to fit his surroundings. He is seen as an outsider of the Venetian culture; he is frequently referred to as “the Moor” and is called an abundance of racial slurs by the Venice born natives. Although Othello never voices his internal struggle to feel accepted by the people around him, his image and physical appearance are some of major issues he faces. Even in the moments before he stabs himself, Othello is more concerned with the legacy he is leaving behind than with the death of his wife, Desdemona. Shakespeare uses Othello’s transformation from a heroic military soldier to a tragic figure to warn of the dangers of obsessing over one’s reputation and the need to feel accepted by society.
Othello is very particular in how he wants to be remembered by stating that he does not want his image to be exaggerated or toned down, but subconsciously, he is only trying to protect his reputation. After murdering Desdemona, Othello pleads with Lodovico and Gratiano, Desdemona’s father’s kinsmen, not to ask for forgiveness for committing such a heinous crime, but to remember him as an adequate man who made an irrevocable mistake. Instead of acknowledging his wife’s lifeless body, Othello is more with how he will be described in Lodovico and Gratiano’s letters. In the beginning of the play, Othello would profess his love for Desdemona at every available opportunity, but now he cares more about his own reputation than he does for his dead ...
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...o he murders his wife. Then, he does not want to be made to look like a murderer so he begs to be remembered as a different man than the one he actually is. In the midst of trying to save his reputation, Othello reveals his subconscious fears of not being accepted and always looking like a foreigner no matter what he accomplishes. Out of all his accomplishments in the military, Othello wants to be remembered for one specific story – the time he saved a Venetian from being abused by a Turk. It is as if he is forcefully portraying himself as a contributing member of Venice by saying that he protected it from outside forces. At the same time, he equates himself to the Turk and kills himself in the same way he killed the Turk. Othello, in trying to save his reputation, loses everything he has ever cared about or worked for – Desdemona, his reputation, and his career.
He is a powerful figure with many respecting him, though with him being at a higher level compared to others, he is prone to the insecurities that follow. First and foremost, Othello is not originally from Venice and this causes him to feel like an outsider compared to all the other men in the Venetian Army who are all from there. His age and race all play in the part of how he thinks people see him. Since he is a moor, “A dark-skinned Muslim” and is significantly older than Desdemona , he questions his self-worth and why Desdemona would stay with a man like him.
Othello is the Cultural Other in Venetian society, and while he is very learned, it is probable that he is not fully aware of the social and cultural mores that govern Venice. As a Moor, Othello was reared outside Venice, and thus remains separate and exoticized. Although a great military man, and accepted by the elite of Venice, there is still a foreign-ness to him. The characters in the play, for the most part, call Othello "the Moor" (1. 1. 37, 1. 1. 161, 1. 2. 56). By calling Othello "the Moor," his proper name is taken away and he is left as an object. He is only accepted because of his military prowess, and seems to be used almost as a commodity; he is sent to Cyprus, with little warning--almost at the whim of the Duke. It is only because he is valuable to Venice that he is not punished for marrying the white Desdemona; Brabantio's anger is a clear indication that miscegenation is not an acceptable practice. Therefore, being a stranger to Venetian society, even a vague inkling that he is only a body used to fight may lead to insecurity that only exacerbates the deep-seeded, pre-existing ...
Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’ explores the way in which stress affects characters of high status, confidence but who have a weak position socially. For a moment the protagonist Othello’s rank as the general in the Venetian army outweighed any of Brabantio and Iago’s racist remarks (which could be considered as Othello’s weak position socially – as a man of colour) towards him such as ‘black ram’ and ‘the black Moore’. ‘Let him do his spite’ Othello instantly disregards their slanders ‘my services which I have done the signiory/Shall out-tongue his complaints.’ Othello reveals his sense of pride and high status as a military leader, his services which ‘shall’ come before complaints highlights his confidence to the audience. However regardless of his high status and confidence as a military leader, stressful events caused by Iago (claim of Desdemona’s betrayal) still manages to manipulate Othello thus unravelling his tragic flaws. Shakespeare has incorporated jealousy with in Othello’s character; this flaw has made him prone to believing the words of Iago and becoming manipulated. Othello claims he’d rather men ‘tasted her sweet body’ as long as he ‘had nothing known,’ the idea of other men upon Desdemona proves to be too much for him to comprehend, perhaps ...
Othello is the tragedy, and, incidentally, the name of a Moor who serves as a general in the Italian military. He spends the first act of Shakespeare’s play in Venice, but is ordered shortly to Cyprus to fight the Turkish invasion. His journey isn’t officially noticeable at all in the play. One moment he’s defending himself in the Senate of Venice, the next he’s in Cyprus, taking credit for being victorious in a battle the storms fought for him against the Turks. The story unravels from there. His soon-to-be-lieutenant, Iago, whispers in his ear about his wife, Desdemona, and the unforgivable crime of adultery, throwing Othello’s orderly world to the winds of fate.
Othello began as one of the most well-liked and well-respected generals in Venice, so much so that the Duke of Cyprus requested Othello to be in charge of the battle against the Turks, “Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you against the general enemy Ottoman” (Othello 762). Along with being a respected general, Othello was also known to be very calm under pressure; he didn’t hide from Barbantio and was very calm in defending himself when Barbantio accused him of drugging his daughter or using magic to make her fall in love with him. Another quality Othello possessed was that he was a very loving husband to Desdemona. He treated her as an equal, even though women were usually treated as though they were inferior to men. Othello also let Desdemona voice her opinions and was always trying to put her needs in front of his
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.
In The Tragedy of Othello, William Shakespeare tells the tale of the “noble Moor” whose honor and innocence bring about his downfall. Shakespeare writes of the power of jealousy, and the art of masterful deception and trickery. The story primarily takes place in Cyprus, during a war between the people of Venice and the invading Turks. In this play Shakespeare shows the feelings of Othello’s embittered right-hand man of, Iago, who feels he is passed over for a promotion and swears his revenge. He proceeds to manipulate his friends, enemies, and family into doing his bidding without any of them ever realizing his ultimate goal. He makes Othello believe that his new wife, the innocent Desdemona, is committing adultery with his newly promoted officer Michael Cassio. After this seed of jealousy has been planted, Othello’s mind takes its course in determining the true outcome, with a little more nudging from Iago. The course of action he proceeds to follow is one that not only ends his own life, but also the life of his wife and others. In Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Othello, Othello is a man who is still truly honorable, despite the course of action he takes to resolve his perceived problem.
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
The role of jealousy, love and betrayal play a major role in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. The entire play is based on the human interactions of the characters as related to Othello and Desdemona. The characters’ personalities, their social status, and their relationships to each other control the story line and their fate in the play. Othello is portrayed early in the play as an outsider with animalistic characteristics by Iago and Roderigo because of jealousy. “Your heart is burst; and have lost half of your soul/Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/Is tupping your white ewe”.(531) Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, accuses Othello of using witch craft on his daughter. “If she in chains of magic were not bound/ Whether a maid so tender, fair, and happy/ So opposite to marriage that she shunned…” (535) This point is important because Othello must defend himself not only to Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, but to the entire Venetian Senate. “And till she come, as truly as to heaven,/ I do confess the vices of my blood./ So justly to your grave ears I’ll present/ How I did thrive in this fair lady’s love, / And she in mine.” (539) Othello proves himself to be an intellectual hero early in the play. He has worked hard to gain respectability and power, but because he has a different background, is from another country, is dark-skinned and is older than Desdemona, he becomes jealous very quickly of Cassio. Cassio is from the same social class, is compatible with Desdemona and is a young handsome man. Iago has also convinced Cassio to seek favor with Desdemo...
One’s vision of themselves can be a determining factor in the way they carry themselves, and act in situations. Being an outsider from Africa, he gained his respect from being a courageous, intelligent, and skillful general in the Venetian army. Although Othello is confident in his military defense matters, when it comes to socializing with the upper class venetians he is insecure, as demonstrated when he goes to defend himself to the Duke by saying “Rude am I in my speech, / And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace” (1.3.83-84). Othello acknowledges the fact that he is not as well versed in speaking as they are, so there is no point in him trying to explain himself, all he can explain is simply put what happened. Although they share the same values, and patriotism for Venice he feels
Othello's reputation also plays a big role in this play and the outcome of it. He has the reputation of a no nonsense military general. This status in fact partly causes Desdemona's death. He becomes so distraught when he hears from Iago that Cassio and Desdemona and cheating on him he becomes angry and wants to kill her. "I will chop her into messes! Cuckold me?" He is surprised and astonished that she would go behind his back and do this. His reputation doesn't allow him to confront her with the situation and talk things over. He is also angry that his reputation would be tarnished when found out that he is a cuckold. He proves that his reputations means a lot to him when he says, "For nought I did in hate, but all in honour." Othello believed that reputation was everything, because of his status as a general and the fact that those under him and above him respected him. Othello's reputation played a big role in the outcome of the play and in part caused Desdemona's death and his own.
In Shakespeare's Othello, reputation is one of the main themes that is expressed. Every characters reputation played a vital role in how and why certain events were played out. For instance, Iago analyzed each individual's reputation, found their weaknesses, and used them to his advantage. Characters like Iago, Cassio, Desdemona, and Othello were all concerned with their reputations throughout the tragedy. If the concern of each characters reputation was not part of Othello, then the story and events that took place would have played out differently.
One of the first impressions gained of Othello is that he is a great war hero. Before much else is said of him, tales of his skill and valor in battle are illustrated and he is shown to be a great and famed warrior. He naturally possesses many attributes typically associated with soldiers. From the beginning Othello is noble, quick to act, judicious, trusting, and gives much weight to the importance of duty. These are all traits that serve to make him great at the beginning of the play, and later, ironically become key elements in his downfall. These aspects can be considered the internal causes of Othello’s tragic flaw. “Othello's nature is all of one piece. His trust, where he trusts, is absolute…. Love, if he loves, must be to him the heaven where either he must leave or bear no life. If such a passion as jealousy seizes him, it will swell into a well-night incontrollable flood.” Othello is pure an...
William Shakespeare gave us a most moving drama in Othello. In this play we witness the demise of a “paragon” of a wife and a “valiant Moor”, Othello. Let us consider the Moor in detail, with professional critical input, in this essay.
Even though Othello is a highly respected general of the armies of Venice, but because he is a North African, a moor, he has deep insecurities because of his race. Even though he is so intelligent and a powerful figure, because of his self-consciousness and insecurities he is an easy target and these flaws are what let him be manipulated so easily by Iago. Othello’s idea that all men are as honest as he is and his open nature are what Iago uses to twist Othello’s love into the powerful jealousy that leads to him murdering Desdemona.