The false acceptance, and tolerances of one class of people, by another class of people, can lead to tragic misunderstandings. In the article a Critical Essay on “Othello”, author Diane Andrews Henningfeld examines the varied social aspects in the play Othello. Henningfed is a Professor Emerita, at Adrian College in the Greater Detroit Area, and has an extensive education in literary and research. The article subject matter is very clear and precise utilizing examples from the play and the effects of the different communities and the hegemony on the characters.
The Venetian Community setting of the play Othello and its multilayered society standards and customs greatly attribute to the actions of the characters. The author of the article goes into to the difference of the military hegemony, in which Othello originates, and the patriarchal hegemony that is the where Brabantio, and his daughter Desdemona are part of, and its effects on the players in Othello. Their lives are intertwined, even though they are from different hegemony groups which lead to misunderstandings intentional and unintentional throughout the play. Henningfed article is enlightening to the novice readers of Shakespeare’s Othello as it gives in-depth perspective into the societal and cultural aspects and understandings of the characters in the play. The tolerances of Othello by the Venetians is explained in the article by the author as they see Othello as this great military warrior who serves them, they own him for the services he provides to them in war against the Turks. The explanations of the interaction of Brabantio and Othello are explained utilizing their different places in society and examples author Henningfed uses;
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...w and why they act and react to one another. The essay gives the reader a clearer vision as to why Othello was easily manipulated by Iago. The essay asserts in the forefront the class level of the major characters and rationalizes why their acceptances of each other ends in tragedy. The explanations of classes in the article allow the reader to draw a different perspective on the play and the characters actions. The first reading of the article may present a challenge to some readers who are not familiar with terminology associated with linguistics and hegemony. Overall the article is a positive tool to include in any teaching of Othello.
Works Cited
Henningfeld, Diane Andrews. "Critical Essay on 'Othello” Drama for Students. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. Vol. 20. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
Document URL http://go.galegroup.com
One of the major themes of Othello is that of jealousy, a manifestation of paranoia and obsession in itself. Iago’s burning desire to drive Othello to madness and a compulsion to disgrace those above him can be seen, with a Marxist reading, as his intense dissatisfaction with the social system he is a part of, ‘we cannot all be masters, nor all masters Cannot be truly followed’. Likewise, his intellectual superiority over his betters and peers is made evident ...
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55)
Orkin, Martin. “Othello and the “plain face” Of Racism.” 2nd ed. Vol. 38. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 166-88. Shakespeare Quarterly. Folger Shakespeare Library in Association with George Washington University, Summer 1987. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. .
Scott, Mark. Critical Interperatation of Othello. from Shakespeare for Students. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Incorperated, 1992. 411-457.
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.
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55)
Barthelemy, Anthony G. "Introduction" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 1-19)
11 Dec. 2011. The "Othello". Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht.
Snyder, Susan. "Beyond the Comedy: Othello" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (page 23-37)
William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello” shows how a manipulative villain can create chaos within a society. The play was written around the year 1603 and takes place in Venice Italy before it is repositioned to Cyprus. This Shakespearean tragedy shows the effects of jealousy, love, desire, betrayal and passion in a society with an imbalance of power in a race, gender, and social position.
Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 68-90)
Watkinson, A. "Othello: The Ironic Interdependence of Othello and Iago." Novels for Students. 5 November 2004. http://www.enotes.com/othello/743/print
- - -. Othello. 1968. Ed. Kenneth Muir. The New Penguin Shakespeare. London: Penguin Books, 1996.
"Othello." Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 649-87. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. .
Shakespeare’s Othello consists of the themes betrayal, love and dishonesty. At the centre of this play is the tragic downfall of Othello at the hands of his so called friend Iago. In this essay I will be discussing the reasons for and against Othello being responsible for his downfall through looking at critical interpretations of his character and actions.