StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

The Character of Othello - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The Character of Othello. The character of Othello is full of paradoxes, since he has both noble and brutal qualities, which gradually are revealed throughout the play. He changes from being a brave and respected military leader, and a loyal, loving husband, to being a jealous and cowardly murderer of his innocent wife…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.2% of users find it useful
The Character of Othello
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Character of Othello"

Download file to see previous pages

From the beginning of the play Iago’s twisted vision of Othello is presented to the audience, even before Othello himself appears on stage. In Act I Scene 1, Iago refers to Othello mockingly as “his Moorship,” (line 32) “the Moor,” (lines 39, 57, 149) “an old black ram,” (line 88), “A Barbary horse” (line 113), “a lascivious Moor” (line 128). These descriptions are all intended to discredit Othello and represent him as a foreigner, a non-Christian, and a predator on the innocent Desdemona.

When Othello appears in Act I Scene 2, however, he impresses the audience with his sincerity when he says quite simply “But that I love the gentle Desdemona…” (line 25). Clearly Iago is biased in his representation of Othello, and the audience is able to form a different and more positive impression of him. The plotting of Iago constructs a web of lies around Desdemona’s innocent relationship with Cassio, and this deliberate deception is what pushes Othello into a jealous rage. At first he does not believe the accusations that Iago is making and asks for “ocular proof” (Act 3, Scene 3, line 365).

This is to his credit, because he does love his wife and wants to believe that the accusation is not true. It is significant that he says farewell to his illustrious career, even at the suggestion of Desdemona’s infidelity, because he ties his own honor so closely to his marriage with Desdemona. A deceived husband role is not one that Othello is willing or able to play. When the device of the planted handkerchief apparently provides that proof, Othello is caught in his own logic: he must end the slight to his honor with a violent intervention.

A modern audience might wonder why Othello does not have a longer discussion about this with his wife, and why Desdemona appears to be so willing to take the blame for what happens. These expectations come from a modern age perspective, however, in which women and men have a more equal standing in society. In Shakespeare’s time, the word of a woman was worth little, and this is why Othello does not listen to her protests, and why she does not try to find out how or why Othello has come to this conclusion about her.

Othello trusts Iago, and believes Iago’s gossip and lies, and this seals his fate. Desdemona’s guilt is assumed, and Othello is driven mad by his own pride and anger. A key factor which works against Othello is his inability to see through Iago’s duplicity. Once again Othello’s pride, and a touch of arrogance perhaps, prevent him from appreciating what is going on. It suits Othello to blindly accept the advice of “honest Iago” – the word honest is used many times by many characters in connection with Iago.

Shakespeare is highlighting this quality, perhaps, because Iago is precisely not honest, but Othello, for all his faults, is honest and true to himself throughout the play. The contrast between Othello and Iago may well be intended to highlight the difference between military power (such as Othello weilds) and political power (which Iago uses to deadly effect). This lesson no doubt applied to the Elizabethan age, where intrigue was common in aristocratic and royal circles, and it still applies to modern democratic states too.

Shakespeare’s message seems to be that sometimes good men can be corrupted by political trickery. In conclusion, then, it is indeed Iago’s plotting that brings Othello to his sad death at the end of the play. Iago is much

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The Character of Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
The Character of Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1438414-othello-character-analysis
(The Character of Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
The Character of Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words. https://studentshare.org/literature/1438414-othello-character-analysis.
“The Character of Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1438414-othello-character-analysis.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Character of Othello

Othello as a Tragic Hero

When analysing The Character of Othello on this ground, one can see that Othello is a renowned and prosperous general who meets his tragic doom not because of misfortune but a flaw in his character, namely, his growing jealously.... The description Othello as a noble general in the play has often been viewed as an apt judgement about The Character of Othello by many critics.... Therefore, one can certainly assume that the construction of the character of a tragic hero is so complicated that one has to engage in a great endeavour to judge or evaluate the intricacies in the creation of such a popular character like Othello....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Three men who have played othello

One of the major differences that have been seen in The Character of Othello has been his race.... In this article we are going to discuss how Orson Welles, Ira Aldridge and Tommaso Salvini have represented The Character of Othello.... Orson Welles was a white actor who takes the role of othello.... Iran Aldridge was the first black actor to take up the role of othello.... This was a better portray of othello considering that he was believed to be black in the original play....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Paper

A Shakespearian Stage History: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moore of Venice

In that sense The Character of Othello shares one more common trait with Shakespeare's tragic heroes and that is his unshaken courage and his indomitable will, which he not only evinces in facing the hardships that he comes across in life, but also in meeting his death with a sense of poise and a marked manliness.... Name of the Student World Literature Name of the Concerned Professor 25 July 2013 A Shakespearian Stage History: The Tragedy of othello, the Moore of Venice There is no denying the fact that there happen to be only two nations that have distinguished themselves in the sphere of tragedy, which are the Greeks and the English....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Othello paper The heroism of othello

These kinds of characters are plentiful in Shakespeare's works, including The Character of Othello.... A more classical definition of the heroic The Heroism of othello In his final words, Othello confesses that he has “loved not wisely, but too well” (V, ii, 353).... This insight goes a long way toward explaining othello's character.... This insight goes a long way toward explaining othello's character.... The play opens with a mob of angry townspeople coming to do harm to othello because they believe he has shamed the daughter of one of the merchants....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Othello the Moor of Venice as a Tragedy

istotle's concept of tragedy is based on a sum total of a few essential fundamentals that are a complex plot with a suitable beginning middle and the end, organic unity, appropriate length, the unities of time and place, apt relationship between the character and plot, goodness, consistency of characterization, hamartia, peripity, anagnorisis or discovery, feelings of pity and fear and catharsis.... Based on the parameters as established by Aristotle for a worthy tragedy, William Shakespeare's othello, the Moor of Venice is an ideal Aristotelian tragedy....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

Othello, the Moore of Venice

The negative aspect of the character of Roderigo is balanced by the positivity in The Character of Othello.... This shows the negative aspect of the character of Roderigo.... This balance is indicated by the characters of othello and Roderigo.... This balance is indicated by the characters of othello and Roderigo.... The accomplishments of othello are so impressive that when the Duke listens to the story of othello that he told Desdemona, he is compelled to say, “I think this tale would win my daughter too....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

A Study of William Shakespeare's Othello

However, when the play's setting moves to Cyprus, a different side of othello is seen.... he character of OthelloOthello is the general of the army of Venice, and he is the main character in the play.... The main characters in the play are othello; the play is named after him, Iago, Desdemona, Emilia and Cassio.... On the other hand, the supporting… This paper presents a study of William Shakespeare's “othello”. Different characters in the play display how their intentions are strikingly driven by passion instead of reason....
2 Pages (500 words) Book Report/Review

Whether Othello Fits Aristotles Explanation of Attributes of Drama

Explain how The Character of Othello, Blanche, or Stanley fits—or perhaps does not entirely fit—Aristotle's definition of… They are dramas based on human suffering that invokes in its audience a complementary pleasure in the viewing (Sifakis, 24).... In the analysis of Aristotle, it is evident that in an ideal tragedy, character will back the plot.... This sudden change “should be as an outcome, not of vise, but of certain great blunder or frailty in a character....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us