Category: Othello

Mordred, the principal villain in Le Morte Darthur was King Arthur’s nephew and illegitimate son, who betrayed him and contributed to the demise of his Camelot reign. The story concerns rivalry, retribution, and jealousy, and the book generally supports and promotes the chivalry and honor ideals, although these principles are frequently contrasted with the demeanor of numerous knights who exhibit poor adherence to them. Othello, on the other hand, is a drama about betrayal, love, murder, and deception, with Iago, among Shakespeare’s main villains, duping a Venetian army commander into thinking his new bride is unfaithful to him. Iago goes insane, and numerous men die as a result of his falsehoods and deception. A major villain appears in both Motre Darthur’s and Othello’s tales. Mordred is in Motre Darthur, while Iago is in Othello. Jealousy and betrayal are present in both stories.

Both Le Motre Darthur and Othello’s antagonists are driven by jealousy, which leads to killing in the end. Jealousy is a major subject in Othello. From the story’s outset, the protagonists are bursting with jealousy. Roderigo portrays envy towards Othello, whereas Iago shows envy towards Cassio. Iago’s influence is powerful enough to continue the jealousy and raises Othello’s misgivings about Desdemona. Iago’s evil and rage ruin Othello’s happiness and Desdemona’s relationship. The mistrust grows, culminating in the assassinations of Emilia, Roderigo, and Desdemona, as well as Othello’s death. Iago must also deal with the tragedy in his own life. In truth, Iago’s evilness inspires Roderigo’s jealousy and Othello’s misgivings of his own innocent wife, Desdemona. In the drama, Iago posits, “O sir, content you./I follow him to serve my turn upon him./We cannot all be masters, nor all masters/Cannot be truly followed.” (Shakespeare 112). The scenario in the play comes to a sad conclusion owing to this. Hence, this aspect demonstrates how jealousy emerges and grows damaging the characters’ lives. Similarly, envy and treachery drive the Round Table to collapse in Le Morte d’Arthur. In the book, Lancelot’s romance with Guinevere provides a chance for Arthur’s court’s envious knights. “This is no wisdom nor no stability, but feebleness of nature and great disworship, whoever useth this,” Malory says, referring to the fellowship’s role in Arthur’s court’s downfall (Malory 444). Mordred capitalizes on Arthur’s fascination with Lancelot and Guinevere, his queen, and seizes Arthur’s throne while Gawain and Arthur are hunting Lancelot. Jealousy, hatred, and treachery undoubtedly contributed to the Round Table’s collapse.

In each of their respective literature, Mordred and Iago represent evil-mindedness. The Orkeney brothers (Mordred and Aggravain) in Le Motre Darthur become split between those wanting to disclose Lancelot and Guinevere’s adultery and those that do not (Gareth, Gaherys, and Gawain). The advice is significant because of its wicked motives. Mordred and Aggravain desire Lancelot’s exposure not for the kingdom’s benefit, but to the disadvantage of Lancelot. Moreover, this nefarious advice is being given in Arthur’s living quarters. If only Arthur’s influence was substantially diminished could a plan against his spouse and favored knight be carried out without his awareness in his private abode. Gawain declines to be a part of Aggravain and Mordred’s scheme, disputing them rationally and reiterating the ‘counsel’ word thrice. “Brothir, sir Aggravayne, I pray you and charge you, meve no such maters no more afore me, for wyte you well, I woll nat be of youre counceyle,” she says at one point (Malory 448). These words demonstrate that she is uninterested in their devious schemes. Iago, on the other hand, establishes himself as evil-minded from the beginning of the play Othello. Iago is displeased by Cassio’s elevation to military lieutenant and his proximity to Othello, the army’s general. He is disgruntled and believes he is being unfairly treated. He then begins to concoct a scheme to assassinate Cassio. Simultaneously, Roderigo is used as a tool in his diabolical scheme. Roderigo is in full sorrow after failing to win Desdemona’s hand in marriage. Roderigo is saddened when Othello surreptitiously marries Desdemona without Brobantio, Desdemona’s father, knowing. Despite Roderigo facing Desdemona’s rejection, he has feelings for her. He is envious of the romance between Desdemona and Othello. “Call up her father; Rouse him, make a! er him, poison his delight, Do; with like timorous accent and dire yell,” Iago says, encouraging Roderigo to disturb their bond by noting it to Brobantio at night (Shakespeare 9). Iago wants to end Desdemona’s and Othello’s relationship. As a result, he believes that alerting Brobantio is the best option. Iago is using Roderigo for this assignment. Thus, in both Le Motre Darthur and Othello, the protagonists reflect their wicked natures in this way.

Both Othello and Le Motre Dathur have a strong betrayal element. The betrayal theme has an impact on several of the individuals in Othello. Both Rodrigo and Othello suffer a terrible betrayal at Iago’s sinister hands. Iago’s betrayal of General Othello occurs through his attempts to destroy his connection with Desdemona via a series of deceitful activities intended to exact vengeance on Othello for failing to promote him to Lieutenant. Rodrigo faces Iago’s betrayal by using his great passion for Desdemona against him, and by manipulating and eventually betraying Rodrigo’s intransigence. Just as a rumor circulated of Iago’s cuckoldry owing to his wife’s supposed adultery, he weaves a fresh web of deception. “If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself pleasure, me a sport,” Iago says (Shakespeare 17). This figure dupes Othello into trusting him over Desdemona which ends up being Othello’s worst blunder. The other characters make the error of putting their faith in Iago leading to their demise. In Le Morte D’Arthur, there is also a great deal of betrayal. The betrayal topic encompasses not just knights betraying their monarchs and spouses betraying their spouses, but also household betrayal. As far as Mordred’s betrayal is concerned, it was extremely terrible. He deceived not just his father, but he also perished at his father’s hands as a result of it. In the end, there was betrayal in both Lancelot’s, Gwenyvere’s, and Arthur’s relationships, as well as Trystrames’, King Mark’s, and Isoud’s. The narrator notes, “Lo thus was the olde custom and usayges of thys londe, and men say that we of thys londe have nat yet loste that custom.” (Malory 495). The narrator faults “usayges” and “custom” for the people’s rejection of Arthur in preference for Mordred in this quotation. Evidently, in both texts, betrayal has disastrous consequences.

To summarize, both Motre Darthur’s and Othello’s stories have main villains. Iago is in Othello, whereas Mordred is in Le Motre Darthur. Both stories contain elements of jealousy and betrayal. For their own benefit, the two characters damage the lives of others, but this takes a toll on their own lives as well. Altogether, the texts allow viewers to gain a new perspective on the persons around them and to explore and experience the world in new ways as reflected in the characters’ actions, as well as the consequences of permitting such evil to the detriment of self and others.

Works Cited

Malory, Thomas. Le Morte D’Arthur: Volume 2. Penguin UK, 2004.

Shakespeare, William. Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. Vol. 31. B. Tauchnitz, 1868.

The main idea of the William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, written in 1604, is the confrontation of the mind and the heart. During the first part of the third act, Iago tells Othello Iago tells Othello, “O beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is thegreen-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on.” This phrase helps Iago to raise doubts and jealousy in Othello’s heart. The expression illustrates the connection between green color and envy or jealousy. This phrase sounds incredibly ironic from Iago because he manipulates and lies throughout the story; the dramatic irony of this moment includes the fact that the readers feel themselves participating in Iago’s acts

Emilia, Bianca, and Desdemona, all three female characters, are rejected by their lovers, even better to say betrayed. Women are illustrated as men’s possessions. Iago speaks about his wife Emilia obscenely and disrespectfully; moreover, he covertly uses her in his games to harm Desdemona. In the end, Emilia turns out to b a strong-willed and sincere character; she is not ready to be tolerant of lies and slander. All that makes her an approachable figure. Women are represented as the tool to fulfill men’s appetite. It is illustrated in dialogues of men, for example, when Iago talks to Cassio. Cassio speaks about Bianca as if he does not think about her feelings and experiences at all; he plays with her dreams and hopes, abuses her devotion, and asserts himself. Desdemona appears to be a victim of abuse, lies, and jealousy in this play. She also becomes a victim because of her innocence and indulgence. It may seem violent, but I do not sympathize with her as a hero. In the play, women are illustrated as the victims of public opinion, which demands to follow the social norms of the ideal woman or to suffer from the evading system.

Othello describes himself as, “one who loved not wisely, but too well.” It seems that this phrase was created as the justification for Othello’s actions and decisions. Othello says that jealousy was not the passion that initially determined his behavior in the face of death. Still, that passion took hold of him when he founded himself unable to resist Iago’s influence on him. This capacity for resistance, his credulity underestimates his heroic, in my opinion. Unfortunately, blindly following the feelings and emotions deprived of the voice of reason will inevitably turn into tragedy.

Work Cited

Mowart, B. A. & Werstine, P., (Eds.). (2017). Othello by William Shakespeare. Simon & Schuster.

Passion is the leading motive in Shakespeare’s Othello and Marquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Though the protagonists of the stories regard their feelings as love, the analysis of their actions reveals that their motives are dictated more by selfish passion than by pure and altruistic love.

In Othello, the main protagonist is overwhelmed by strong feelings resulting in adverse consequences. It appears that the feelings and actions of Othello are dictated by passion rather than by love. Love is free of selfishness and manifestations of possessive instinct while Othello’s actions are encouraged by his egoism and willingness to be the only master of Desdemona’s body and soul.

Though first he truly falls in love with Desdemona, later the strong jealousy overweighs his love and turns him from a loving husband into a passionate one. Othello is a great example of how passion provoked by jealousy can uncover the dark side of the personality. Othello’s unwillingness to listen to Desdemona’s explanations revealing her innocence, obsession with searching for the proves of her unfaithfulness, and inability to judge the events logically demonstrate that Othello’s mind is severely darkened by the devastating jealousy, which is typical of passion.

Shakespeare demonstrates the difference between passion and love by the example of Othello, whose devastating passion makes him selfish and destroys his love to Desdemona, whose feelings are altruistic and free of egoism. Iago is another hero of the play driven by passion provoked by jealousy. Though there is a lack of explanations of his motifs, he appears to be guided by jealousy.

He is jealous because he thinks Othello has seduced his wife and because of the Moor’s fame and young, beautiful wife. Shakespeare uses this character to reveal how the passion for revenge can drive the person to commit the crimes and destroy the lives of innocent people.

In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Marquez pictures the number of protagonists driven by passion. The passion for honor overshadows love for most characters of the story, as honor is valued much higher than love by the inhabitants of the city. The Vicario brothers serve as an example of such priorities in the society. Prior to the wedding, they do not care about the sister’s feelings and encourage her to marry Bayardo without love.

They also pay little attention to the feelings of Angela and do not put much effort in soothing her after a humiliating return to father’s home. However, they are passionate about following the code of honor accepted in the society, which considers that loss of Angela’s virginity obliges the brothers to revenge the sister’s lost honor. The conflict between their unwillingness to kill a person and the feeling of duty to avenge the insult to the family’s honor demonstrates how much passionate they are about being respected members of the society.

The feelings of Angela and Bayardo can also be called passion though its causes differ from the ones related to the passion of the Vicario brothers. Angela, who is not in love with Bayardo prior to their wedding, falls in love with him after he returns her home during their first night after the wedding. However, Angela’s feelings resemble obsession more than love.

Her love to Bayardo is highly questionable as she does not even know his personality. They have not communicated much before the wedding, and both of them know very little about each other except their outward appearance and social status. She becomes passionate about Bayardo because of the loss of her honor. In fact, it appears that this passion is encouraged by the feelings of regret and shame more than by affection to Bayardo.

Angela feels attached to Bayardo because of the shame her impurity has brought to him and regard her regretful obsession as love. Bayardo also does not love Angela, as he is driven by lust, which is a typical component of passion. His feelings towards Angela have a purely selfish ground as he views her as a beautiful trophy and is not interested in her personality and soul. His affection towards the beautiful, young lady forces him to use the power of wealth to make her his wife instead of winning her heart.

The main protagonists of the discussed stories are driven by passion rather than by love. Their actions are selfish and self-centered, which is a typical constituent of passion. The authors oppose the passion with love by revealing the true nature and devastating effects of the former.

There are so many literary works, which deserve people’s attention any time. They touch upon rather different issues: love, friendship, career, lies, envy, etc. Desire to love, lead, and live, I call it like “L3”, turns out to be one of my favorite topics in any literary piece of work.

To my mind, among all literary works, Machiavelli’s The Prince and Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice may be considered as the brightest examples, where the authors make an attempt to describe leadership skills and, at the same time, pay enough attention to loving affairs and some other living issues.

The masterpiece, presented by Machiavelli, is a good example of how to get and even remain in future the necessary power, and the brilliant work by Shakespeare demonstrates how unjustified jealousy accompanied with great power may lead to some unpredictable and more negative than positive outcomes.

This is why Machiavelli would viewed Othello’s leadership abilities as a bit weak leader, and Iago’s intentions to take leading positions by any possible means are more in Machiavelli’s style than Othello’s uncertainty and distrust in people around.

The major character in Machiavelli’s work is more inspired by means of concrete instruction and clear goals: leaders should be sure about their powers and follow the rules, which will certainly lead to success. It is not that easy to control lots of people, and this is why it is better to define the steps, which will help to take everything under control and not to be kept by personal fears and uncertainty. The major mistake of Othello, as I think, is his blind trust to wrong people and constant doubt about those people, who are really sincere to him.

The major point concerning Machiavelli is his desire to turn traditional morality into obsolete one. Othello is one of the brightest examples, when a certain leader cannot control own emotions and easily loses his faith within his intuition. The leader cannot be manipulated by some other people.

Machiavelli admits that even the use of mercenaries and other auxiliary forces may destroy the development of power, and a true leader should find out the ways, which will never disturb a real leader and never manipulate him. Machiavelli also concentrates his readers’ attention that auxiliary forces may be rather dangerous (Lawall, 2521) According to Machiavelli, there should be no moral basis, which may certainly describe which use of power is legitimate and which one is illegitimate.

In order to be a powerful leader, a person should forget even about personal doubts and never demonstrate them on public. This is a leader, and no one have enough powers to disturb him or frustrate his plans. Shakespeare’s Othello cannot serve as a brilliant example of a good leader. His internal fight and his jealousy stand on his way to absolute power. His trust to auxiliary forces turns out to be one more mistake that would be never forgiven by Machiavelli.

There is one more point I want to admit in this work: Iago’s words cannot but attract the attention of all those readers, who are eager to find out some pieces of Machiavelli in Shakespeare. “O, sir, content you/I follow him to serve my turn upon him:/We cannot all be masters, nor all masters/ Cannot be truly follow’d.” (Lawall, 2920)

This is where Machiavelli, and this is how his ideas are represented in Shakespeare’s work. Iago does tell the things as they are; and this is what may exactly characterize a leader. And Othello is not the person that Machiavelli would ever appreciate.

Works Cited

Lawall, Sarah, N. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. WW Norton & Co Inc, 2003.

Although his name is associated with Athens, Aristotle was a native of Thrace where he was born in 384 B.C. His father, Nicomathus, who died while Aristotle was young was physician at the court of Macedon and the son’s fortunes were always tied to those of the Macedonian rulers (Frost, 1942/ 1962).

In 368/7, when he was about seventeen, Aristotle came to Athens to study with Plato of the Academy. He stayed there for twenty years. Unfortunately, little is known about the personal relationship between the two greatest thinkers of their time, the one bringing to a close a long, productive career, the other in his formative years. It is suggested that Aristotle had broken off with Plato and was ready to leave the academy before the latter’s death in 348/7 (Frost, 1942/1962).

“As a pupil of Plato, Aristotle and his master stand among the world’s very greatest of philosophers” (Frost, 1942/ 1962).

In 348/7, Philip of Macedon attacked Stagira. Nearly forty, his master dead and his ancestral home destroyed, Aristotle left Athens and the Academy. He was away for thirteen years. He probably taught for three years at Assos in Asia Minor, where he lived under the protection of the ruler, Hermias. There he married Hermias’ niece, Pythias who bore him a daughter. By another woman of Stagira, he had a son, Nicomachus. For another three years, he lived at Mytilene on the island of Lisbos.

At the invitation of King Philip, Aristotle came to the Macedonian court as tutor to the thirteen-year-old heir to the throne. Alexander the Great. From this association which lasted about eight years, Aristotle gained the friendship and protection of the most powerful ruler of his time. When Alexander the Great died, Aristotle fled to Chalcis, where he died the following year at the age of about 62 (Kaplan, 1958) William Shakespeare was a strong adherent of Aristotle in his writings. Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare of Stratford –upon- Avon, a substantial citizen of that small but busy market town in the heart of the rich agricultural county of Warwick. John Shakespeare kept a shop and dealt in wool and other produce, gradually acquiring property. As a youth, he learned the trade of gloves and leather worker.

John married Mary Arden, daughter of his father’s landlord. The third of their eight children was William, baptized on April 26 and was probably born three days before. John sent his son to free grammar school. The grammar school provided basic education in Latin learning and literature and a little knowledge of Greek.

There is little documentation for Shakespeare’s boyhood. The most important record is a marriage license issued November 27, 1582 to permit William Shakespeare to marry Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior. 1592, the first reference to Shakespeare as an actor and playwright was available. Documents indicate that in 1598, he was a “principal comedian” and in 1603, he was a “principal tragedian”. Shakespeare’s literary activity seems to have been almost entirely devoted to the theater.

In an anthology by Francis Meres, many playwrights are mentioned but Shakespeare is the only name whose plays are listed. From his acting and playwrighting, Shakespeare seems to have made considerable money. He put it to work, making a lot of investments in Stratford real estate. On April 25, 1616, he was buried within the chancel of the church at Stratford (Wright, 1967).

“Thirty-seven plays, as well as some poems are held to constitute the Shakespeare canon. The dates of composition of most of his works are highly uncertain. There is no real proof, for example, that Othello is not as early as Romeo and Juliet, but intelligent guessing leads us to believe that Othello comes later.” (Bryant, 1964).

Othello is one of Shakespeare’s outstanding tragedies (thesis statement). What is a tragedy? “A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also having magnitude, complete in itself in language with pleasurable accessories, each kind brought separately in the parts of the work in a dramatic, not in narrative form, with incidents arousing pity and fear – wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions” (Kaplan, 1942).

“Othello is one of the darkest and most passionate of the plays of William Shakespeare. It tells about the nature of love, friendship and betrayal. Set in Venice and the exotic island of Cyprus, the play narrates the tale of Othello, the Moor and Desdemona who dares to love him against the backdrop of war and the quest for power. Then Iago and his wife, Emilia enter their lives. Jealousy and the mad powers of the imagination together form an alliance of conflicting passions and cunning lies that destroy every one ad everything in their wake.”(Studying Othello The Moor of Venice)

The story of the play in a nutshell goes thus: Othello, a noble Moor in the military service of Venice who marries Desdemona, daughter of a senator. Iago, his ancient or standard bearer, a man of mean mind and thwarted ambition, makes Othello think that Desdemona has been unfaithful. The moor smothers his wife and then, confronted with proof of Iago’s perfidy, kills himself.” (Grolier’s Encyclopedia, 1961).

A tragic event is one in which an individual suffers greatly, as Othello did, believing the infidelity of Desdemona. Aware of his plight and learning from it, he struggles against his suffering and its causes.

For Aristotle, tragedy is true because of its unity of plot. The plot of tragedy must proceed according to the laws of probability. The events of the plot must be related as cause to effect. This is true of Othello. Tragedy is therefore “truer” than history wherein things frequently happen by chance. The truth of tragedy is that it imitates the true form of things rather than their accidental appearance. For Aristotle, the true nature of things is the necessary or probable consequences of a given combination of people and circumstances.

One of the most difficult concepts introduced in Aristotle Poetics is “catharsis”. Catharsis is most often defined as the “purging” of the emotions of pity and fear that occurs when we watch a tragedy like Othello. What is actually involved in this purging is not clear, but what is experienced in such an excess of tragic suffering is something common. The spectator recognizes himself/herself and his/her finiteness in the face of the power of fate. What happens, for example, to the character Othello has exemplary significance. To see that “this is how it is” is a kind of self-knowledge for the spectator, who emerges with new insight from the illusions in which he/she, like everyone else lives.

“Othello” has perhaps the simplest plot of any of Shakespeare’s plays. There are no real sub-plots, only very brief comic interludes, and what happens from Act 2 to Act 5 takes place in a period of some thirty six hours. In Othello, events happen in a shorter space of time than is usual with Shakespeare. The classical Greek writer Aristotle recommended that the plays should have what he called “unity of time, place and action. He argued that the action of a play should not take longer than twenty four hours. Excluding the first act which serves as a prologue, Othello comes closer than most Shakesperean plays. The effect on the audience is to make the tragedy more intense. This brings the reader to an explanation of the term “hamartia”.

The Greek word that describes what many people refer to as the “tragic flaw” of the hero of Greek tragedy is ‘hamartia’. Hamartia has a complex meaning which includes “sin”, “error” and “missing the mark”. The “mistake” of the hero plays a significant role in the plot o the tragedy. The logic of the hero’s fall into misfortune is determined by the nature of his/her particular kind of hamartia. In Othello, hamartia is evident in the unreasonable jealousy of the character Othello.

Othello’s belief in Desdemona’s “adultery” is literally illogical since there is no occasion when it could have transpired. Desdemona and Cassio traveled to Cyprus on different ships. From that moment on, there is no time when the two were together. This fact does not only make Othello’s jealousy hard for the viewer to believe in; it shows it to be more insane. The villain Iago makes him believe what is clearly impossible, yet Othello, maddened by his jealousy, cannot see it. Sometimes, the viewer would think that he is stupid to be swayed by the evil of Iago, but Iago is a villain and truly acts the part.

The reversal of the situation in the plot of a tragedy is the ‘peripeteia’ According to Aristotle, the change of fortune for the hero should be an event that occurs contrary to the audience’s expectations and that is therefore surprising; but that nevertheless seems a necessary outcome of the preceding actions.

In the last three acts, the plot moves almost with no interruption towards its tragic conclusion. At the start of Act 3, Othello is happily in love with Desdemona, yet his happiness is about to be ruined. Seeing Cassio with Desdemona, Iago hints at an adulterous relationship between them, although he knows he has no hard evidence. When Othello demands that Iago prove Desdemona’s guilt, Iago speaks to Bianca (Cassio’s mistress) in such a way that Othello thinks he is speaking about Desdemona. Othello then asks Iago to kill Cassio while Othello is to kill Desdemona.

Fully convinced of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, Othello verbally abuses his wife in front of others, who are shocked at the changes in the noble and powerful personage. At this point, it is important to describe the nature of Desdemona’s love for Othello. From beginning to end, she was faithful and true to her husband. Reviving after Othello’s attempt to finally kill her, she declares herself guiltless, but saying, as she dies, that Othello is innocent of her death. Her relationships with Cassio and Emilia were that of friendship alone and it was Emilia herself who defended Desdemona’s innocence, finding out that her evil husband Iago was behind the tragedy.

Anagnorisis, according to Aristotle is the recognition by the tragic hero of some truth about his/her identity or actions that accompany the reversal of the situation in the plot, the peripateia. When Othello sees the truth in Emilia’s statement, he tries to kill Iago, but Iago kills Emilia and flees. Othello condemns himself and commits suicide. After Othello kills Desdemona, Emilia, discovering what he has done, tells him he is wrong in his suspicions of Desdemona. Emilia and the wounded Cassio are able to persuade Othello of the truth before they are killed.

Despite his flaws and faulty decisions, mostly due to the machinations of Iago, Othello is almost fanatically loyal to the state he serves. When he is sure he has been betrayed, he makes a moving speech bidding farewell to his “occupation”. In his final speech, Othello speaks of is great loyalty to the Venetian state which he has disgraced by murdering his wife and of his terrible mistake, before stabbing himself as Iago is taken away to be tortured.

What a waste of lives! That of our hero, Othello and those of the two virtuous women – Desdemona and Emilia. Despite the color of his skin, Othello was a very good soldier to make it to the top as a Commander. He had great beauty of speech which had an inspiring effect on his men and nobility of character. This point is made clear by Desdemona: “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind.” They could have “lived happily ever after.” And Emilia – we can say that being such a moral person, she did not deserve the devil Iago as her husband.

“The practical and formal concerns that occupy Aristotle in the Poetics need to be understood in relation to a larger concern with the psychological and social purpose of literature. Criticism, according to Aristotle, should not be the application of unexamined aesthetic principles, but should pay careful attention to the overall function of any feature of a work of art in its context within the work, and should never lose sight of the functions of the work of art in its social context.” (Forster, 1955). It is hoped that this analysis of Othello might help the reader to review and clarify his understanding of the terms, concepts, categories and interrelationships that Aristotle introduces.

Sources

Bryant, J.R. , The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. 1964.

Forster, E.M. Aspects of the Novel. New York: Harcourt, Brace,Jovanovich, 1955.

Gadamer, H. Truth and Method. New York: Weinsheimer and Marshall, 1995.

Kaplan, J.D., ed. The Pocket Aristotle. Simon and Schuster, 1958.

Studying Othello, the Moor of Venice. 2008. Web.

Wright, L.B., & Lamar, V.A. Readers’ Shakespeare. Simon & Schuster, 1967.

Grolier’s Encyclopedia, Vol. XV, Grolier Incorporated, 1961.

In Iago, I see a criminal on instinct but of an entirely different kind; his motive is a thirst for destruction. He does not seek to seize the treasure – his intention is only to deprive the possessor of the treasure of pleasure. Iago is a tiger who kills only to cause others to suffer, to see the blood and grief around him, without any intention to make any profit out of the destruction he makes for himself and others. In this regard, he is reminiscent of wild volcanic forces, those terrible enemies of humankind, destroying everything and turning places where life and happiness thrived into a dead desert. In Iago, I cannot find universal human motives that could explain his crime: he is guided neither by hatred nor by feelings of enmity nor, ultimately, by a feeling of subordination.

Iago hates Othello because he is more fortunate than he and Othello’s very existence is a hindrance to his career plans. Spurred on by this hatred, Iago mobilizes all his feelings to its aid, including jealousy. In the same way, Iago’s feelings for Cassio, with whom he also becomes jealous, are formed. The protagonist considers Cassio’s promotion inappropriate because he is unable to assess the latter’s qualities, and the decision was made impulsively.

The protagonist is not cast out of the circle, a circle into which he wants to re-enter. The people he ruins are his own friends and comrades, people who favor and trust him: he belongs to their company, and he commands their respect. In the same way, there is no reason for me to think that he loves Desdemona, that his love is rejected by her, and that he is desperate for revenge. Shakespeare reveals his most immediately suggestible motif, thus emphasizing that he does not think of it as an explanation for Iago’s actions. The only remaining remark that Iago makes in passing is that he feels an attraction for Desdemona, but he immediately adds that it is not decisive for him.

Another of Iago’s special motives is that he suspects the Moor’s liaison with his wife, Emilia, has no particular significance. After noting that the Moor asked them to leave because he was in love with Desdemona, Iago continues: “He hath not yet made wanton the night with her, and she is the sport for Jove” (2.3.18–19). Here, scholars note that the protagonist cannot believe anything of the sort since he knows the Moor intimately enough. These arguments point to the invalidity of the hero’s motive.

Iago is a cynic in his views on the relationship between a man and a woman; the same cynicism he displays in his reflections on all other human relationships and feelings. In his opinion, the artful way he treats his lady is a forerunner of lust. He calls a servant, taking advantage of his position and lining his pockets, a man of intellect, and he views honor as an empty and deceitful concept.

Each time Iago acts according to his evidently immoral and despicable goals, but he always passes them off as moral and unselfish: “Virtue? A fig! ‘Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus” (1.3.6–7). A noble nature, easy of influence and meek, is good only for feeding fools; praise of the virtue of others, and virtue itself, is nothing more than empty talk. A cynic to the depths of his brain, he sees only the flipside in people and in good human qualities.

Shakespeare paints Iago’s philosophy from the very beginning of the play. It is built solely on hatred of man. Iago seems to preach the power of reason over the passions. However, his mind in Iago’s delivery is of a special kind: Iago needs it to manipulate people, for Iago himself is devoid of emotion and affection. He knows of love only by hearsay. He is as attached to his wife as he is to his cats and puppies, whom he is prepared to drown at any moment.

It is worth noting that Iago, guided in his actions by cynicism, belongs to a special group of cynics. In the depths of his soul rises the tower in which dwells the Mephistopheles of his egoism, looking out with his fiery, scorching eyes at people’s vanity. His heart is filled with joy when he sees the results of the activity of the spirit of discord, hatred, rage, and destruction. But when he sees kindness, indulgence, love, and happiness, his heart sinks, and as much as it depends on him, he destroys everything so that it can no longer flourish.

He does not even want all this for himself, for it is impossible to achieve what you hate. The seeds of cultivated grain cannot sprout in his petrified soul, and only the lower forms of life can grow in it. That is why he views only this life as real, true, and undeviating, while he views cultural life as a hateful falsity. But, hating cultural life, he at the same time treats negatively all of the qualities on which it is based; he detests all of those human qualities that support and develop cultural life. I see the protagonist as the personal enemy of human culture; consequently, he personifies crime and its apotheosis; he is the base and source for all individual criminals; he is the personification of all that is consciously criminal in man.

Work Cited

Shakespeare, William. Othello. The Norton Introduction to Literature, edited by Kelly Mays, Norton and Company, 2021. pp. 1455-1543.

Introduction

Othello is a play written by Shakespeare, and its story concerns many subjects brought up by feminist theory. The narrative of this tragedy shines a light on the position of women in society. It depicts female characters in a state of submission and obedience and shows the disbalance in the distribution of power between men and women. Gender and patriarchy play a crucial role in this work.

Discussion

In this play, gender constantly influences the way women act. Desdemona, Othello’s wife, is obedient and careful with him throughout the play, despite the fact that his demeanor towards her changes drastically. She provides Otello with an alibi with the phrase “Commend me to my kind lord,” showing loyalty to her husband as he kills her. The play has significant symbolic language when it comes to describing gender roles.

For example, the act of marriage is referred to as a purchase (“The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue”), with women being the commodity (II.3.8–9). The stereotype that women are weaker or much different from men is contested by one of the characters, Emilia. She claims that men and women share the same physicality as well as mental faculties and needs: “Their wives have sense like them; they see and smell” (IV.3.92–5). Overall, these and various other examples paint a picture of women being commodified and bracketed into a submissive and passive role.

Conclusion

One of the pillars of feminist theory is that despite facing oppression, women can exercise power and dominance. This idea connects with the plot of Othello, as it shows how women struggle to both breakout and remain within their gender roles. The set of expectations for women is established clearly; however, the female characters are able to defy them, despite the threat of detrimental outcomes.

Work Cited

Shakespeare, William. Othello, the Moor of Venice. Web.

The theme of the tragic hero runs through much of classic literature, from the ancient Greeks to Shakespeare and beyond. In understanding the concept of the tragic hero, it is important to understand the criteria as set forth by Aristotle. According to that illustrious philosopher, there are six major elements required to construct a tragedy. To begin with, these heroes (or heroines) must have a noble stature, excessive pride, and tragic flaw. These three character traits combined must then lead our character to his or her downfall, from which they make an admission of their guilt and are then redeemed in the end.

In analyzing the play Othello, we find such a tragic hero in the title character. 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. It is because of where he’s placed his love that he behaves the way he does. He is a hero because of his ability to act according to what love dictates and is brought to his ruin because of where that love had been placed.

Generally, heroism refers to a character that embodies our concepts of what is good and noble in the human race (Vest, 2002). Othello is a good example of this as he has risen, through his hard effort, from the pits of slavery to the General of the Venetian ships. “I fetch my life and being / From men of royal siege [rank]; and my demerits [deserts] / May speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune / As this that I have reached [are equal to]” (21-23). In addition, the Duke himself calls upon Othello at times of great need as in “Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you / Against the general enemy Ottoman” (48-49).

However, Othello’s nobility lies not just on the surface level of his position in society, but in his moral judgment as to when he is faced with an angry father and his warlike supporters: “Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them / Good signior, you shall more command with years / Than with your weapons” (59-61). It is thus in his love for Desdemona that his nobility shines through. In this statement, his nobility shines through as he defends his wife’s honor, acknowledges the respect owed to his elders, and refuses to cross swords with them.

All classic heroes also have an element of excessive pride, which contributes to their downfall as they become unable to discern truth from reality (McAlindon, 2002). Although it is harder to see in Othello because he is working to keep his speech humble, this same pride is evident as one of his foundational characteristics, but perhaps somewhat justly earned. In relating the history of his love affair with Desdemona, he tells the men he was asked by Desdemona’s father to relate his personal history: “I ran it through, even from my boyish days / To th’ very moment that he bade me tell it. / Wherein I spoke of most disastrous chances, / Of moving accidents by flood and field; / Of hairbreadth scapes i’ th’ imminent deadly breach; / Of being taken by the insolent foe / And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence / And portance in my travels’ history;” (132-39). However, his greatest pride is placed in his power to love – his loyalty.

Characters must be re-established in the eyes of the community to be considered true tragic heroes. Othello, having finally understood the chain of events that led to his wrongful killing of Desdemona and completely accepted the responsibility for having doubted her faithfulness, requests those who know of him to “speak / Of one that loved not wisely, but too well; / Of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought / Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand; / Like the base Judean, threw a pearl away” (343-47). These are nearly the last words he utters before falling on his knife, itself an act of redemption in the eyes of those who know him. Cassio, knowing the nobility of the man, says, “This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon; / For he was great of heart” (359-60) upon Othello’s death, allowing the viewer to know that Othello is no longer deemed unworthy even though his crimes were great.

A more classical definition of the tragic hero figure would indicate that this character should have some kind of tragic flaw that leads to their downfall. These kinds of characters are plentiful in Shakespeare’s works, including the character of Othello. In the simple statement made at the end of his life, Othello is pointing out for us what his tragic flaw was as well as the source of his heroism. His greatest pride, his steadfast loyalty for those he loves, manifests itself as his tragic flaw as it becomes obvious that he is incapable of judging which of his contemporaries he should trust with it. This is demonstrated first through his relationship with Cassio. Cassio is Othello’s favorite officer as he promoted Cassio over Iago.

While there may have been other qualifications involved in the decision, there also was the reason for Iago to believe he should have been promoted over Cassio. However, when Othello finds Cassio brawling in the streets with gentlemen and drunk, he immediately doubts his wisdom in placing his affections with this man. Though he still has affection for the man, “Cassio, I love thee; But never more be officer of mine” (II, ii, 239-240), he cannot respect him and his confidence in his judgment is thrown into doubt. Cassio’s time with Desdemona further introduces doubt and suspicion into Othello’s mind.

For Othello, the doubt and suspicion growing in his mind regarding a possible relationship between Cassio and Desdemona were started with Desdemona’s father at the beginning of the play. Othello is warned, “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her father, and may thee” (292-93). For characters to maintain the figure of the tragic hero, they must also contain some tragic flaw that leads to their destruction. For Othello, his greatest weakness is his innocent belief in the words of others. Desdemona’s father plants the seeds of Othello’s undoing with the simple injunction to “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her father, and may thee” (292-93).

Othello’s flaw is hidden within the ideals of nobility. Iago, having been witness to this and knowledgeable of Othello’s “free and open nature / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so; / And will as tenderly be led by th’ nose / As asses are” (393-96), uses this doubt and suspicion, as well as Othello’s love for others, to Othello’s destruction. Desdemona’s continued appeals to her husband to forgive Cassio, while remaining unaware of the insinuations being levied against her by Iago, only serve to increase the suspicion and further call into question where his loyalties should lie.

Finally, Othello’s foolishness in placing his love in Iago proves to be his final undoing. Just as in everything else, once he decides to love Iago, he finds it impossible to doubt him, even when it is Iago who is telling him he should doubt. Othello has determined that only Iago has known him long enough and repaid him faithfully enough to deserve Othello’s love and loyalty. His great mistake lies in believing that because he has granted this tremendous boon (his love) to Iago, Iago must necessarily return the sentiment. It is only at the end, when he finally realizes that he has allowed his affection for Iago to abuse his love for Desdemona, twisting it to the point where it became murderous rage rather than compassionate nobility, seeking to discern the truth of a situation as was demonstrated at the opening of the play. In this realization, he also discerns that his treatment of Cassio has been equally manipulated thanks to his misplacement of loyalty and trust. It is only as he confronts the results of his action that he understands that his choice on whose love to have faith in was unwisely made. With these character faults in mind, it is easy to see how Othello is caught in his destruction.

Through his demonstration of a noble nature in his previous deeds, his current position, and his ability to deal well with others even in a tense situation, Othello is quickly established at the outset of the play as a nobleman precisely established to become a tragic hero. As the story progresses, it becomes more and more apparent that the aspect he takes the greatest pride in remains his ability to love others and to both give and receive respect and loyalty, setting him up for a perfect rendition of the tragic flaw scenario brought forward by Aristotle. True to form, Othello’s love becomes twisted and manipulated, due in large part to the fact that he chooses to place his love and trust in one long-term underlying, Iago, over another, Cassio, as well as over the words and actions of his wife. This decision, as Othello himself said, led to his downfall and places him firmly within the canon of the tragic hero.

Works Cited

McAlindon, Tom. “What is a Shakespearean Tragedy?” The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Tragedy. Ed. Clare McEachern. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, (2002), pp. 1-22.

Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice.” The Complete Pelican Shakespeare. New York: Penguin Books, 1969. pp. 1018-1060.

Vest, Rob. “Shakespearean Tragedy in Othello: The Moor of Venice.” Late Plays of Shakespeare. (2002). Web.

Power is an element hinged on duality. In the right hands, achieving greatness is attainable, while for the inept it can slowly corrupt and poison an already fulfilling life. This sentiment is noticeably apparent in the tragic stories of Othello and Oedipus. Othello and Oedipus’s positions in society have to be attributed to their eventual suffering and demise. Othello, a military general, already has enemies when his story begins. Roderigo, a wealthy aristocrat is angry at Othello because of an arranged marriage between himself and Desdemona. Already we can see why the element of power plays a role in this feud. It is mostly due to Othello’s position that this marriage is taking place. What woman in that period would not want to marry a high-ranking general and acquire the power that comes with it? Moreover, even if Desdemona was uninterested, it may have been arranged anyway. Iago, a member of the army Othello commands, does not like Othello because he promoted Michael Cassio, another soldier to a rank superior to his own. Additionally, he thinks that Othello slept with his wife. Power plays a role here because the elevation of Cassio, whether he deserved it or not, should result in Othello explaining to Iago why it happened and attempting to assuage his anger and pain. The idea of Othello sleeping with Iago’s wife is circumstantial, but believable because Othello has that power. Oedipus was not granted power initially. He was cast away due to a myth believed by his father. As he grew older and eventually attained power by answering a sphinx’s riddle and unknowingly killing his father, his ego was completely inflated. He has trouble believing the truth that he has done these horrible deeds and it is not until the end of the play that it destroys him. Power played the role of creating a quality of overconfidence.

I feel that we would not have these classic tragedies if Othello and Oedipus had been normal men. Oedipus, whose father was a king, would not have cast his baby away, mostly as a result of a myth that his son would murder him. Most fathers would have disregarded this type of nonsense, but due to Laius’s fear of losing power, he left his baby to die on a mountain. In Othello, I felt that the majority of his feuds were due to ignorance. Othello did not do a good job cultivating his relationships with others and in a leadership position, this can be detrimental. The disagreements for the most part were unknown to him and mostly based on hearsay revolving around his position. He would not have faced the same problems if he had a normal occupation.

The audience can learn a few distinct lessons from these tragedies. The first is that the attainment of power concurrently breeds enemies. There is a constant struggle between those that have power and those who do not. Additionally, I think that these stories illustrate the polarity of two different negative situations that can arise from having power. One character was disengaged and the other was so engaged that he felt himself to be an infallible god. Even recent global leaders have been changed by power. One individual that comes to mind is the late Fidel Castro. He was a large part of the Cuban Revolution, which was against the fascist rulers that were in control then. However, as he became the leader of the country, he ended up being quite similar to a dictator, and ultimately became what he was initially fighting against.

Introduction

The play Othello by Shakespeare is a tragedy of human relationships where the protagonist is unable to adjust to the rules and principles of Venetian society. His alienation from actions and concerns affects his much because his physical appearance along with his character traits is in dissonance with the context of the play.

Hence, due to his otherness, Othello is unable to enter the rational society. His consciousness is overwhelmed with jealousy and fury. The hero is also an outsider in expressing his thoughts and manners; he is unable to accommodate the moral and ethical norms of human behavior and, therefore, such an opposition dooms Othello to be a permanent outsider, which also makes him a tragic figure. In addition, Othello’s alienation is also revealed through linguistic and contextual techniques.

Othello as an Outcast of the Venetian Society

The first feature that differs and alienates Othello from the Venetian society is his race (Vaughan 33). Being a Moore who came from Egypt, people are reluctant to accept him. Despite his enormous attempts to gain respect, his military and respectful position in the army still keeps him far away from being recognized and accepted.

His race and origin pursues his throughout the play which makes more hostile and outrageous which is reflected in all his actions and deeds. Even after marriage with Desdemona, the senator’s daughter, Othello is still perceived as something unusual and even mysterious due to the color of his skin; his affection for Desdemona is also realized in unusual way: “That with some mixtures pow’ful o’er the blood / Or with some dram, conjured to this effect/ He wrought upon her” (Shakespeare 382).

Even those who consider him as a peer, particularly Desdemona and Brabanzio, are still attracted and bewildered by his exotic features. There are cases when Othello himself realizes that he is an outcast of society and recognizes his exotic appearance distinguishing him from other Venetians.

Othello is conscious of his blackness and distinctions from other members of society. He takes advantages of his racial distinctions to justify his actions and explain the reasons of his moral and social inferiority.

Bloom states, “[h]is blackness is the cause of Brabantio’s opposition to his marriage, it affects the consciousness of everyone around him, and it has just been pressed upon him by Iago’s insinuations of Desdemona’s unnaturalness” (55). In the play, Othello strives to emphasize that his blackness is insignificant impediment and highlight the advantages of his origin revealing the positive features of his character and behavior.

However, by justifying his origin, Othello subconsciously acknowledges that his an outcast of this society and there is a considerable gap between his wild and irrational world and between superior and aristocratic Venetian society: “Haply, for I am black,/ And have not those soft parts of conversation,/ that chamberers have, or for I am declin’d into the vale of years (yet that’s not much), She’s gone” (Shakespeare 438)

At the same time, by trivializing his racial affiliation, the hero accentuates the irrationalism of his judgments and rejects to acknowledge the actual reason for his alienation. Such position leaves Othello with two options only: he can either recognize his blackness in the face of his counters or internalize this feature which makes him resort to self-loathing.

Othello as an Outsider in Human Relations

Othello becomes an outsider and a foreigner due to lack of experience in human relations and communication. The hero looks different in the society where moral and ethical standards deviate considerably from his personal ideas about life and relationships. Inability to control his feelings and emotions cinches him, specifically in relations with Desdemona, Iago, and other characters of the play.

Paradoxically, despite of Othello’s apparent eloquence, he still protests “Rude am I in my speech, / And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace” (Shakespeare 381). Othello’s marrying Desdemona can also be estimated as a feeble attempt to assimilate to the society focusing less attention to his exotic appearance. However, the failure to be recognized and to be equally considered by others deprives him of the last chance to regain his identity.

The false reputations gained in the army still blind his ambitions any display of disdain and negligence toward him is perceived furiously. Therefore, Desdemona’s betrayal seems horrifying to Othello because he regards as another stab in his back and in his attempt to be considered equally in relations.

Othello also considers Desdemona’s adultery to be a confirmation of his otherness. Betrayal, thus, means the loss of reputation and, at a deeper level, his anguish and rage is caused by the identification of himself via his affection for Desdemona.

Therefore, he cannot accept because it would alternatively mean the perversion of his love: “But there, where I have garnered up my heart, / where either I must live or bear no life; / The fountain from the which my current runs, / or else dries up: to be discarded thence!” (Shakespeare 473). Othello erroneously believes that his identity and being can be expressed through his feelings, but his impulsive behavior betrays him and outcasts him once again from the rational and balanced society.

Othello’s fear of his own rage coming outside makes him even more wild and outrageous, which dooms him to be the outsider until his death (Bloom 58). Therefore, the murder was the act of liberation from the bounds of love and passion, which prevented him from struggling with his repulsive nature.

Othello’s Language and Behavior within the Context of the Play

The way Othello communicates with other members of society and expresses his feelings and emotions is another indicator of his alienation. Evaluating Othello as the outsider from the linguistic and contextual point of view is also possible. With the regard to the possibilities of the text and the context, Othello is endowed with a so called counter text and counter language with the help of which he is forced to explore himself and surrounding world (Rao 55).

In other words, Othello as the outsider “…has a grammar of his own but its syntax cannot relate to syntactical realities of the white narrative” (Rao 55). This two-polar opposition could be explicitly viewed when opposing the protagonist with other characters. Hence, Othello – Iago and Othello – Desdemona can be regarded as dichotomies that should be interpreted outside the marginal meaning and apart from prevalence of a signifier and signified.

Taking into consideration the structure of the play and its narration, it is possible to assume that Othello is antagonistically presented through his language and communication. His reactions to his own manner of communicating outcasts him from the ideal world, the world totally contrast Othello’s world. What is more important is that language serves to distinguish various social classes and roles, educational background, and means for disguising the true intensions and thoughts of Shakespeare’s characters.

Finally, the language also manages to render Othello’s willingness to appropriate his speech to the Venetian society and his role in it. Hence, the hero is forced to suppress his nature and being to be recognized by those who openly reject him.

The image of Othello’s world, hence, is reflected through his feeble attempts to imitate the language that he does not know. Othello’s characteristics language also provides reasons from being alienating from the society (Clingman 85). It identifies the failure of being assimilated in society and contradicts his racial affiliation.

Conclusion

The play Othello by William Shakespeare discloses very complicated topics and one of them relates to the representation of Othello as the outsider as a foreigner who fails to be recognized by the Venetian society. Due to his racial affiliation and alienation, Othello cannot be accepted by refined and rational society. Being overwhelmed with burning desire to prove his right to equally exist in the Venetian society, the hero is gradually becoming frustrated with the severe reality because he is perceived as nothing but a Moore with exotic appearance.

Therefore, such acceptance forces Othello to become an outsider and to realize his impossibility to inherit all manners and behavior that are necessary for peer existence. Therefore, his alienation and estrangement from the white world is expressed through societal attitude, Othello lack of communication and failure to establish norm human relationships, and the contextual and linguistic peculiarities of the play.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold . William Shakespeare’s Othello. US: Infobase Publishing. 2010. Print.

Clingman, Stephen. The Grammar of Identity: Transnational Fiction and the Nature of the Boundary. UK: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.

Rao, P. Mallikarjuna. Postcolonial Theory and Literature. US: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2003. Print.

Shakespeare, William. Four Tragedies. US: Penguin, 1994. Print.

Vaughan, Virginia Mason. Othello: A Contextual History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Print.