By considering the dramatic effects of Othello, evaluate the view that the play constantly questions ideas of heroism and nobility.

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By considering the dramatic effects of Othello, evaluate the view that the play constantly questions ideas of heroism and nobility.

The idea of heroism is one often associated with bravery, courage and valour; while nobility can be defined as being distinguished by one’s high rank or birth. Within Othello, Shakespeare questions the meaning behind both nobility and heroism in the context of a Venetian society. Through the actions of the play’s characters, the audience is left to wonder whether or not a person’s heroism is limited by how noble they were born, and how linked the two ideas are. The play’s tragic hero is Othello, the ‘noble moor’ as described by his wife the ‘exquisite lady’ Desdemona.

Desdemona plays the part of a high class Venetian woman; she is noble because she was born into nobility, she is Othello’s ‘true and loyal wife’, however, through her actions we question her heroism. She lies to her husband regarding the ‘not lost’ handkerchief, thus displaying cowardice, and had ‘deceived her father’ in marrying Othello, this is in many ways not heroic; Desdemona is proven to have lied in the past, coupled with the venetian stereotype of women being promiscuous prostitutes, some critics have blamed Desdemona for her demise, however, others like Estelle Taylor have deemed her a ‘heroine who is a victim of abuse’. One interpretation of this could be that an audience would happily perceive Desdemona to be a heroine because of her nobility and class and not because of her actions.

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On the other hand, Desdemona does display the qualities of a heroine within some scenes of the play, she stands up to her father and displays a heroic confidence in her relationship with Othello, ‘I may profess Due to the Moor my lord.’ She speaks in blank verse, a style reserved for the noble and in Iambic pentameter, which emphasises her confidence as a woman. Desdemona remains a complex character, her actions leave us to question how noble of a person she is; as S.N Garner puts she is either ‘pure or the cunning whore of venice’.

Othello is ...

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