Othello" is a tragedy and Othello is a tragic hero. Discuss

English Coursework On

“OTHELLO”

“Othello” is a tragedy and Othello is a tragic hero. Othello is a general in the service of Venice. He is good, courageous, brave and trustworthy. However he has some weaknesses such as insecurity; he is too open, naïve, and gullible, Iago plays on his weaknesses which brings about his downfall and he kills himself. This causes the suffering of innocent people like Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio and Roderigo. The audience also feel pity for Othello and this creates a sense of wastage at the end. Iago’s main aim is to bring about Othello’s downfall. He has many reasons for this, such as his anger as Othello rejected him for the post of lieutenant and he hates the fact that a black man has such a high position, who has the power to reject him. Iago’s plan to destroy Othello is mainly motivated by racism. He suspects that Othello slept with his wife. This play was written by Shakespeare in the 17th century. During that time, the attitude of the people towards the black people was negative. The black people were treated as lower class citizens. This play is initially set in Venice in the mid 15th century. The Venetians would also have treated them worse and differently. Shakespeare wanted to show the black character in a positive light and create sympathy for him representing him as a victim of racism to make a comment on his society. Shakespeare uses various dramatic devices in this play. This essay will explain to what extent racism contributes to Othello’s downfall.

Act 3 scene 3 is important because this is the scene where the character of Othello changes. Before this scene, Shakespeare has already enabled the audience to form opinions of the characters. Before Othello appears on the stage he is criticised by many others such as Iago, Brabantio and Roderigo for marrying Desdemona who is a white girl. Roderigo says to Iago “What a full fortune does the thick lips owe”. Shakespeare wanted the audience to mainly focus on the racist comments made about Othello by other characters. Brabantio also accuses Othello of using black magic to steal his daughter. Iago refers to Othello as “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe”. Iago also says to Brabantio that “you are one of those that will not serve god if the devil bid you” and he also says “the moor is now making the beast with two backs”. This proves that Iago’s hatred of Othello is motivated by racism. In the 17th century the audience would sympathise with Brabantio and not for Othello because Othello is an outsider. Shakespeare intends to shock the audience with the language Iago uses. Therefore Shakespeare encourages the audience to criticise and dislike Iago and so sympathise for Othello. Shakespeare wants to change as well as challenge Society’s view on race.

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When Othello first appears on the scene, he appears as a character disliked by others. He secretly married Desdemona and is criticised by others before he appears on the scene. As the play moves on, the audience are shaken in seeing his good qualities. He is good, calm and when Iago tells him that Roderigo has been spreading foul reports about him he says “Let him do his spite: my services which I have done the signory” He is confident. He is calm in control and open about his love. He is loving towards Desdemona he says “But that I love the gentle Desdemona”. He is confident “My parts, my title, and my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly Is’t they?” Othello says that he is not afraid of being found by Brabantio as his good qualities and the service he has done will speak for him. Shakespeare makes the audience admire him even though he is a black man.

Iago is not represented as a likeable character in the whole play. He is devious and selfish. He tells at the beginning of the play “In following him, I follow but myself”. He is a racist and at the beginning he plots to bring about Othello’s downfall. He thinks that Othello slept with his wife. “I hate the moor, and its thought abroad that twixt my sheets………I know not if’t be true. He also tells that he have a wide military experience than Cassio

Before Act 3 scenes 3, the plot is driven by Iago’s plan destroy Othello. At the beginning of the play Iago gets the help of Roderigo and arrives at the house of Brabantio and tells him that Othello has taken his daughter and married her secretly. After this, he acts as if he is good to Othello and tells him that Roderigo has spreading foul reports about him. He manages to get Cassio demotivated and makes Othello jealous and plays on every weaknesses and his insecurity.

After this he makes Othello think badly of Cassio. He tells him that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. Then Iago makes Othello Suspicious by telling him about Desdemona, how he denied her father and why she cannot deny you. He seizes every opportunity he gets and uses it to bring Othello’s downfall. This increases tension in the audience as they have already seen the power of Iago’s manipulation. Iago plots for the downfall of Othello and he is successful in it. This increases the sympathy for Othello as his only mistake is he put his trust in Iago and Iago plays on his weaknesses.

Iago’s web of deceit is to make Othello fall into his plan. To trap Othello in his plan he takes many actions. He uses different tactics to ensure that Othello believes him. In the beginning of Act 3 Scene 3 as Cassio leaves the place when Othello and Iago enter, Iago says “Ha! I like not that” and Othello asks Iago “What dost thou say?” and he answers “Nothing my lord”. By saying this he makes Othello think that he his hiding something from him. He makes him curious. Then Iago asks Othello, “Did Michael Cassio when you wooed my lady know of your love?” and Othello replies that “he did from first to last. Why dost thou ask?” and Iago answers that it was only for the satisfaction of his mind. This makes him suspicious. After this Othello is confused and he asks him whether Cassio is honest and Iago replies “Honest, My lord” and by repeating Othello’s questions he makes him more confused. After this Iago warns Othello about jealousy “O, bewares my lord of jealousy……..yet fondly loves”. Othello becomes more and more suspicious because he doesn’t know why Iago warned him of jealousy. At this point, as the audience have already seen Iago’s power of manipulation and know about his plot, sympathise for Othello. However, Othello still refuses to believe Iago. After this Iago changes his tactics he becomes too open and warns him directly to watch his wife carefully. “I speak not yet of proof. Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio”. Hearing these words Othello becomes suspicious. The missing handkerchief also makes him more confused and his thought becomes more violent and plots to kill Desdemona. Iago says he saw Cassio wipe his beard with the handkerchief. When we look closely at the language of Othello, at first he uses simple words and gradually his language changes into becoming more violent. He uses words like “Death and damnation O” to show how he becomes angrier. This shows that he has completely fallen into Iago’s plot and is controlled by him. Hence the audience feel the inevitable tragic end of the play. By the end of the scene the audience sympathise with Othello and see him as a victim of racist but also blame him for his weaknesses.

After Act 3 scene 3 the audience think that Othello is more to blame than Iago. The sympathy for Othello decreases after this scene. He doesn’t believe what Desdemona says and he doesn’t give her a chance to speak. He also slaps her in the public and he doesn’t openly talk to her. The audience blame Iago more than Othello because he is the one who makes Othello think bad of Cassio and Desdemona. The audience also feel sympathy for him when he kills Desdemona as he is still in love with her an it is full of emotion and his pain is pain is very apparent. However, he acts with reason when he kills her as he needs to be in control. When he comes to know that he has made a mistake he kills himself. This Increases our sympathy for him Shakespeare intends the audience to think that Iago is more to blame than Othello as he is the one who makes him kill Desdemona.

Othello is not without blame as he has many weaknesses which Iago seizes and plays on them. Othello is a victim of racism. Iago’s plan to destroy Othello is motivated by his racist attitude. Although Othello is open to manipulation as a result of Othello’s insecurities, such as jealousy. It could also be argued that these insecurities are caused mainly by the racist society. Which at its heart it is racist and sees him as an outsider as this play is set on Venice. It is not just Iago who refers to him as a moor. “I am one sir…… moor are now making the beast with to backs”. But Brabantio also says that “Look to her, moor, if thou…… and may thee”. Othello also recognises this as a possible reason for Desdemona’s infidelity. “For haply I am black……” However there is one other consideration to take into account Othello acts with reason, rather then emotion when he decides to kill Desdemona; He still loves her. But his need to be in control is stronger in the end. He feels that his duty is to kill her. Finally both the factors are to be blamed.

Janarthenan

10SNU