There is a general consensus that Shakespeare was an imitator .It is known that he borrowed tales and embellished them in order to give a conspicuous outlook. For instance the source of Othello is Hecatomithi or A Hundred Tales written by a Sicillian novelist Giraldi Cinthio. Shakespeare made modifications to the original piece according to his own interest and purpose, and made it a remarkable piece of work. Shakespeare’s completed works hardly resemble their sources. That is the speciality about the dramatist. Moreover it is noteworthy that Shakespeare with his imitated works attained such a great position. Shakespeare resembled his contemporaries only externally. His ‘inner dramatic method’ is the secret behind his enormous success. That is why it has been an impossible task for other writers to emulate the Shakespearean ‘ motive and touch’. In short William Shakespeare continues to live amidst us through his works and will continue to live for time immemorial.
SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDY
A.C.Bradley defined Shakespearean tragedy as “ a tale of suffering and calamity conducting to death “ .The theme of the tragedies is the struggle between the good and evil resulting in serious disturbances, sorrow and suffering .The plays portray men and women fighting against evil forces. Through these heroic struggles the spiritual potentiality of man is brought to light.
All Shakespearean heroes are eminent people most probably kings, princes or generals. Their fall and suffering is great and quite in contrast to their previous prosperous living.The downfall of the hero affects the entire nation.
Character is destiny is the backbone of all Shakespearean tragedies. Shakespeare’s heroes are extraordinary beings who possess many noble qualities. But they also posses a flaw in their character which opens the channel for the tragic doom. Shakespeare stictly adheres to Aristotle’s perception of tragic heroes i.e. the heroes ought to be good but not too good. The heroes suffer due to their own faults. Hence in depicting the suffering of man, Shakespeare doesn’t make the common reader feel the lack of justice in the play.
OTHELLO – MY ANALYSIS OF THE PLAY
Shakespeare’s four great tragedies – Othello , Macbeth , Hamlet and King Lear are very popular for the powerful portrayal of the gruesome aspect of life. I personally like the play Othello for its survey of the dark corners of the human mind .The setting of the play is so intensely personal that the end of Othello leaves the reader uneasy and pained.
In this paper I intend analysing the play in fragments. I take up for discussion things which the ordinary reader tends to overlook.
In Othello one is likely to rule out the concept of Character is destiny in favour of the torments Desdemona undergoes. Desdemona is wholly good and her suffering is contrary to her good virtues. The mental agony of the heroine as expressed in the play makes the ordinary reader proclaim the lack of poetic justice in the play. Before one comes to any such conclusion it is indispensable that one scrutinizes Desdemona and her doings.
Desdemona is described by her father as quiet , bashful and totally incapable of erring . Desdemona takes after her father in many ways . Brabantio is hurt because Desdemona betrayed him .He is not bothered about her happiness . When Desdemona confesses her relationship with Othello , Brabantio immediately disowns her . Moreover he sows the seed of catastrophe by saying “Look to her , Moor , if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father , and may thee “. Brabantio thinks only of himself . But there is another point to note . These are the words of an agonized father . It is a half curse on Desdemona .The virtuous lady thinks little of the impact of her act of elopement on her father and the society she lives in. It is her sheer indifference towards the feelings of her father which brings forth trouble. Had she been more thoughtful and considerate the consequences would have been different .
There is a tendency to hold Iago responsible for the tragic catasrophe .Iago plots against Othello to take revenge on him . He feels resentment because he is denied the position of lieutenant by his superior Othello .We fail to see that the elopement and marriage of Desdemona is the primary cause for Iago’s decision to avenge Othello .A black moor marrying a fair , virtuous maid is a hard thing to digest . This corresponds not only to Iago but also to the whole society . It is not surprising to witness the downfall of Othello and Desdemona who lived amidst hostile forces .Had the couple been aware of the dire consequences of their act ,they would not have taken the hasty decision of elopement.
My analysis would be incomplete if I don’t mention a word or two about the relationship between Othello and Desdemona . Desdemona is certainly an exceptional woman .She mentally falls in love with Othello and decides to marry him. We must note that Desdemona was not infatuated by Othello . She envisages Othello as a courageous , romantic adventurer . As Othello says”She loved me for the dangers I had passed And I loved her that she did pity them “.Othello himself lives in a romantic world . Having married the most beautiful and virtuous woman, he is completely satisfied. Though Othello loves his wife intensely , he subconsciously has the feeling that Desdemona is too good for him . Even Desdemona later subconsciously regrets having married Othello . This can be clearly seen in her persisitent defense of Cassio to Othello .She continues to pursue the same topic which has enraged her husband. It is evident that Desdemona subconsciously wants to end her relationship with Othello. But she is faithful to him throughout. Desdemona fails to see Othello’s inferiority complex .Othello himself doesn’t trust his wife and fails to see her faith and love for him .Both lack mutual understanding which makes things easy for Iago and for the evil forces to act upon them .
