Do you agree that the soliloquies in 1.3 and 2.1 establish Iago as a tragic villain?
Do you agree that the soliloquies in 1.3 and 2.1 establish Iago as a tragic villain? Shakespeare uses the dramatic device of soliloquy to present his characters’ inner thoughts and feelings. It is through these speeches that the audience can see and perhaps relate to the sometimes dark or forbidden feelings of the characters. Iago’s soliloquies establish him as a tragic villain through the way in which they reveal his misanthropic ideas and emphasise the evils and weaknesses of his mind. They show Iago’s desire to degrade his fellow characters so as to increase his own status within his mind. They illustrate and bring to light a repressed homosexual attraction towards Othello and also show his distorted, sociopathic attitude. Before the soliloquy in 1.3, Iago persuades Roderigo not to kill himself over Desdemona. Iago is again talking to Roderigo before the soliloquy in 2.1 and is trying to convince Roderigo that Desdemona has had an affair with Cassio. Iago’s frequent use of animal imagery to describe others demonstrates him to be a tragic villain as, by doing so, he tries to undermine the Elizabethan theory of ‘The Great Chain of Being’ - a hierarchical order ruled by God. Doing this would have been a great sin in Elizabethan times as it would be disobeying God’s order, so some in the audience would have been shocked at the way Iago dehumanises those of
To what extent does Shakespeare present Othello as responsible for his own downfall?
To what extent does Shakespeare present Othello as responsible for his own downfall? The character of Othello can be viewed in relation to the theories of tragedy described in Aristotle’s Poetics, with specific reference to the categories of hamartia and hubris. Additionally, it could be considered that his high-status conforms to Aristotle’s emphasis on such characters. Consequently, the murders that occur at the end of the play reveal the extent to which his noble character has fallen. At the same time, it is clear that other factors intervene, such as the machinations of Iago and the effects of chance. This combination of influences and attributes is characteristic of Jacobean tragedy as a whole. This is perhaps best exemplified in the opening pages of Othello where Brabantio claims “This accident is not unlike my dream”, (I. i) clearly suggesting an inevitable foreshadowing of the events to come. This view is not synonymous with the aspect of the Aristotelian model which prescribes the hamartia of the tragic hero at the epicentre of the reasons for his downfall. To analyse Othello’s role in his own downfall, the height from which he falls, both socially and emotionally, should be considered. In Act 2 even Iago describes Othello’s as having “a constant, loving, and noble nature” (II. i). This develops the sense, both of the depth of his emotional integrity
Considering Shakespeares presentation of Emilia how guilty do you think she is of acting as a passive accomplice to Iago in achieving the tragic downfall of Othello and Desdemona?
Considering Shakespeare’s presentation of Emilia how guilty do you think she is of acting as a passive accomplice to Iago in achieving the tragic downfall of Othello and Desdemona? By Rachel Harrison In the play 'Othello', Shakespeare portrays the character of Emilia as both an older and more cynical counterpart to Desdemona, with whom she develops a close and maternal relationship. Despite her seemingly moral and grounded character, Emilia’s one misguided and dishonest act towards her lady, in favour of her husband’s evil bidding, turns out to have devastating consequences and ultimately leads to the tragic demise of both Desdemona and herself. Although certainly guilty of stealing the handkerchief which provides Othello's 'ocular proof' I believe that she is not entirely guilty for her naive and misguided actions or for the deaths that occur as a result. When Emilia arrives in Cyprus with Desdemona, Shakespeare makes it clear that she does not share a loving relationship with Iago. After Cassio has extended his welcome by kissing Emilia, Iago cruelly observes that if ‘she give you so much of her lips as of her tongue she oft bestows on me you’d have enough’, which shows his disrespect towards Emilia. This is confirmed by the way he continues to express his dislike for women in general as he accuses them of being ‘players in [their] housewifery', and
The Theme of Love in "Othello".
Othello Choose a play which explores the theme of love in difficult circumstances. Explain how the dramatist introduces the theme and discuss how in the course of the play he/she prepares for the resolution of the drama. Love is force that overcomes large obstacle but can easily be tripped up by small ones. Love is eternal, yet derailed and a playwright that betrays this perfectly is William Shakespeare in his tragedy “Othello”. Providing Othello with intensity but not direction proves the difficulty that occurs through this overwhelming emotion. Shakespeare show different types of loves and what it means through his use of different characters. Love is a significant theme in this play and it first appears in the meeting of the two search parties, each seeking Othello for a different reason thus bringing the relations of Othello and Desdemona into prominence. The difficulties of love are seen to begin at this point when Desdemona’s father accuses Othello of using witchcraft: Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her: For I’ll refer me to all thins of sense, f she in chains of magic were not bound Brabantio cannot believe that
What advice would you give to an actor playing Othello?
What advice would you give to an actor playing Othello? To be able to play the character Othello, an actor would have needed to master playing two separate characters. Through the first half of Othello, Othello is a noble, well-spoken person who shows genuine affection towards Desdemona. When he is Venice Othello's attitude towards others is calm and he shows no signs of hatred towards anyone, even when Brabantio, Desdemona's father who hates the "moor" tries to arrest Othello his reply is "Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them", an actor would need to show confidence and self-control even at the characters who hate him, even showing genuine respect towards others, "Tis true, most worthy signor". This shows Othello not just to be a well-respected general but a person who has verbal strength also and is able to extinguish problems not just by using brute force. However, From Act Scene 3, Othello changes dramatically by the works of Iago. His speech becomes confused and his actions not something Othello would do. An actor would need to show passion in loving Desdemona but a determination in wanting to kill her at the same time, because there's a constant battle between love and hate in Othello, "O balmy breath, that dost almost persuade", even towards the end of the play, Othello still cannot bring himself to killing Desdemona. This battle is key to playing a
Othello Recreative: Desdemona
Othello Recreative: Desdemona The poor soul sat singing by a sycamore tree Sing all a green willow; Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee, Sing willow, willow; A piercing hunger, as if from a dagger Consumes for the sake of my lord. It is a pain of the bosom Not familiar to my young body. The fresh streams ran by her and murmured her moans; Sing willow, willow, willow; Her salt tears fell from her and softened the stones- Sing willow, willow, willow- Alas, Cyprus, you are not kind Venice. Gone is the water, intertwined with its people. Alas, Cyprus, yours is a cage from which I will never be free- But I will never soften your stones For my lord is stronger than itching eyes. Weeping serves no purpose, and that I know well, It never pleases the lord, nor does it cleanse as some women think- Sing all a green willow must be my garland. Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve- No, scorn is not the welcome word Rightful impatience at my incompetence? Violence for my innocence? No. The verse is not mine, nor Barbary's Yet any action issued by my lord Is surely wholly justified. But what is this odd spell about him? I called my love false love, but what said he then? Sing willow, willow, willow: O Lord, Lord, Lord! Lie with me, lie with me, dost thou remember these sheets? And the night I swore allegiance to thee? When the demons were at
To what extent is Othello presented as a tragic hero in Act 1 of Othello. Refer to context, concepts of the tragic hero, other tragedies and critical interpretations
To what extent is Othello presented as a tragic hero in Act 1 of 'Othello'. Refer to context, concepts of the tragic hero, other tragedies and critical interpretations The famous Philosopher, Aristotle, explored what exactly is a tragic hero; he said, in his own words, "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." (1). Also, a man should have nobility from birth, as Aristotle says, yet Othello slowly climbed the ladder of hierarchy enabling him to stable that status as the Moor (Venetian Moor) yet he sets himself as a tragic hero because he isn't going to accepted into society due to his colour. Was his colour a conceit in a way, showing an anticlimax, foreshadowing the downfall of his status, making it less tragic? This is a mere criticism. Aristotle's theories are intriguing, and I will be discussing these in detail later on in the essay. Another characteristic of a tragic hero is that the hero's story must appeal to emotions. Clearly we are shown this in the first scene in act 1 where Shakespeare uses sibilance to characterise the main characters, Iago and Othello, in the play. The use of the word "his" automatically spits the word out in distaste. The word 'his' is degrading for the moor, but the sibilance and the iambic pentameter in the sentence "wears out his time, much like his master's ass" emphatically forces the 'his' out
To what extent does Shakespeare present the catastrophe of Othello as inevitable?
To what extent does Shakespeare present catastrophe of 'Othello' as inevitable? The play 'Othello' has derived from opposites and opposition, and many contradictions contained in the play are embodied in the tragic hero, this basic plot alone could have well been presented as a catastrophe and so it is almost certain that Othello could be seen as inevitable because this plot later on spirals out of control within a short timescale due to the fact that Shakespeare has deliberately compressed the timeframe down which makes the play almost too fast for the audience to take in, which demonstrates the catastrophe of Othello as inevitable because there is no time to think thoroughly and make wise decisions which leads to his own downfall. The concepts from Aristotle are also evident throughout the play because the three main factors present are: the protagonist, who inevitably acts disastrous, the unities, in which the timeframe is tightly packed and limited and the catastrophe, in which the protagonist (Othello) and other main characters die, and so the sense of tragedy is reinforced as the play used all the required elements for a tragic play in Aristotle's view. At the very beginning in Act I Scene 1, Shakespeare makes Iago inform the audience that he will follow Othello to "serve my turn upon him" which instantly suggest that inevitably something deceitful from Iago will
Importance of military in Othello
Othello Military Values During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, global confrontation between Turk and Christian worried military theorists. Turks were renowned for their courage, skill and cruelty on the battlefield. European warfare was also passing through a transitional stage between feudal hosts of the Middle Ages and permanent professional rmies of modern times. Othello is a condottiere fighting by contract for Venetian Republic, reflecting what European warfare would become. Yet, his self-fashioned image of a romantic and chivalric hero defeating the infidel in order to win a fair damsel is remnant of a medieval idea. Thus, confusion behind the two constructs and thus in Othello himself is inevitable. Othello takes place in a military background almost exclusively, and this is important to the tragedy, as it affects Othello's understanding of love, the importance of honour and reputation to the male protagonists and furthermore enables the audience to perceive both the external conflict between the Turks and Venetians, but also the internal conflict in Othello. This dimension allows the pay to be defined as both a public and domestic tragedy. Othello's occupation as a soldier is essential to the tragedy as it demonstrates how a rather old man can be inexperienced and naïve in matters of love. Throughout the play, Othello makes statements such as "Tis better
Explore how Shakespeare presents Iago as an evil villain
Explore how Shakespeare presents Iago as an evil villain Shakespeare's villain Iago, within the play Othello is created as one of the most malicious, devilish characters within his works; possibly the worst as his machinations exceed those of many other Shakespearean villains. Iago appears to have very little reason to perform his notoriously villainous acts. His motive and reasoning is his joy of destruction, which seems to magnify into a passion by the final climatic scenes. Destruction is Iago's goal as well as sport. The motives behind his aim for destruction are too petty and minute to be able to make any justification in his attempts to destroy the lives of everyone around him. It is his lack of significant motive that forms him into the true devil. Iago is the evil force behind the plot, leading Othello into a tragic chain of disaster resulting in the murder of his own innocent wife. For all companionship that Iago offers his naïve fellow characters, he intentionally defies their trust. William Robertson Turnbull, the critic, describes, "Iago is an unbeliever in, and denier of, all things spiritual, who only acknowledges God, like Satan, to defy him." There are many levels within the play in which Iago is referred to as 'The Devil,' therefore, the play is heavy in hellish and satanic imagery, particularly in the final scene. Shakespeare creates a successful villain
