Discuss the Fatal Flaws in the Characters of Othello and Macbeth.
Othello and Macbeth are both represented with a number of flaws, which inspire their inevitable downfalls, which were created by Shakespeare to highlight the many flaws of simple human nature. In Othello Iago nearly achieves his goals because of his unmatched ability to persuade and fabricate the truth, which leads to the death of sweet Desdemona and eventually Othello. “Brave Macbeth” and “Valiant Othello” are both noticeable heroes at the start of the play complying with the classical definitions of a tragic hero as presented by Aristotle who where the hero should be readily evident at the start of the play but the fact that Shakespeare creates these two overwhelmingly perfect characters demonstrates how far they’ve fallen Unlike Othello, Macbeth actually loves his wife (she’s not a trophy) so much that he would do anything for her, Shakespeare even goes as far to present his love life without her “like a shadow”, shadows are lifeless, dark and masters of disguise they make people feel hugely uneasy and this is exactly how Macbeth feels. Without Lady Macbeth he is lifeless and life "signifies nothing", this whole fire of wrath, envy and ambition" was conducted by her and now that she is gone it starts to burn out into nothing. Macbeth feels so abandoned so empty that it is in the monster of envy and ambition that is controlling his sadistic body to do what
Does Iago Cause The Tragedy Of Othello And Desdemona, Or Is He Merely The Catalyst?
Othello Does Iago Cause The Tragedy Of Othello And Desdemona, Or Is He Merely The Catalyst? The Shakespeare Tragedy, Othello, was written and set during the early 17th century Venice rule. The play is set in Cyprus and Venice. There are many arguments whether Iago causes the tragedy towards the end of the play, or whether he is merely the catalyst. To many, Iago is the most evil character in the play. He is blamed for the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona. However, some do not see him as the cause of the tragedy, but merely as a catalyst, who speeds up the rate of the fate of Othello and Desdemona. This can be argued, despite there being more in favour of Iago causing the tragedy, rather than him only being a catalyst. One factor in favour of Iago causing the tragedy is projected throughout the play. This factor is the hatred that Iago has for Othello. Although he never directly tells his motive for hating Othello, there is definite hatred throughout the play. Iago repeatedly says in soliloquy: "I hate the moor" (page 25, line 397) One motive for the hatred to Othello could be because of Othello's colour and race. Othello is obviously black, and throughout the play, Iago refers to othello using racist names. "The Moor" (page 4, line140) "The Devil" (page 6, line 92) Iago hates Othello so much, that he reduces him to an animal. These are great insults. "Black ram"
Racism in Othello
Racism in Othello Choose one non-dramatic text offered on the module, (an extract from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Literary Remains,) and show how it might help us understand Othello. The extract presents a sustained attack by Coleridge on Shakespeare for his lack of realism in the 'monstrous' depiction of a marriage between a 'beautiful Venetian girl,' and a 'veritable negro,' in Othello. He sees Shakespeare's transformation of a 'barbarous negro' into a respected soldier and nobleman of stature as 'ignorant', since at the time, 'negroes were not known except as slaves.' (Appendix) The extract seems to raise two questions - how central is the taboo of miscegeny to the play, and to what extent is Othello's reputation able to counter this prejudice? It is certainly not hard to conclude that it is probably Shakespeare's most controversial play. There is a clear theme of racism throughout, one which was firmly embedded in the Venetian society which rejects the marriage of Othello and Desdemona as erring, 'against all rules of nature,' [1.3.102] Nothing separates Othello from, 'the wealthy curled darlings of our nation,' [1.2.68] except skin-colour - he matches or even exceeds them in reputation. At the start of the play, he appears confident that, OTHELLO: My parts, my title, and my perfect soul Shall manifest me rightly. Othello 1.2.31-2 when he is called in front of
Othello.
Miss Huq English Blu Reynolds 10 WFG 'Othello' the play was first printed in 1622 and written by William Shakespeare. The story is based upon a black general, who is handsome and valiant, and highly esteemed by the signoria of the republic for his skill in war. When this play was written, black people were seen and thought of as being sub-human, and as a result of this, they were treated extremely badly and were forced into the slave trade. While in Venice Othello falls in love with the general's daughter, Desdemona. There they get married without the knowledge or authority of her father Brabantio. Throughout this tale we see this couple's relationship transform from one of merriment to a corrupted exchange of arguments and lies. In the opening of Act I scene i Othello is not instantly seen, and the focus is placed on Iago and Roderigo. This technique is known as foregrounding, and is often used in many of Shakespeare's plays; it lets the audience watching, make a preconceived perception about a character not introduced yet. In this instance Shakespeare is not only foregrounding Othello's later appearance, but also setting the scene for events that are to later occur suggesting something sinister is afoot. From the outset dramatic irony shows the audience that Roderigo has been paying Iago to help him court Desdemona. "Never tell me, I take it much
"Othello" act 3, scene 3.
"Othello" During act 3, scene 3, the full extent of Iago's evil flourish is realised as he proceeds to have a malignant and cancerous effect on Othello and his relationship with Desdemona. During this time, he also builds bridges with many of the other characters, before deceiving and betraying them. All of this makes him one of the most evil and wicked characters Shakespeare has ever created, but also, one of the most fascinating and intriguing. Act 3, scene 3 opens with Desdemona making a promise to Cassio who has jus lost his position as lieutenant because of Iago: "But I will have my Lord, and you again As friendly as you were." This statement shows the audience that Desdemona is a loyal and dedicated friend, but it is also signing her own death warrant. When Iago hears of her plans to reunite her husband and Cassio in the army after Cassio's street brawl, his evil and devilish plan begins to take form and unfold as he corrupts Desdemona's loyalty, and causes her friendship with Cassio to become immeasurably distorted. Not only does Iago ruin the lives of Othello and Desdemona, but he also tampers with people's thoughts and feelings. He does this in a number of ways throughout the scene. The main and most calculated is by taking short sentences and phrases and distorting and corrupting them, to give a totally different meaning. Desdemona's dedication is persistently
Othello English Coursework
English Coursework Introduction The Significance of Act 3 in all Elizabethan and Jacobean drama is that in Shakespeare all the drama and action took place in this scene so people knew what to expect when Act 3 came. The audience felt tense and excited about what was going to happen because they knew that the main story line all the action and drama was about to unfold in front of their eyes. Iago uses many devices to con Othello into believing that Desdemona has been unlawful to him Iago does this by using a variety of methods such as flattery and pretence so he can get what he wants. Othello's response shows us that he truly believes what Iago is saying as the audience slowly watch Othello being manipulated into killing his beloved wife. I will be analysing the devices Iago uses in this essay. Paragraph One One of the devices Iago uses is to cajol Othello into believing that what he says is truthful, Iago uses this device in Act 3 Scene 3 to get Othello on side so Iago can manipulate his trust, Iago says "My Lord, you know I love you".When he says this Iago is saying my lord I shall betray you because Iago simply says what Othello wants to hear and by doing this he is gaining Othello's trust so he can use Othello as his weapon to get what he wants from Othello's high rank. Othello's response shows that he is starting to believe what Iago is saying by responding "I think
Othello Essay
Othello Essay Othello, the noble Moor of the Venetian state, is the plays protagonist and is of central focus throughout the course of the play. Othello is powerful character by nature and uses his hierarchal position as the general of the armies of Venice to rule with pride and integrity, all those close to him are respectful of his status and are humbly invigorated by his stature as a warrior. The extent of Othello's importance to the Venetian army , with which he holds true with firm allegiance, is first supported by his arch enemy and antagonist, Iago, who mutters: "With safety cast him". (I.i.147). Clearly Othello has some influence as military character and further more his capabilities as a warrior are trusted by his fellow colleagues. "Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them". (I.ii.59). At this point Shakespeare appeals to Othello at the height of his power. He illuminates his positive character traits portrayed in his eloquence, his moral strength, and kind disposition. He is the embodiment of an idealized male figure, and outward projection of confidence and high self-esteem. However, Othello's premises are put to the test when forced to play the part of judge in distinguishing perpetrator, from victim in the "brawl" scene between Cassio, Othello's long serving lieutenant, and Montana. Othello's honest nature and social status persist in
Othello Essay
Analyse the dramatic effect of the devices Iago uses in Act 3 Scene 3 to convince Othello of his wife's infidelity. Who is to blame for the tragedy? Who is to blame for the tragedy? Could it be the "honest" Iago who mislead the hero using his wits and persistence leading to his own demise? Maybe, but Iago can't take all the credit for his master plan. It was his excellence in human psychology and reliability on his victims to doubt one another; he was especially reliant on the outsider, Othello. Othello, proud general to naive lover could have been the cause to his own downfall. It might have been his love towards Desdemona, causing his untamed imagination to lose control, informed of her infidelity. This distrust caused his emotions to turn hostile, thus could be the reason for his defeat. However the question still remains. Who is to blame for the tragedy? In Act 3 Scene 3 Iago uses a number of devices to convince Othello of Desdemona's infidelity. One of the devices Iago uses effectively is the repetition of phrases throughout the Act. This device can be used to a great effect as the same point keeps on being repeated. The use of repetition triggered Othello's doubts upon his wife as Iago pretends to "protect" her hideous secret. 01 IAGO Indeed? 02 OTHELLO Indeed? Ay, indeed! Discern'st thou aught in that? Is he not honest? 04 IAGO
Othello Essay
Othello Essay The play Othello, written by Shakespeare is a tragedy, a story of the downfall of a great and noble Moor due to the deception of a villainous man. One of the main themes in the book is trust. Despite the titular character, Othello, being accepted by all even and confident of the honesty of Desdemona, as he declares in the beginning, 'My life upon her faith', he never seems to fully trust her. He however almost never seems to question anything 'Honest Iago' says. However, this is highly ironic because Desdemona is fully honest whereas Iago is completely the opposite. Shakespeare shows that there are many reasons why Othello trusts Iago rather than his wife; including the fact that Othello is an outsider in society and Iago acts as his tutor and takes advantage of his trust. Othello is clearly an outsider but is accepted by all. His race sets him apart physically, through his black skin, as shown by many references by other characters to Othello as 'the black moor', as well as 'sooty bosom' and 'thick lips'. He gets the help of Iago to help him fit into this society. Iago becomes a tutor to him. This is shown when Othello asks 'What should I do now, Iago?' as though he needs permission and confirmation from Iago before anything is done. Iago helps him understand his environment which Othello seems may be unclear of like when marrying Desdemona
Shakespeare - Othello
Roderigo and Iago refer ambiguously to Othello as "he" or "him" for much of the first scene. When they begin to specify whom they are talking about, they do so with racial epithets, not names. These include "the Moor", "the thick-lips", "an old black ram", and "a Barbary horse". The play open with a scene in which Othello himself does not appear but instead we try to gain an initial impression through the comments of his people. This is an important aspect because by not making Othello himself appear we are shown the forces which will be employed against him, there is a created atmosphere of suspense and apprehension, which prepares the audience for his appearance later. Shakespeare, at first, shows us the importance and qualities that the Othello posses. He is shown to be calm and polite. For example, when Iago pretends that Roderigo's insults against the Moor almost provoked him to attack the young man, Othello is pleased that the matter did not come to blows-"Tis better as it is." Without being vainglorious, he realizes his own worth-"My services which I have done the signiory shall our tongue his complaints" (Brabantio's). As a result, our first view of Othello is of a calm man who is in complete control of himself nor does he seem to be the "lascivious Moor" that Iago described in the previous scene. Every Shakespearean hero has a tragic flaw, which is brought about by
