How does Shakespeare create an effective villain through his presentation of Iago in the soliloquies?
How does Shakespeare create an effective villain through his presentation of Iago in the soliloquies? Over 400 years ago, the theatre was one of the most popular and novel forms of entertainment around. The leading role model here was William Shakespeare, with his 40 plays that captivated audiences the length and breadth of 16th and 17th century England. His plays are divided into three different genres: Comedy, Tragedy and History. In the era that Shakespeare's plays started to earn the recognition we now see he deserved, tragedies were seen as the more popular with plays like Titus Andronicus and King Lear. One of his more famous tragedies was "Othello," the tragic story of a young, valiant and well respected Moor, who is driven to suicide as a result of the exploitation of his fatal flaw. In this case, it is his jealousy of his wife Desdemona supposedly sleeping with Cassio. In this essay I will be analysing the villain in the play, Iago, and his soliloquies, the numerous solo speeches to the audience. These establish Iago as the main villain and allow him to reveal his inner most thoughts. Even today many people still enjoy re-enactments of Shakespeare's plays, either on stage or through television or films. This is because many of the themes Shakespeare based his plays on, relate to many modern day events. In his first soliloquy, it is the first time the audience sees
How does Act 1, Scene 1 of Othello prepare you for the rest of the play
Othello Essay GCSE English How Does Act 1, Scene 1 of Othello prepare the audience for the rest of the play? The play opens with two characters in mid-conversation, shrouded in darkness, in the middle of the night. They are out in the streets of Venice talking about a betrayal of trust between them. This immediately grabs the audience's attention and sets the theme for the rest of the play. The characters involved are Iago and Roderigo and this argument lets us know straight away that they are untrustworthy and we should expect to see more of this during the play. Roderigo is complaining to Iago about his behaviour after Roderigo has given him money. We do not know why he has given him money at this point which makes the audience want to find out more. One of the lines in the beginning of this scene is "Thou toldst me thou did hold him in hate" We do not know that it is Othello they are discussing at this point. Iago begins to tell Roderigo of his hatred for the Moor (Othello). He has been passed over for promotion and feels betrayed and let down. Othello has given the job of Lieutenant to a Florentine (Michael Cassio) and has given Iago the lesser position of Ancient. Roderigo is infatuated with the beautiful Desdemona and is madly jealous after learning that Othello is secretly marrying Desdemona. Iago is full of spite and jealousy because he has lost the promotion to
How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension in act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth?
How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension in act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth? Act 2 Scene 2 of Macbeth is a decisive scene in the play as it creates dramatic tension, conflict and controversy. There are many themes in this play: tragedy, the supernatural, love, dishonesty, betrayal and greed. Macbeth murdered Duncan to prove his masculinity for his wife and also his hunger for more power. Lady Macbeth wanted Duncan dead because of her greed and the witches' prophecies influence her. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is brave, content and loyal in contrast to his dark and sinister persona he adapts later on in the play. Whilst the main theme of Macbeth is one of tragic loss (in terms of the death of the King and indeed the loss of Macbeth's mental state), greed also proves to be an influential factor in the downfall of both Macbeth and his wife. It, ultimately, changed their actions and cost them their lives. At the beginning of the scene, Lady Macbeth is feeling confident. She says " What hath quench'd them hath given me fire", this indicating that she is feeling so powerful and inspired that nothing can stand in her way. Despite feeling confident, she feels agitated and remarks "Hark! Peace!" which demonstrates that she is concerned someone has been alerted to the couple's plans and will discover their wretched methods; this sudden feeling of concern contrasts with her prior
Mistaken Identity in Twelfth Night.
Anna Mason 9S Mistaken Identity in Twelfth Night Throughout "Twelfth Night" there is much foolery, fantasy and mistaken identity. These incidents have made the play more fun, interesting and surprising and have certainly given the play a few twists. Olivia and Viola-Cesario (I, v) The first and most important case of mistaken identity in my opinion, began in Act 1, scene 5, in Olivia's household. Viola-Cesario was sent by Orsino to try and "woo" Olivia for him but Viola, in love with Orsino herself, knew that she would not want to do this: "I'll do my best to woo your lady. [Aside] Yet a barful strife! Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife." (I, iv, l. 39-41). The two got on well although there was much verbal fencing, but by the time Viola-Cesario had left, Olivia feared she had fallen in love with "him". We learn this from Olivia's words after Viola-Cesario's departure: "Even so quickly may one catch the plague? Methinks I feel this youth's perfections With an invisible and subtle stealth To creep in mine eyes. Well, let it be." (I, v, l. 250-3) So, complications were forming already in just the first act: Olivia had fallen in love with the disguised woman, viola; Viola was in love with Orsino, who believed her to be a man; and Orsino was in love with Olivia, who despised him. A love triangle full of complications, lies and mistaken identity had formed.
How does Shakespeare use language to show the changes in Lady Macbeth's character?
How does Shakespeare use language to show the changes in Lady Macbeths character Macbeth was written during a time when James 1st was interested in the supernatural and the history of Scottish Monarchs. Infact, much of society was very interested in the supernatural however the supernatural was a very taboo subject to talk about. In those days, society had very little education and therefore they were very frightened of the supernatural so they kept very quiet about it. Shakespeare had to get permission from the king to write Macbeth because Macbeth contained violence between Monarchs and brutal situations such as real life situations, ambitions and greed. The themes in Macbeth are very thoughtful because they are still used in modern day television programs. In the play Lady Macbeth is so pivotal because she commands Macbeth to do all the physical bits and pieces such as killing King Duncan and Lady Macbeth does all the concealed work.. This is very clever of her because she doesn't get caught but she is the real mastermind behind all of this. Shakespeare probably wrote this play because he wanted to make people explore the supernatural. One of the themes in the story is greed. This theme is shown by Lady Macbeth of who wants all the power and wealth through her husbands masculinity. Another theme in the play is the supernatural, this is shown through the three witches of
Is Iago The Perfect Villain?
Othello Essay 'Is Iago the perfect villain?' Few Shakespearian villains radiate evilness and jealously quite as much as Iago, the unbeknown nemesis of the play's title character, Othello. In other plays written by the bard of Avon the villains can come across as one-dimensional- weak, personified by a flaw in their genetic make-up or unattainable ambition yet Iago is a far more complex and compelling character. True, he has the power to both betray and murder those he once worked alongside, but Iago isn't the complete cold-blooded murderer in the same sense of Macbeth or King Claudius from Hamlet. True, he meticulously plans the death of Cassio but he plans it to be by hands of Rodrigo, his puppet. In the end opportunity presents itself to Iago and he seizes the moment to stab Cassio in the back but the blow fails to kill him. Iago also reveals a moral conscience through his three soliloquy's which I will explore in more detail later. In short Iago is like no other of Shakespeare's villains which makes him an utterly compelling and absorbing character. And like the other characters in the play, Iago delights in absorbing us, the viewer... The tragedy of Othello was believed to have been first performed in the early 1600's and is one of Shakespeare's more famous plays. The play is also rich in historical context and features the Moorish race heavily, leading many to believe
Women in 'Othello' In Shakespeare's tragic play 'Othello' various issues are explored, such as the role of women.
Women in 'Othello' In Shakespeare's tragic play 'Othello' various issues are explored, such as the role of women. The three women, Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca, are used in order to develop and express both the playwright's views on women, and also the social context at that time. The women in the play lack identity, as all three women are linked with male characters; Desdemona is Othello's wife, Emilia is Iago's wife, and Bianca is Cassio's mistress. During this time and within Venetian society, men were seen as the more powerful and dominant race and women are considered to be lacking in intellect. Desdemona is symbolic as innocence and naivety throughout the play, due to the fact that she is unaware of what is happening around her, blaming Othello's behaviour on state matters, which is shown when she states that "If haply you my father do suspect/An instrument of this your calling back/Lay not your blame on me". This quotation shows that her poignant evidence is used to rationalise Othello's actions, and shows Desdemona is ignorant of the truth. She is very loyal to Othello as she takes both physical and mental abuse, forgiving Othello for what he has done due to stress of his work as a general. Desdemona also has sympathy towards others, which is shown when she vows to help Cassio's cause, which ironically makes her own situation worse. Othello accuses Desdemona of
Compare the ways in which Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann present key scenes in Romeo and Juliet and say which one you preferred and why.
ROMEO AND JULIET Assignment: Compare the ways in which Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann present key scenes in Romeo and Juliet and say which one you preferred and why. -- The scenes that I am going to compare and focus on are: The starting of both versions - Act 1 sc I The main fight scene with Romeo, Tybalt and Mercutio - Act 3 sc I The ending of both versions - Act 5 sc III We have watched two versions of 'Romeo and Juliet'. One was made in 1968 by a man called Franco Zeffirelli and was set in Verona, in the middle Ages. The other by Baz Luhrmann made in 1996. This version was set in America and is very modern and has more visual and graphical effects. The stars in the Zeffirelli version were Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting. The Luhrmann version starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. One of the main differences between the two versions of 'Romeo and Juliet' was the opening. The Zeffirelli movie had quite a slow opening, in contrast to fast and furious opening of Luhrmann's version. Both films used Shakespeare's play properly, but their outcomes were very, very different. Zeffirelli's version of the opening was set in a market square, whereas Luhrmann's opening was in a petrol station. When the Montagues and Capulets have a confrontation in Zeffirelli's film, the argument is quite courteous, in a mocking way. But in Luhrmann's
Shakespeare's presentation of Hamlet
It was a popular belief during Elizabethan times that if a man had been wronged and the state failed to see that justice was done, a son's duty was to take it into his own hands and seek revenge. Shakespeare presents Hamlet as a typical revenge play of the time, where the central character, Hamlet, has a duty to avenge his father's death. In Hamlet, Fortinbras and Laertes are also seen as revenge heroes, but in character contrast Hamlet in how he acts on his duty. This contrast highlights that whereas Fortinbras and Laertes are simplistic conventional revenge heroes, Hamlet on the other hand has the conventional features of a revenge hero, but is also seen as so much more. This is due to his awareness of religious principles and despite being Protestant, at times makes slight transitions to Catholic ideas. It is also due to his constant contemplation of the effects of his actions, rationalising the situation he is put in. Fortinbras is presented as a typical king who lives up to the reputation of his father with the aim to "recover [the lands]/So by his father lost". His aim is put into practice; Fortinbras, after threatening to invade Denmark, succeeds in doing so and is thereby fulfilling his role as a revenge hero. Similarly with Laertes, in the discovery of finding his father, Polonius, being murdered by Hamlet, he immediately takes on the role of an uncomplicated revenge
Role of women in hamlet
The Role of Women in Hamlet We live in a society where women have rights that were unheard of centuries ago. These rights include the right to driving freely, having jobs rather than staying at home, and being treated with the same respect as men in the workplace. But in Shakespeare's play Hamlet women have a role that is mainly passive in that the men in Hamlet hold a higher position than women and are treated in a manner that would be labelled as misogyny today in that women are only seen as objects rather than human. In Hamlet there are only two women who have a significant role in the play: Gertrude and Ophelia. Gertrude role in Hamlet is one that is a loving mother that does care for her son but also raises her selfish ambition above everyone else and tries to reconfigure her family around her new husband Claudius. Ophelia role in Hamlet consists of being one-dimensional and stagnant, that soon crumbles after the death of her father due to her frailty and innocence. During the first scene of book, Hamlet recalls scene between his mother and father and the love and affection they possessed before his father passed away. He then becomes disgusted over the fact his mother quickly married off a man instead of being with her son. The fact that this man was her deceased husband brother makes Hamlet disgust his mom even more. He feels his mother is weak in many aspects
