He is a man "more sinned against than sinning".Discuss with relation to the character of Othello.

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Jade Okba IB1

English SL

He is a man “more sinned against than sinning”.

Discuss with relation to the character of Othello.

        As the play progresses, Othello’s character goes through many changes which happen as a result of him falling victim to Iago’s evil schemes. At first he is introduced as an army general who is respected for what he does but still discriminated against for being black.

        Othello is a victim to racism throughout the play. He is often referred to as “the Moor” even by his beloved Desdemona and is also called by more offensive terms. Iago uses animal imagery in referring to Othello as an “old black ram”. The use of animal imagery degrades Othello and use of the word “black” implies that black people were thought to be as low as animals. Emilia also calls Othello “the blacker devil” which is certainly a racist term; however, under the circumstances in which it was used she had fair reason to insult him.

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        Furthermore, Brabantio throws harsh abusive accusations and hypocritical insults at Othello. Othello had often been invited to Brabantio’s house to speak of his experiences on the battle field; however, when it comes out that Othello has married has married his daughter Desdemona he accuses Othello of having “practised on her foul charms” and that he 2hast enchanted her” in order to seduce her into his “cunning hell”. This may show Othello as a victim to Brabantio, but Brabantio was once charmed by Othello.

        All through the play, Othello falls victim to Iago. For it was due to Iago ...

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The essay has an okay structure. There is a clear introduction, but it doesn't really set up an argument. I would be making it clear that I am arguing that Othello's tragedy is caused by Iago here, rather than taking a while to make it to that point. The conclusion is fine, but as mentioned above there is no analysis of why Shakespeare uses this fact. There needs to be a discussion of the audience response and the effect on the play's receptions. Some of the ideas are a bit dotted about, also, with paragraphs being split when they should be put together to form a more concrete point. Ensuring you have a concise structure will allow your argument to flow. Paragraphs should never be one sentence, as it shows the inability to structure a good argument - a marking point at GCSE.

The analysis here is average. There is good knowledge of the play, with the essay being able to build an argument based on Iago's instigation of Othello's tragedy. However, despite the good use of quotations in this essay, none are analysed. There needs to be analysis of language, form and structure throughout to reach the top marks. I would be looking at the recurring metaphors used, or the imagery used by Iago which poisons Othello's mind. Then, once you have analysed these techniques, you can draw upon why Shakespeare has used them. There is a distinct lack of this here, and I would note that this is the most common downfall of GCSE essays. Students think that essays with good knowledge of the play will gain the top marks, but if there's no analysis then this won't happen. Without having an appreciation and exploration of the audience response, and how Shakespeare's techniques and craft affects this, you will not be given much credit. I would also note that this essay refers to characters as if they make their own choices. It is crucial that you show awareness that Shakespeare has constructed Othello, and chooses how to have him react on stage for dramatic effect. Once you get past this barrier, it'll become more natural to discuss why he has chosen to construct the play and its plot.

This essay responds to the task well. I personally interpret the quote as a claim that Othello's tragedy is caused by someone else, and this is the argument that this essay follows. I would note that there is not nearly enough analysis in this essay to reach the top marks. There needs to be close analysis of Iago's soliloquies and the change in Othello's language to prove that Iago causes his downfall. There is no discussion of audience response here, and so this essay cannot reach the top marks.