What's the significance of the moments when Iago addresses the audience?
What's the significance of the moments when Iago addresses the audience? Trying to psychoanalyse the nature of Iago is like trying to decipher the enigma. Iago is a character with so many different facets to his name that literary critics have been divided for years as to whether Iago is indeed a highly complex character or if he is one who is in fact very simple. We as an audience try and understand his actions. Perhaps Iago is of such a mentality that his audience simply cannot grasp his nature and it is only through the imagination of Shakespeare that we gain an insight into this different mentality. One reputable critic - Coleridge was of the opinion that Iago had a "motiveless malignity" a delight in evil for evils sake. This would remove the much-popularised view that Iago had several motives - envy, humiliation, failure and inferiority. Either intentionally or unintentionally Iago creates an air of mystery about himself, which is subtly revealed in his soliloquies with the audience. Critics have always felt that Othello and Iago are in some ways equal and opposite or rather, complimentary. However the Elizabethan audience would have considered them to be strangely similar, because they share common values. Both Iago and Othello suffer from the same disease - jealousy. So in this sense they can be seen as parallels. I think that this is what Shakespeare intended,
Iago is a powerful predator who exploits those around him by infecting their perceptions of truth with carefully chosen fallacy.
When the slightest hint of doubt or suspicion is planted into someone's mind, the damaging effect of jealousy is left to ensue. William Shakespeare's "Othello" supports this idea. Jealousy and suspicion are Othello's major flaws throughout the play and foreshadow to the audience the eponymous hero's imminent downfall brought about by his ancient, the manipulative Iago. NP Shakespeare uses the technique of beginning "Othello" at night and in the middle of a conversation to create intrigue. Iago and Roderigo are discussing the elopement of Desdemona, who Roderigo loves, and Othello. Although this conversation takes place at a very early stage in the play, it is evident that Iago is manipulative and cunning as he is already taking full advantage of Roderigo's wealth: NP "That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse As if the strings were thine". NP The first word we hear Iago speak is "Sblood", a powerful word conveying his fury and hate. Iago tells Roderigo the reason he is angry is because Othello has appointed Michael Cassio the position of lieutenant instead of him: "One Michael Cassio, a Florentine... That never set a squadron on the field". It is clear Iago thinks Othello has made a mistake in his decision as Cassio is not only inexperienced, but he is from Florence. NP Iago's inability to contain his rage is further revealed when he vows revenge on Othello: "I follow him
A marriage of convenience? Othello.
Gabriela Martinez 6-24-03 Mr. Dave Borror A marriage of convenience? Lines 130 to 177 in act 1, scene 3 of the Othello play is what encompasses Othello's speech to the Duke, the senators and Brabantio. Othello and Brabantio were present in front of the Duke and the senators, basically because Othello was being accused of witchcraft, since there was no other reason why a beautiful Venetian white young lady like Desdemona would feel attracted to a moor. The main goal of Othello's speech is to prove that there was no witchcraft involved, and the love that Desdemona felt for him came upon naturally. Further more, Othello's intentions towards Desdemona were not to just have a sexual relationship with, he wanted to do the honorable thing of those times, and so he had married her. This speech plays a very important role in the play. It is usually the case that soldiers, army men of those times would probably not be as articulate as most educated people of those times. Furthermore, many people would not have expected Othello to be as articulate as he was, since he was not only a military man, but he was also a moor. He drops his soldier image to show a group of white older men his feelings, his emotions, his love for Desdemona (979). This of course is an action that was very difficult for a man to do the same way it is difficult for today's men to confide their feelings of
How Would You Stage The final Scene of Othello? Consider (a) Stage and Audience (B) Possible Meanings.
HOW WOULD YOU STAGE THEFINAL SCENE OF OTHELLO? CONSIDER (A) STAGE AND AUDIENCE (B) POSSIBLE MEANINGS The final scene is vital to any play. This is because it provides a conclusion to the previous events that have taken place. In the case of Othello the final scene brings an end to all the confusion and deception that has been evident throughout. Therefore, the staging of this scene should be carefully devised. I hope to plan the final scene for Othello conveying my own interpretations of the play and its characters, while considering Elizabethan audiences and their expectations. There have been many performances of Othello in the past and I wish to gain ideas from these productions as well as criticisms of both the performances and the play itself. This will assist me in making judgements about the play and individual characters. Act 5 Scene 2 begins with Othello entering with a light. In Elizabethan times the concept of light and dark was deeper than that simply of colour. Darkness was associated with the devil and this is why it is ironic to see Desdemona in darkness and Othello being the bearer of light. However, William Shakespeare portrays Desdemona's innocence many times in the play, for instance in this very scene when Othello says: " Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow." Here, we the audience are about to witness a distressing incident where Othello is
Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare.
Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare Kind of Play - Verse drama - a dramatic/theatrical work (written predominantly in verse but prose features too) - Shakespeare and his contemporaries tried to imitate Greek and Roman drama. This was a period of time when there was a great interest in the classical civilizations of the west, particularly ancient Greece and Rome. During this period termed as the Renaissance, there was a great revival in learning and flowering of the arts and music. - There is an audible distinction between both prose and verse and the audience of Shakespeare's times would have had easily differentiated them. - Verse was generally used by aristocrats, nobles and people of the higher class. Verse was also used for elevated subject matter. - On the other hand prose was generally used by the people of the lower class and for low subject matters. - Othello is a tragedy (see notes for tragedy). A tragic hero in a tragic play is noble by birth and noble by nature, but as the play progresses the tragic hero must proceed from a high point to a low point. The downfall is usually attributed to a tragic flaw in character. Also the principle intention of a tragedy is to evoke a catharsis from the audience. To Note: Shakespeare almost never strictly adhered to the traditional rules/conventions of a tragedy. Of what significance is his rebellion
Governor Kathleen Blanco was persuasive in her address to rebuild New Orleans. Her speech takes on a motivated sequence design
Baron Muth 1/18/05 CMST Sec. 29 Reconstruction In a speech given on Wednesday September 14 2005, Governor Kathleen Blanco addressed the Joint Session of the Louisiana State Legislature in Baton Rouge, Louisiana about hurricane Katrina's aftermath. The audience included President George W. Bush, the Speaker, members of the House and Senate, clergy members, commanding officers, and honored guests. In her address, Kathleen Blanco focused solely on New Orleans. She thanked everyone involved in the relief effort, outlined ways to get the people who are displaced home and safe, and focused mainly on a plan of action to rebuild New Orleans back to normal. Just two weeks after the storm, governor Blanco was ready to address the nation about New Orleans. News crews were at the scene including the local news and CNN. The speech was recorded and is available online. She stood behind a podium in the chamber, and used a microphone to amplify her speech to the stadium seated audience. Kathleen Blanco's main objective was to get funding and support from the federal government for rebuilding the rampaged city of New Orleans. She is credible to ask for federal funding because she is the governor of Louisiana. She established even more credibility because she promoted identification, commemoration, plans of action, and personal experience in her speech. First, she ushered in a sense of
Analyse an extract of not less than 500 words from a text of your choosing, commenting upon the use of language and reflecting upon the relationship between the nature of the extract and the era from which it comes.
Analyse an extract of not less than 500 words from a text of your choosing, commenting upon the use of language and reflecting upon the relationship between the nature of the extract and the era from which it comes. My essay will be based on an extract by William Shakespeare, from his tragic play 'Othello'. I will analyse the language used in the pivotal part of the play, Act three, Scene three. I will look at it against the time of writing and also look at the effect Shakespeare's great use of language has left us with today. William Shakespeare is thought to be the greatest writer we have ever seen, but he is also the most written about. His chronicles and commentators spill over global tongues, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian etc. He is actually in more than fifty languages. He was not for an age, but for all time. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. Shakespeare's father, John, was an apprentice glover and tanner of leathers. His mother, Mary Arden, came from a farming family. Shakespeare was the eldest of three sons and four daughters and was educated until he was sixteen. William Shakespeare was indeed lucky to survive to adulthood in sixteenth-century England. Waves of the plague swept across the countryside, and pestilence ravaged Stratford during the hot summer months. It is unclear what he did until he landed in London in 1591. He
Racism in Othello
Racism in Othello It's not hard to imagine that Othello was probably Shakespeare's most controversial play. In the play, Othello Shakespeare's shows the audience a transformation of a barbarous black man into a respected soldier and nobleman. At the time this play was written, black people were only known as slaves. That is why there is a clear theme of racism throughout the play. Society rejects the marriage of Othello and Desdemona, sees it as an act "against all rules of nature"(act 1.3, line 102). Society has no real reason to reject the marriage of Othello and Desdemona. Othello matches or even exceeds the other men trying to win Desdemona hand in marriage. Nothing separates Othello from "the wealthy, curled darlings of our nation"(act 1.2, line 68) except his skin-color. Iago, Brabantion, Roderigo and Emilia are all main characters that have racist feeling toward Othello. Out of these main characters Iago shows the most racist in the play. In the play Othello, Iago is a character that obviously has a plane to bring Othello down from his high place in society. Iago hates Othello because when Othello chose his lieutenant, he chose Cassio and not him. Iago believe he should have been the lieutenant because he has war experience and Cassio doesn't. In the play, Iago is the catalyst of all the destructive events within the play. Iago is able to use Othello's
Explore the role of hatred and/or grief in any work (or works) of literature of your choice.
4) Explore the role of hatred and/or grief in any work (or works) of literature of your choice. In their introduction of Aeschylus' 'The Oresteia', Robert Fagles and W.B Stanford include E.R Dodds' assertion that ancient mythology reflected the 'pathology of a culture ridden by its guilt' in the aftermath of many bloody wars and invasions. In Fagles' modern translation, he describes Aeschylus' trilogy ('Agamemnon', 'The Libation Bearers' and 'The Eumenides') as a work in which 'the dead pursued the living for revenge, and revenge could only breed more guilt.' If any other literary piece could satisfy such appraisal, it is Hamlet. If hatred and grief are the main aspects of tragedy, Hamlet is a tragic hero with a distinctly 'Senecan', flavour. (Arkins) For C. & M. Martindale, 'Seneca was the closest Shakespeare ever got to Greek tragedy.' Senecan translations may well have supplemented the Latin plays studied by Shakespeare at school in Stratford- indeed, Brian Arkins claims that the Greek's influence was 'in the Elizabethan air', and T.S Eliot wrote that 'No author exercised...a deeper influence upon the Elizabethan mind or...form of tragedy than did Seneca.' Cambridge itself was deeply influenced during the period, presenting two performances of 'The Trojan Women' and 'Medea' as well as another of 'Oedipus' between 1551 and 1563. (Arkins) The revenge aspect of
Show how Shakespeare sets out the contrasting characters of Othello and Iago in Act 1 of Othello
Show how Shakespeare sets out the contrasting characters of Othello and Iago in Act 1 of Othello. The characters of Othello and Iago are central to the plot in the play Othello. They are two of the play's main characters, but couldn't be more dissimilar. The ways in which Shakespeare outlines these contrasts in character in Act 1 of the play will be analysed with examples from the text given as evidence of the contrasts. We know Othello is going to be a key figure in the play as it is named after him. However, we meet Iago first. Shakespeare indicates in Act 1 Scene 1 that Iago will also have a significant part to play in the play and in fact a lot about his character is revealed in his opening exchanges with Roderigo and Brabantio. We learn very quickly that he is two-faced in lines 59-65 when he tells us that he is only putting on an act of obedience to serve his own ends, while concealing his true feelings, which are of contempt and dislike of Othello. Shortly after this, we get our first glimpse of Iago's ability to mastermind and engineer plots, while at the same time arousing emotions in others, when he incites Roderigo to wake up Brabantio and destroy his peace. Once Brabantio is awake, he himself interrupts to tell him that Othello is having sex with Brabantio's daughter - lines 88-89 'an old black ram is tupping your white ewe'. Now we as the audience know this is