Othello Literary Essay

Examples Of Hubris In Othello
This audio extract from Act 1 Scene 3 characterizes Othello in many ways, but ultimately as the
tragic hero of the play. This scene sets up the tragic downfall of the protagonist and disrupts the
chain of being by exposing Othello's fatal flaw, his hubris. Othello's speech and relationship with
Desdemona are two key ways that the audio explores his hubris.
Othello's elegant and self–absorbed speech reveals his hubris, thus disrupting the chain of being.
Othello's frequent change in his tone of voice, during his speech, shows his authority and confidence.
We hear this in his sarcastic statement of "Rude am I in my speech..." This sarcasm contradicts
Othello's confidence in himself, heard in his changing tone, emphasizing the tragic hero's hubris. His
elegance of speech is emphasized through constant pauses which allow the internal audience to
absorb and contemplate his words. The silence after he says "True, I have married her...", emphasizes
his statement and manipulates the internal audience to believe his words. The 'magic' in Othello's
language puts him into a position of power which diminishes the authority of the Duke, disrupting
the chain of being....show more content...
The audio uses diegetic sounds and the romanticism Othello to express their genuine relationship.
We hear a 'sigh' in the phrase "for my pains (ooh) a world of sighs", making the audience feel
sympathetic of Othello. Othello's hyperbolic language in this phrase reiterates his hubris. Othello's
pride is affirmed as he treats Desdemona as the greatest 'war trophy' that can be achieved. We hear
this in the phrase "I won his daughter", where the word "won" is accented and emphasized showing
Othello's pride his achievement. The pride that Othello has of Desdemona will eventually result in
his jealousy later in the play, leading to the hero's tragic
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Othello : William Shakespeare 's Othello
Jack Martin
Mrs. Siplivy
British Literature
3 March 2015
Othello
Introduction
Shakespeare is the second most quoted writer in the English language – after the various writers of
the Bible. Many of Shakespeare's ideas for the play Othello came from a collection of tales written
by Giraldi Cinthio. In Othello the character of Iago acts as the prominent main character throughout
the play, even though he plays the role of the antagonist to the other central characters in the
comedy Iago is the tragic hero. Shakespeare's Othello was not just a translation of Cinthio's version
from Italian to English, but a transformation of the drama, changing the dynamic of the play.
Shakespeare's use of metaphors, the tragic hero and the actuality of the story led to Othello
becoming an infamous piece of writing during the Renaissance. William Shakespeare's Othello is a
classic piece of British Literature because of its use of literary devices, intriguing plot and historical.
Biography
William Shakespeare comes from a story of mysterious origins, however there are Church records
and accounts that give us brief sketches on the life of Shakespeare, but these records do not tell
us much on the man of Shakespeare himself. "By 1592, there is evidence William Shakespeare
earned a living as an actor and a playwright in London and possibly had several plays
produced(William)." After that date of 1592 it is considered to have been about twelve years until
Shakespeare wrote his comedy Othello and

Literary Analysis Essay On Othello
Iago reflects the ideas of feminist criticism in the book Othello because of his constant need for
control over his wife, Emilia. Iago felt he should overpower Emilia. He treated her as if she was a
servant, however Iago always made it seem as if she annoyed him. Iago felt that Emilia was not
loyal to him, so therefore he did not respect her like he should have. Iago always seemed like he
didn't care about Emilia. He was never sympathetic and he always criticized her. In Act II, Scene
I, Shakespeare wrote, "Come on, come on. You women are all the same. You're as pretty as
pictures when you're out in public, but in your own houses you're as noisy as jangling bells."
(Shakespeare 71). Iago didn't care about acknowledging Emilia, unless it was for his own
satisfaction. Iago always perceived her as a cheater, which made him have a mindset that all women
were the same. Emilia only wanted attention from Iago. She...show more content...
Iago was not influenced by any of the other soldiers. Iago chose to be evil and hateful on his own,
trying to manipulate everyone to take Cassio's position. "The split within Othello also can be
regarded as a doubleness between Othello as he chooses himself to to be and as he allows the Iago
principle that lurks within him to dominate." (Pack). Iago was not only trying to be in control of
Emilia, but he wanted to be in control everything.
Iago was a hateful, self centered and controlling person. He did not care about a woman, unless she
was able for him to use. Iago reflects the ideas of feminist criticism in the book Othello because for
his constant need for control over his wife, Emilia. Iago was a person to manipulate one's mind. He
wanted to gain their trust so he could achieve what he needed without anyone catching on. Never
did anyone suspect Iago as deceiving or manipulative but as "honest" which is why Iago made it so
far with his schemes. He was the perfect

Examples Of Allegory In Othello
Othello is a classic of the universal literature, where human relations show a constant fight between
good and evil. From the opening of the play, Shakespeare, in addition to racial and gender aspects,
makes continuous religious allegory. From the stories told in the Bible and the events reported by
Shakespeare can be compared to the history of destruction of life Othello with Christ, as a result of
evil desires and envy. In Othello, Iago is the main driver of the action, with their manipulations
makes the characters to where he wants, merciless and unscrupulous. Iago may be related to Satan,
because their actions are for the purpose of self–interest, with perversion and harm to others.
Shakespeare makes one of his first allusions to the perversion

Othello: Themes Essay
Othello: Themes
How many themes course through the Shakespearean tragedy Othello? Let us in this essay analyze
the variety and depth of the themes in this play.
Lily B. Campbell in Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes indicates that hate is the theme on which this play
opens:
It is then on a theme of hate that the play opens. It is a hate of inveterate anger. It is a hate that is
bound up with envy. Othello has preferred to be his lieutenant a military theorist, one Michael
Cassio, over the experienced soldier Iago, to whom has fallen instead the post of "his Moorship's
ancient". Roderigo questions Iago:
Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.
And the reply is a torrent of proof of the...show more content...
Helen Gardner in "Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune" sees this play as a study in sexual
jealousy:
Othello is not a study in pride, egoism, or self–deception: its subject is sexual jealousy, loss of faith
in a form which involves the whole personality at the profound point where body meets spirit. The
solution which Othello cannot accept is Iago's: 'Put up with it.' This is as impossible as that Hamlet
should, like Claudius, behave as if the past were done with and only the present mattered. . . . (144)
Of course, jealousy of a different type also torments the antagonist, the ancient, to the point that he
ruins those around him and himself. Francis Ferguson in "Two Worldviews Echo Each Other"
describes how there is no cure for the jealous passion that rules Iago's life:
On the contrary, in the "world" of his philosophy and his imagination, where his spirit lives, there
is no cure for passion. He is, behind his mask, as restless as a cage of those cruel and lustful
monkeys that he mentions so often. It has been pointed out that he has no intelligible plan for
destroying Othello, and he never asks himself what good it will do him to ruin so many people. It is
enough for him that he "hates" the Moor. . . .(133)
Act 1 Scene 1 opens with an expression of jealousy and hatred: Roderigo is upbraiding Iago
because of the elopement of the object of his affections –Desdemona –– with the Moor: "Thou told'st
me thou didst hold him

Critical Analysis Of Othello
William Shakespeare playwrights cleverly provide the ability to generate and develop symbolism to
another state. Shakespeare plays discuss a sense of morality and tend to focus on the psychological
state of the character that end in these misfortunate tragedies. Like most Shakespearean plays the
characters struggles with internal conflicts that are imperative to the way he or she thinks, their
personal beliefs and motives. The personal struggle these characters are face upon is conveyed
through distinct creative usages of literary language. Often characters ' decisions are motivated on
their egotistical and entitled desires, which happens to lead them into a world of self–destruction.
Shakespearean readers can see the prevalent custom...show more content...
Metaphors are figures of speech that allows the ability to associate an emotion or circumstance
figuratively with a verbal analogy. Iago responds by saying the way he is presenting his distress,
one would be led to believe he has literally experienced some form of bodily harm. Iago goes on to
say that reputation is an inoperable and bogus quality that is imposed on us by others. Iago
explains that only Cassio's opinion should influence rather he has lost his reputation. A more
literal interpretation of a metaphor can be found in the same scene," I will rather sue to be
despised than to deceive so good a commander with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an
officer. Drunk? And speak parrot? And squabble? Swagger? Swear? And discourse fustian with
one's own shadow? O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us
call thee devil!" The modern text translation, "I'd rather ask him to hate me than ask such a good
commander to accept such a worthless, drunk, stupid officer as myself. Drunk? Babbling
senselessly? Squabbling? Swaggering? Swearing? Ranting and raving to my own shadow! Oh,
wine is the devil!" Cassio is basically declaring that the spirit of wine is the devil. The consumption
of wine is what he believes influenced his inappropriate actions, therefore he

Literary Analysis Of Othello
in the book othello, great lengths have to come thru for a black man in the tragedy that he is
underestimated by the color of his skin. In the beginning of the of the book/play othello the moor
was judged and feared by the citizens of Venice, but as the story goes on he becomes this hero and
protagonist, he is powerful and respected by those around him. Othello, after blindly succumbing to
the diabolical scheming of his trusted lieutenant (Iago), fills himself with enraged jealousy, believes
that Michael Cassio his once trusted friend is having sexual affairs with his wife.
Othello follows through the city of venice and falls in love to drive his faith through some of the
hardest obstacles as he marries the most beautiful Desdemona and intrigues jealousy within some
of the city men as he becomes general "you told me you hated him," "By god, i'd rather be his
executioner" (Roderigo). The moor's biggest challenges was the fact that he was different he was
hated for interracial relationship to start and then hated by his enraged anger....show more content...
The type of criticism i choose was cultural criticism, to show how Othello came from great length to
achieve his reputation and the hatred that followed him through his journey. " Othello (1604) is
generally regarded as a captivating domestic tragedy that concentrates on the psychological
repercussions of racial hatred and sexual jealousy. The play recounts the tragic fate of Othello, a
Moorish general and recent convert to Christianity, who is charged by his Venetian superiors with
the defense of Cyprus from Turkish aggression. " в‡ђ this is a quote from gale's

Social Context of "Othello"
On November 1, 1604, King James I and his court were the first to watch a production of William
Shakespeare's "Othello." The famous playwright was in the midst of his tragedy period, penning
such classics as "Hamlet," "King Lear," and "Macbeth." The story of "Othello" has its roots in the
historical events and cultural atmosphere of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
It was a common practice of playwrights at the time to borrow or lift plot ideas from other
preexisting stories, and Shakespeare was no exception to the rule. The plot of "Othello" most closely
resembles a 1565 story by the Italian writer Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio: a Moorish general is
tricked by one of his officers into thinking his wife has been unfaithful....show more content...
Othello describes Desdemona's supposed sullied reputation as "begrimed and black/ as mine own
face" (3.3.390–1) and seeks "black vengeance" (3.3.450). While it is actually Iago, a white character,
who stains and corrupts the pure love between Othello and Desdemona, the concepts of impurity and
pollution are described in "black" terms. To this day, "Othello" remains a challenging, provocative
play for its treatment of

Othello Analysis Essay examples
The tragedy of Othello, written by William Shakespeare, presents the main character Othello, as a
respectable, honorable, and dignified man, but because of his insecurities and good nature, he is
easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his peers and alleged friends. The dynamic of Othello's
character significantly changes throughout the play. The contrast is most pronounced from the
beginning of the play to its conclusion, switching from being calm and peaceful to acts of
uncontrolled venomous rage. Othello's motivation in the play appears to be his love and concern for
his wife Desdemona, which ironically, ends up being his downfall in the end. In the beginning of the
play Othello exhibits behaviors leading one to believe that he...show more content...
The duke then sent Othello and some of his men to command a military patrol in Cyprus. Othello
takes Desdemona with him and in Cyprus he continued to be polite, respectful, and charming,
saying things like, "It gives me wonder great as my content to see you here before me" (II.i.83). He
says this to Desdemona reassuring his love and care for her.
By the middle of the play Othello's mood and demeanor seem to shift from being peaceful and
patient to very anxious, paranoid, and gullible. For example when Othello is talking to Iago and
Iago suggests that maybe his wife is not being faithful to him, it becomes Othello's obsession to get
down to the bottom of it and catch her. "I have been talking with your suitor here, a man that
languishes in your displeasure / Who is't you mean / Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord"
(III.iii.41–43). In this dialog between Othello and Iago, with just two sentences Iago causes
Othello to lose trust in his wife and believe she is being unfaithful to him which grows stronger
and stronger each scene of the play. Because Iago is extremely cunning and manipulative, he is
able to control almost anyone he chooses and he is in control of Othello's emotions because he
knows the things Othello fears. Iago is pretending to be Othello's friend but secretively is going
behind his back and bringing him down. Iago convinces Othello that Cassio is having an affair with
Desdemona. "I humbly do beseech

Othello, By William Shakespeare Essay
From the very beginning of Shakespeare's Othello, Iago is held in very high regard within the
community in Venice. He is often called "honest Iago" by many people, including his superior,
Othello. There is a large discrepancy between Iago's character in the beginning of the play, and the
general perception at the end of the play, due to Iago's many character flaws that cause him to create
devious plans and a web of deception and lies, spun by his intense anger and hatred. The first scene
of Othello holds many indications of the negative traits Iago possesses, and they escalate quickly
as the play progresses. There are many points within the play that present Iago falling prey to his
issues and therefore let them control him. Iago's anger and hatred kept him from dealing with these
character flaws and lead to his descent into moral degradation and the causation of the deaths of
three people he once loved.
It is a valid question to ask if Iago was ever able to truly love in his life. His cruel intentions and
magnitude of hatred during the play make it seem as though he would be incapable of love. It is
my opinion that Iago had once been capable of love, but most likely the anger and hatred Iago
experienced in the beginning of Othello caused something to snap in his mind and remove any
love he once had, as well as any capability to love. Since love is one of the fundamental parts of
humanity in my opinion, Iago's loss of his ability to love is a huge factor in his loss of

To What Extent Is Othello Relevant Today
3) In the following I will comment wther Othello is relevant to today's society, based on the given
quote. Initially it is easy for one to say that, like the quote states, every human being plays a role
in his life and that the person will be remembered for the role he played, which is comparable to
Othello where every character plays a different role and it is the role they played which they will
be remembered for. Also themes like jealousy, honour, and racism are themes that will die with the
human kind, meaning they are themes, which will always be a hot topic in todays society like in the
times shakespeare wrote his play. By giving each character those themes and making them interact,
Shakespeare made the characters come to life and gave

Othello : An Argumentative Essay
Othello: An Argumentative Essay
Inside each of us, there is a seed of good and evil since it is a constant struggle for us to determine
as to which one will win, so that is why one cannot exist without the other. However, there are some
whose emotions are unbalanced, which causes them to near towards one side more than the other
one ВВ and many times the side a lot of people prefer to lean on is evil. Shakespeare's play O thello
is set in 16thВcentury Venice and Cyprus.Othello, a noble black general from the Venetian army has
secretly married Desdemona, daughter of Venice senator Brabantio. Othello chooses inexperienced
Cassio to be his lieutenant, while he decides to give the ensign position to Iago, a malicious but very
experienced man who, with his stealth and knavery, will ultimately ruin almost everyone's life
since for a long time, he was desiring the position of lieutenant just like Cassio. At the end of the
play, Othello, Desdemona, Iago's wife Emilia, and his sidekick Roderigo die due to his revenge
against Cassio, for obtaining the position he wanted and Othello, for being the man who he hates
the most. The play ends with Iago being told that he will be punished and tortured for his actions.
However, despite the fact that Iago is punished at the end of the play for doing all of the malicious
things he did, he still manages to wear down Othello's relationship with Desdemona, get Cassio
demoted from his lieutenancy, and cause Othello to show his cowardness by

Character Analysis of Othello Essay
Character Analysis of Othello
"Othello" is a tragedy and Othello is a tragic hero. Othello is a general in the service of Venice. He
is good, courageous, brave and trustworthy. However he has some weaknesses such as insecurity; he
is too open, naГЇve, and gullible, Iago plays on his weaknesses which brings about his downfall
and he kills himself. This causes the suffering of innocent people like Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio
and Roderigo. The audience also feel pity for Othello and this creates a sense of wastage at the end.
Iago's main aim is to bring about Othello's downfall. He has many reasons for this, such as his anger
as Othello rejected him for the post of lieutenant and he hates the fact...show more content...
Roderigo says to Iago "What a full fortune does the thick lips owe". Shakespeare wanted the
audience to mainly focus on the racist comments made about Othello by other characters.
Brabantio also accuses Othello of using black magic to steal his daughter. Iago refers to Othello
as "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe". Iago also says to Brabantio that "you are one of
those that will not serve god if the devil bid you" and he also says "the moor is now making the
beast with two backs". This proves that Iago's hatred of Othello is motivated by racism. In the 17th
century the audience would sympathise with Brabantio and not for Othello because Othello is an
outsider. Shakespeare intends to shock the audience with the language Iago uses. Therefore
Shakespeare encourages the audience to criticise and dislike Iago and so sympathise for Othello.
Shakespeare wants to change as well as challenge Society's view on race.
When Othello first appears on the scene, he appears as a character disliked by others. He secretly
married Desdemona and is criticised by others before he appears on the scene. As the play moves
on, the audience are shaken in seeing his good qualities. He is good, calm and when Iago tells him
that Roderigo has been spreading foul reports about him he says "Let him do his

Literary Criticism In Othello
Literary works that explore core human experiences are able to retain their textual integrity through a
range of contexts, despite the dynamic nature of prevalent social constructs and moral viewpoints.
Playwright William Shakespeare whose works were originally composed during the Elizabethan era
encompasses this idea, but they have been appropriated through different mediums, as the
exploration of universal concepts is still relevant to contemporary responders. This is particularly
evident in Shakespeare's "Othello" (1603).
"Othello" is a Shakespearian tragedy set in sixteenth century Venice during the Turkish and Venetian
Wars. The story follows the powerful Moor of Venice, Othello, and his tragic moral, military and
marital downfall due to the corruption instigated by his jealous ancient, Iago. Throughout the play,
the themes of womanhood, appearance versus reality, as well as prejudice in identity are explored.
Further, contemporary responders can extract individual meaning through applying the literary
criticisms.
Firstly, the patriarchal representation of women and sexuality throughout "Othello" effectively
demonstrates the movement of cultural values through historical contexts. Desdemona and Emilia
are character foils of weak and strong, and Desdemona is often subject to objectification.
Desdemona's husband, Othello, stated, "I won his [Brabantio's] daughter" (1.2.94), which
metaphorically objectifies Desdemona as an object to be "won". Bianca, a Venetian mistress, is
also degraded through her speech. She is often regarded as a "whore", with no consequence for the
men who say it. For the entire play, Bianca speaks in prose whereby there is an absence of iambic
pentameter, separating her from the nobility who speak in verse. Bianca and Desdemona effectively
reflect female isolation and dismissal within society simply because of their gender, thus
emphasising the state of women in 16th century society.
By implementing a contemporary feminist viewpoint in "Othello", contemporary responders are
able to analyse and connect with the theme of womanhood and relate it to a modern context. In A.C.
Bradley's "Shakespearean Tragedy" (1957), Desdemona is described as "the sweetest and most
pathetic of

Feminist Criticism In Shakespeare's Othello
In the play Othello , Othello strongly represents feminist criticism because he cares so much about
their relationship that he couldn't handle the thought of her cheating on him. He played a big role
in the play from being a powerful governor along with being a deep lover. Othello and Desdemona,
the daughter of A senator from Venice, fell for each other and are married behind her father's back.
The father, Brabantio, finds out and says that Othello used his magic on her, but yet he still sent the
two to Cyprus together. Othello captured Desdemona with his stories about his past and Desdemona
quickly falls in love with him. Even though the love of the two is strong Othello lets his ensign Iago
draw him into his lies about his woman showing...show more content...
Although he is initially presented as a strong, confident character using typical heroic vocabulary, as
he succumbs to jealousy and rage."(Shakespeare for Students,1992)
This quote explains the shift in Othello's personality. Othello is fueled by the jealousy of
Desdemona and enraged that she would do such a thing to disrespect him. His pride was shattered
and his feelings were hurt.
"I would've been happy if the whole army had had

Essay on Act One Of Othello
What Is Shakespeare's
Achievement In Act I Of Othello?
Shakespeare's own personal aim was not to write a social and political reflection of his era, as many
contemporary readers believe, it was; purely and simply, to entertain his audience. This does not
mean that there can be no social and political reflections within Othello, it means that the reflections
are there, not for the sake of social and political commentary, but for the sake of entertainment and
pleasure. Aristotle explained in "Poetics" that the audience's pleasure consists not merely in
observing the play, but criticizing, evaluating and making comparisons. These activities produce
pleasure, thus it is not a mindless pleasure. There must be intellectual and emotional...show more
content...
Othello is described by Iago as being pompous and immodest, Iago is only serving Othello to "serve
[his] turn upon him", this immediately shows the self–serving nature of Iago. We are quickly shown
that Iago is bitter and twisted that he has not gained the rank of Othello's lieutenant, thus his
estimation of Othello is not fully believed or accredited by the audience. Furthermore Iago goes
on to admit to his own deceptive nature by explaining he is not what he seems to be, he explains "I
am not what I am". In the first scene Iago launches into a speech of how he despises "knee–crooking
knave" who serves his master for nothing but "provender" (bed and board). He then explains how
he admires the servant who wears a "visage of duty" while serving no one but himself. These
servants "have lined their coats" and then when they have used their master for money they "Do
themselves homage". Iago, once more, confesses to being one of these self serving and deceptive
men. By showing Iago's true colours, Shakespeare is casting Iago's view of Othello in a very low
estimation.
Shakespeare's initial portrayal of Roderigo, is of a rather dim and naГЇve man. Firstly, he has paid a
clearly dishonest self serving man, Iago, to promote a match between him and Desdemona, to her
father, Brabantio. Secondly, nearly all Roderigo's conversation consists of subservient comments
towards the manipulative Iago. He is constantly agreeing and

Language and Literary Techniques in Othello
The language and literary techniques used in William Shakespeare's Othello enrich the settings, plot,
characters, and themes. Othello is a complex tragedy about good versus evil, loyalty, love, sexual
jealousy, appearance versus reality, and intrigue, told in afirst person point of view. The play takes
place during the Renaissance in Venice, Italy and inCyprus over three days. It is written in blank
verse, usually unrhymed iambic pentameter. The protagonist, Othello, is a Moor well respected by
senators for his valiant service in war and married to Desdemona, a Venetian woman. The play is
entitled Othello and the plot and action encompass him, thus supporting his position of...show more
content...
Othello has now come to completely trust the deceitful Iago and distrust his honest wife.
Iago persuades Roderigo to kill Cassio while Othello smothers Desdemona. Emilia then reveals to
Othello Iago's manipulation. As Emilia continues to divulge Iago's actions he kills her and flees.
When Iago is returned to Othello, Othello wounds him and upon realizing the tragic actions he has
brought about, kills himself.
The settings establish the mood and tone of the act. The play's opening setting of Venice
symbolizes the sophisticated, wealthy, and civilized world. This is later juxtaposed by Cyprus,
an isolated military outpost composed of uncivilized, uncultured people. In Venice, Othello's
diction is calm, intellectual, and respectful as displayed when he addresses the Senate in Act I,
scene 2: "'Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors, / My very noble, and approved good
masters.'" He displays his faith in Desdemona: "'If you do find me foul in her report, / The trust,
the office, I do hold of you / Not only take away, but let your sentence / Even fall upon my life.'"
However, once in Cyprus he becomes angered and short tempered and strikes Desdemona.
Lodovico, a relative of Brabantio, then remarks "'My lord, this would not be believed in Venice,'"
signifying the contrast between Othello of Cyprus and Othello of Venice.
Othello is a tragic figure because his downfall is a direct result of his flaws: naivetГ©/

othello Essay
jealousy
In the play Othello, jealousy is shown to be very evident through the actions of the characters.
Jealousy is an emotion that everyone shares, and it is ultimately responsible for the tragic ending of
the play. Everyone feels jealous at certain times of their lives, and this feeling can cause people to do
irrational things. This human emotion also shows people to be weak in the sense that they are never
happy with what they have. Shakespeare shows through Othello, Iago, Roderigo, and Brabantio that
jealousy is the most corrupt and destructive emotion.
Othello is horribly jealous of what he thinks is going on between his wife and Cassio. This poisonous
feeling turns Othello into a mad man and he strikes his wife. Jealousy causes...show more content...
Othello has many qualities that fit the category of a tragic hero. He falls from prosperity to suffering,
but not necessarily in a material sense. His fall is from happiness, contentment, and love to
unhappiness, accusations, and distrust.
. He is admired by everyone in the play, even Iago comments on what a good man Othello is.
Secondly, a tragic hero can not be perfect. He or she must have a flaw of some kind. In Othello's
case it is that he allows his emotions to take over. Manipulated by Iago's lies, Othello is forced to
confront emotions he obviously can not handle. His wisdom and patience are replaced by anger and
hate. The power of these destructive emotions ultimately lead to Desdemona's death and Othello's
suicide
Without a doubt, Shakespeare's play Othello is a tragedy. The main character, Othello, is a typical
Shakespearean tragic hero. Othello is good man who is deeply in love with his wife. He has one
flaw, jealousy, which gets the best of him, and triggers the downfall of his wonderful life.
Othello was living a successful life, but he had one flaw: jealousy. As a result of his jealousy, his
life begins to get chaotic because he no longer trusts his wife. Slowly Othello's sanity and status
become questioned, and he is no longer seen as important. The last straw is drawn, and Othello
murders his beautiful wife only to find out that she did not deserve to die. Othello was a good man,
but he was a tragic hero because of his flaw that

Literary Er Othello By William Shakespeare
1. Literary Era
Othello, by William Shakespeare was a play set in Venice, Italy in the Renaissance Era. This era
brought forth an array of new and exciting types of art, plays, and etcetera dealing in entertainment.
We also saw the introduction of Elizabethan staging and Shakespearean language which was new to
the people in Europe because he wrote for the actors and not the readers and it was complex. You
often had to listen to the way the actors performed it to understand the mood and meaning of the
play. 2. Setting of Play/Novel
As mentioned earlier, this play was set in Venice, Italy and then later Cyprus, an island of love.
This play was also written down during the time that many of Shakespeare 's other great plays such
as Hamlet and...show more content...
Towards the end, his goals change and he 's no longer the kind person we knew but has turned into
a different person, who not only is cold and distant, because he 's let Iago convince him that his wife
is unfaithful and the immensity of that pain is too much to handle for him so he does the
unthinkable–kills his wife.
4. Major Characters
Desdemona– Desdemona is Othello 's wife and her goal is to prove to Othello that she loves him.
They make a sacrifice by eloping without her father knowing. She stays faithful to Othello the
entire time despite his suspicion raised by Iago. She spends the entire time wondering why he 's
being this way towards her and trying to steer his judgement in the other direction with the help of
Emilia. This is to no prevail because she becomes the victim in the end due to the actions of Iago.
She serves as a foil to Emilia because their ideals contrast each other. Desdemona has a naГЇvetГ©
to her that prevents her from even believing that wives cheat on their husbands while Emilia is sure
of it and even believes the blame falls on the husband for the actions of the wife.
Cassio– Michael Cassio is a foil to the protagonist, Othello. Both men served in the war but offer
different perspectives of it. Cassio represents the smooth, charming and boyish demeanor that attracts
women to soldiers while Othello represents more of the backbone, support and wisdom that serves as
the foundation of the army. They also

Othello Feminist Analysis
Othello, by William Shakespeare is well known for its richness in literary content and elements
pertinent to societal ideas. Moreover, women are portrayed in Othello in ways that confirm, but also
contradict their treatment in Shakespeare's time. Both female action and language represent these
ideas such as expectations for a wife and expectations for how a woman is to act. That said, there are
many other lines spoken by these characters that defy the expectations placed on women at time.
Overall, the feminist critical lens allows a reader to understand Othello and the manner in which it is
slightly sexist and controversial. This lens allows the reader to observe both discrepancies of how
women are treated, and common characteristics found...show more content...
Women were also perceived in a different manner during the Elizabethan era. In fact, certain
members of the church still debated if women even had souls (Papp). Women were not shown in
As depicted in the 1952 movie interpretation directed by Orson Welles, the female characters have
an implicit dependence upon the other male roles featured in the film. In addition to this, when
Desdemona was killed by Othello, she did not fight back, and she was portrayed as hopeless and
passive (Othello 1952, Orson Welles). The married women of the Elizabethan era were seen as
less than their accompanying husband, for the wife did not work; she stayed home and completed
housework and other tasks, such as raising children (Papp). The reader can observe this similarity
between the female characters of the time and those in Othello, particularly Desdemona in the way
she addresses (or fails to address) her husband. Through viewing Desdemona as a wife of the time,
the reader can discern moral ambiguities between the characters, particularly, Desdemona. There are
three known types of Othello critics, and all have different perspectives on the functions of female
characters in the play. According to Carol Thomas Neely, critics of the play can be divided into
"Othello critics, Iago critics, and Iago–Othello critics" (Neely, 81). Each of the perspectives views
Desdemona in a different manner. The Othello critics admire Othello as a

Othello Literary Essay

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Othello Literary Essay