At the heart of William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Othello,” written in 1604, is the story “A Moorish Captain,” published in 1565 as part of the collection “One Hundred Stories.” The artistic images of the heroes of the tragedy are vivid and realistic.
But it is not because of their race that the Moor is portrayed by some in the narrative. That role would have been more appropriate to a German actor or artist. Instead, the Moor is portrayed by a Jewish composer from Vienna named Richard Haydn.
“The theme of the story, which was popular in Europe at the time of the play, is how to solve conflicts within a community. The Moor is the leader of the band and in many ways is his own father figure. His father, however, is not the only one in that band. There are other people in the band also and these are their sons and daughters.
As they travel, they encounter different aspects of life. It is not unusual for the young men in the band, for example, to make new friends or to have difficulty finding work. As the story goes, one son, a man named Fichte, who is very talented in music begins to become enamored with Fichte but also gets confused by his friend Fischler. So,
Based on the situations that the three female characters of Othello endure it is clear that Shakespearean society viewed women as lesser beings who existed only to serve the men in their lives, and who were supposed to subservient, submissive, pure and above all else obedient. Obedient to their husbands, father, brothers and all men. … Read more
In American society the African American male has always been viewed as someone who is below the rest of the individuals in the country. He has been oppressed since coming to this country, which he was forced to come to so he could be a scapegoat for all of the white man’s problems. The white … Read more
Some people have a personality trait called “grit”. Angela Duckworth defines grit as the determination to do something until you have obtained the skills to do it correctly. In her research she explains that one must have endurance to complete a race. In True Grit by Angela Lee Duckworth and Lauren Eskreis -winkler, the example … Read more
‘In what ways is the theme of racism more or less prominent than themes of love, deceit and jealousy in Shakespeare’s Othello? ‘ Othello is a play which was written by William Shakespeare and believed to be written around 1603 and first performed by the king’s men. Othello is a tragedy which focuses on Othello … Read more
According to Gayle Holste (2002), William Shakespeare was born on April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. His father, John Shakespeare, was a leather maker and his mother, Mary Shakespeare, was a stay at home mom. For a man with little to no education, he influenced the English Literature. Some experts say there is no for sure … Read more
Throughout Shakespeare’s work, more famously in “Hamlet”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Othello”, and “Merchant of Venice”, there are cleverly placed puns in the poems, plays, and some sonnets. A pun is a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings. These … Read more
How long does it take to become a psychopath? Shakespeare introduces Iago into Othello and explores the possibility of becoming a psychopath in a matter of a couple days. In Othello, Iago is the antagonist, and Shakespeare depicts him with a few different natures and utilizes him to reveal the mind of a psychopath; how … Read more
Many of us have heard the saying that too much of a good thing is not good for us. The literary masterpiece “Othello” by William Shakespeare is a perfect example of why this saying is true. In Shakespeare’s play, Othello is the well-respected general of the Venetian army, but he soon begins to lose his … Read more
The Taming of the Shrew was a Shakespearean play that was written between 1590 and 1592. Set in both Padua, and Verona, Italy, the play details the “love” story of Petruchio and Katherina. Shakespeare had written the play to be a comedic piece. In 1967 Franco Zeffirelli transformed The Taming of the Shrew into a … Read more
Iago (Othellos ensign) uses love against Othello (general of the Venetian army) to cause him to experience jealousy. He not only utilizes the Moors love for Desdemona, but also his love for Iago and their friendship My lord, you know I love you(1. 3. 117) Funny enough, Iago gives warning to Othello of the very … Read more
“The tragic flaw is the most important part of the hero and the events that occur in the work is a reflection of that flaw. ” – Aristotle The plot of William Shakespeare’s Othello is a tale of love, jealousy, and betrayal; however, the characters, themes, and attitudes of the works are different, with Shakespeare’s … Read more
Othello is a tense, closely-knit play, with an ever-increasing emotional scene. The character Iago, Othello’s ancient, is the cause of all the tragedy which comes to pass as the play progresses. He is a manipulator, opposing Othello not directly, but through other characters whom he tricks. From his actions throughout the play one sees that … Read more
Revenge is a constant theme throughout the play Othello. It is portrayed through the character Iago. Iago is determined to destroy Othello and his loved ones. This retribution is a result of Othello promoting Cassio to the position of lieutenant. The theme of revenge is the motivation of Iagos hatred toward Othello. In the beginning … Read more
Reality and illusions are two words which may be confused among people reading or learning about this sort of topic. Reality is what is real or true and should not be misinterpreted with illusion, which is fake or something a person believes is real. Often people can put an illusion in some ones head and … Read more
Why did Othello marry is a complex question, the obvious answer would be that he loves Desdemona, but why does he love her and why does his love turn to hate so quickly in Act III scene 3 requires much thought and consideration. Othello likes people to be plain and open because that is what … Read more
In both Crime and Punishment and Othello there is a theme of necessary balance. Crime and Punishment’s theme that man must be balanced in order to function properly is very similar to Othello’s theme that, tragically, jealousy is destructive, even to the one that holds it. In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov’s extreme intellectualism caused him … Read more
Conflicts in Relationships by James Carvill In Othello, the Moor of Venice by Shakespeare, A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, and The Glass Managerie by Tennessee Williams involve relationships and the development of the characters through conflicts in their relationships. For Othello it was Iagos deception and Othellos jealousy, and for … Read more
The play Othello by William Shakespeare is based on an Italian story in Giraldi Cinthio’s Hecatommithi (Grolier). In Othello we encounter Iago, one of Shakespeares most evil characters. Iago is an officer in Othello’s army and is jealous of Cassio’s promotion to Lieutenant. Through deception and appearance, we see unfolded many lies and clever schemes. … Read more
This essay is about William Shakespeare’s Othello. It focuses on Iago’s words to Othello, O, beware, my lord, of Jealousy. It is the green-eyed monster. in act 3, scene 3 and just how important this warning was not only for Othello, but also for Roderigo and for Iago. Before considering the importance of Iago’s words, … Read more
One of the most interesting and exotic characters in the tragic play “Othello,” by William Shakespeare, is “Honest” Iago. At first glance, Iago seems to be the essence of “motiveless malignity. ” However, despite Iago’s unquestionable malignancy, the motivation behind his actions lie more in Iago’s quest for personal gain, as opposed to just being … Read more
Iago has no conscience. He is an angry man and is happy to take down everyone around him to get what he wants: revenge. It is in Act 1, Scene 3, that he devises his evil plan. Here we can see inside Iago’s mind. It is easy to see that his primary motivation is jealousy: … Read more
A character that might parallel yet contrast another is said to be a foil. A foil is used to clarify character traits as well as issues in stories and plays. An example of this would be Iago and Othello from the Shakespeare play Othello. Othello is a trustworthy and upstanding individual who has a slight … Read more
One of the most interesting and exotic characters in the tragic play ” Othello”, by William Shakespeare, is “honest” Iago. At first Iago seems to be motiveless. However, the motivation behind his actions lie more in Iago’s quest for personal gain, as opposed to just being evil for evil’s sake. Iago’s greediness can be validated … Read more
Being courteous is an act of being respectful and by using good manners towards people. Treating people with courtesy can show many different feelings towards the person being acted upon. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare there are many characters in the play that use and dont use acts of courtesy. The focus of … Read more
Although there are lots of things to suggest this is a racist play I don’t think that racism actually dominates the play, even though it has a racist theme. There is a romantic union between black and white which gets destroyed because most people think the relationship is wrong. At the time the play was … Read more
It is often the case that the themes of Shakespeare have everyday practicality and such is the case of Othello. From the initial introduction of Othello, he is characterized as a brave and honorable soldier. He notes, My service I have done the signiory I shall promulgate- I fetch my life and being/ From men … Read more
In Shakespeare’s, Othello, the reader is presented the classic battle between the deceitful forces of evil and the innocence of good. It are these forces of evil that ultimately lead to the breakdown of Othello, a noble venetian moor, well-known by the people of Venice as a honourable soldier and a worthy leader. Othello’s breakdown … Read more
Throughout history, powerful empires with boundless control have had a tendency to fall victim to corruption. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. William Shakespeare’s “Othello, the Moor of Venice” contains several themes, but one theme in particular supports the truth of this knowledge. In “Othello, the Moor of Venice,” the theme of control is … Read more
In William Shakespeares play Othello, there lurks an evil that far is surpasses the darkness of the devil, it lies in the antagonist Iago. Othello who passes Iago up for a promotion simply because Iago is not a arithmetician, swears to take his revenge and destroy the moor and every thing Othello holds dear. Through … Read more
William Shakespeare have written many plays. His most tragic play is Othello. Othello is also the name of the main character in the play, he is quite hard to understand. In order to have a better understanding of Othello’s character, examining his changes throughout the play, flaws and why he is considered a tragic hero … Read more
Othello – Tragic Flaw In Shakespeare’s “Othello”, Iago carefully and masterfully entraps Othello into believing that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with Cassio. He does this through a series of suggestions and hesitations that entice and implant images in Othello’s head that lead him to his demise. But what is more important is, … Read more
Othello is a classical tragedy. Discuss this statement in the light of the play. The question of whether Othello is a classical tragedy relies on two major factors, the first obviously being the content of the play itself which I will discuss later, the second the definition of what a classical tragedy actually is. A … Read more
Deception In Othello One may readily perceive the theme of Shakespeare’s “Othello” as deception. Deception appears many times in Othello, but in almost every incident the degree of deception is different. Deception is to “deceive another, illusion, or fraud” (Webster’s New World Pocket Dictionary 69), which is seen as a wrongful act. However, deception may … Read more
Othello Paper Othello, the Moor of Venice December 13, 1999 Iago (Othellos ensign) uses love against Othello (general of the Venetian army) to cause him to experience jealousy. He not only utilizes the Moors love for Desdemona, but also his love for Iago and their friendship My lord, you know I love you(1.3.117) Funny enough, … Read more
Character Analysis of Othello In the play Othello, the character of Othello has certain traits which make him seem naive and unsophisticated compared to many other people. This is why Iago, to get his just rewards uses him as a scapegoat. Iago told Roderigo, O,sir, content you. I follow him [Othello] to serve my turn … Read more
As Iago’s role in the play begins to define itself, the plays main theme, which is jealousy, also begins to develop. Iago’s role is unclear to the reader in the first scene. He appears to be an honest, trustworthy soldier who was angry because he was overlooked for a promotion. However, the reader later finds … Read more