...follows the same basic story line with a fatal tendency, and Othello is no exception. Shakespeare stories are often about one hero, and the story builds up to the eventual death of this character. The hero often starts the story with happiness and no obvious problems, and as the story develops the character’s life begins to crumble and eventually leads to their death after everything has been lost. Othello is a prime example of this Shakespearian story line, where we see everything Othello has at the start of the story fall to pieces and end in tragedy with the character’s suicide. Jealousy and deception are central themes in many of Shakespeare’s plays, and are often what leads to the hero’s downfall. There are a number of key scenes in Othello that represent these themes of jealousy, deception and tragedy throughout the play. In Act 2 Scene 3 Iago uses different techniques in order to deceive Othello and change his opinions of Cassio. Iago says: ‘I would rather have this tongue cut from my mouth, then it should do offense to Michael Cassio.’ Iago is setting up his later deception, as he is tricking Othello into thinking that he likes Cassio and would never speak ill of him, which enables him to seem more believable when he later deceives Othello about Desdemona’s affair. This deception is confirmed when Othello says ‘I know Iago, thy honesty, and love doth mince this matter, making it light to Cassio.’ Othello is suggesting that Iago may not tell the whole truth as he wants...
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...Shakespeare present jealousy in the poem 'the laboratory' and 'Othello' Jealousy is described as someone who is showing envy usually of someone because of their achievements or advantages, jealousy plays a major role in both Othello and the laboratory. throughout the both of them jealousy is used for destructive purposes only. as an audience we are led to feel that both jealousies are motivated not by hatred but by the passion for one another, crazy as that may seem. Shakespeare uses jealousy as a central theme throughout the play, without this aggressive and destructive emotion, there would be no solid plot. Shakespeare often refers to jealousy as a devouring emotion "Beware, my lord of jealousy! it is the green eyed monster which doth mock, the meat it feeds on" this fits extremely well with Iago's description of Othello being "beaten up with passion". This suggests exactly how strong Othello's monumental jealousy really is, once Othello becomes aware that his wife is unfaithful, Iago continues to feed his jealousy which causes Othello to indeed behave like a monster. however, its dramatic irony that Iago says this to Othello. the audience knows that Iago is perhaps the one "eaten up" with jealousy and Othello is none the wiser he holds; the form of personal and professional jealousy. The jealousy that is portrayed in 'Othello' is very similar to the one portrayed in Browning's poem The Laboratory, it explores the theme of relationship but through jealousy, the speaker...
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...relationship with the characters. Shakespeare makes his readers feel sympathy for certain characters by the way the antagonist treats them. In Othello, Iago used Roderigo, tricked Othello, and mistreated the female characters in the play. Iago helps develop the theme of jealousy throughout the play by exploiting some of the major characters. The truths about some characters are shown clearly to the audience which helps them establish their opinions and feelings about them. Shakespeare uses pathos to get his reader’s point of view of a character. In the beginning of the play, the audience was able to discover that Iago was misusing Roderigo for his own benefit. He was taking his money and lying about loyalty. Iago could care less about Roderigo; all he could think was to get back at Othello and release his jealousy towards him and Cassio. At this point, the audience feels sympathy for Roderigo and somehow relate to his pain. Having to live without someone you love dearly can lead to dramatic conclusions, like the one Roderigo was thinking of. “It is silliness to live, when to live is torment.” (I, iii, 305) Even though Iago acts like a loyal friend to Roderigo and promises him he will get Desdemona for him, the audience knows he is only taking advantage of him. Because of Iago, Roderigo is feeding off of his jealousy towards Othello, and doing everything Iago tells him to do for a woman he will never have. In contrast, tricking people into thinking that false statements are...
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...Neyonna Watson MOD 6 12/1/11 Othello Final Theme Essay In Othello jealousy is played out a lot in this play, jealousy is when one person feels uneasy or not good around them because of something they did what they have, or who they are. Jealousy can make people do many reckless things. In Othello jealousy is basically the main theme of the whole thing the outcome of the play was the victim of jealousy. An example of this is the fact that Iago wanted to ruin Othello and kill Cassio was because Othello didn’t choose him for the position of lieutenant and Cassio got the position over him and he had less experience than Iago did and that made him jealous of Cassio. This shows that Iago’s actions threw out the story were based on jealousy. Another example of this in the play was when Othello killed Desdemona Othello had thought that Desdemona had been having an affair with Cassio Othello was so wrought with jealousy that he was having seizures and eventually murdered his own wife Desdemona. This shows that jealousy is a very strong emotion and came ensnare even the most rational of men and women. Jealousy drove many characters in Othello to irrational and pigheaded decisions. For example Roderigo was driven to Cyprus and blow all his and get beaten to a pulp partly because of jealousy and rage against Othello and also because he was in “love” with Desdemona and he fought to ruin Othello until he was murdered by the very person he allied. This shows that...
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...HUM 100 Final Composition Jealousy March 6, 2016 Jealousy also termed as enviousness or resentment. It is a word that refers to an emotional feeling in which an individual has fear, insecurity or concerned that they have lost something valuable or has a deeper connection to them. Mostly, characterization of jealousy includes resenting, jaundiced eye or feelings full of rage and humiliation. This paper looks on jealousy as a main theme in different sectors, which are, the Bible, a film written by William Shakespeare, and a visual art drawn by Edward Munch. The paper aims to explore different areas in which the characters portray jealousy, the reasons behind this feeling and what impact the feeling has brought to the characters directly involved. Narrowing down Cain and able in the book of Genesis, the soldiers in the Othello film and the two men in the green room, this essay will explain how the different characters of different times and different settings relate to each and how jealousy makes their stories correlate with one another. It will finally analyze what impact or effectiveness jealousy has on them. To begin with, Cain and Abel were the sons of the first human beings on earth and related to each other as brothers. Cain being the first-born engaged and interested himself in farming and working on the soil while his brother Abel worked as a shepherd who kept flocks of sheep. During the time of the offering, Cain offered the fruits of his harvested crops to...
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...Outline Thesis statement: The film, Othello, offers viewers an exceptional perspective that embodies the themes of jealousy and deceit, which are the two themes undoubtedly and effectively shown in the film. * I. Iago explains his tactics to Roderigo. Envy drives him to follow Othello not out of “love” or “duty,” but because he feels he can deceive his general. * 1. “Were I the Moor I would not be Iago. In following him I follow but myself; Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, But seeming so for my peculiar end.” (I.i.57–60) 2. Iago is continually playing a game of deception, even with Roderigo and the audience. II. Othello is poisoned by Iago’s herbaceous manipulation; therefore, Othello becomes blind to Desdemona’s loyalty. 1. Many of Iago’s references of deception concern poison. 2. “I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear” (II.iii.330); “The Moor already changes with my poison. / Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons, / . . . / . . . Not poppy nor mandragora / Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world / Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep” (III.iii.329–336). Iago breeds his “conceits” so that they become fatal toxins and then plants their seeds in the minds of others. III. 1. Iago tells Othello to beware of jealousy, the “green-eyed monster which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on” (III.iii.170–171). 2. Likewise, Emilia describes jealousy as dangerously and uncannily self-generating, a “monster / Begot upon itself, born on itself”...
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...Frank Kelly Ms. Corley ENG3U - 1 9 March 2016 End Goal of Writing Othello When studying Othello, no analyst or reader can deny that the masterpiece written by Shakespeare is truly remarkable. However, there is debate as to whether the play was written to tell a story about a war hero who ascends to the peak of Italian military ranks and fell off due to his insecurities, or for Shakespeare to present an allegory narrating the chaos in seventeenth century England. The assertion made declaring Othello to be an allegory is very compelling. Just like an artist chooses every stroke of their painting, in Othello, Shakespeare’s words are all determined very conscientiously. This could potentially mean he was crafting a perfect narration to provoke the leaders of his time about the imperfections of the society they live in. The underlying themes throughout the book are extremely plausible claims in order to draw a parallel to an allegory. The most profound theme in Othello is how love can present shameful aspects and hereby, make someone act irrationally. Reputation is a compelling reason for why Othello acts aberrantly. He is proud of the reputation and power he had works so diligently for, therefore, he was not going to let it crumble. Lastly, Othello was an African leader in the Italian military, which was particularly irregular in that era. This feeds into his profound insecurities because he is looked at as an outlier. Clearly, Shakespeare was using this to show how racism...
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...LITERARY THEMES IN OTHELLO The play, Othello, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, that circles around a man by the name Othello. He is a highly esteemed general in the service of Venice. Iago is Othello's ambitious friend. Othello promotes the Michael Cassio to the position of personal lieutenant and Iago is deadly jealous. Othello elopes with Desdemona, who a gentleman Roderigo, had once hoped to marry. Iago starts to plot against the newly wed couple. Desdemona is also the daughter of Brabantio, a Venetian senator, who considers the union theft of his property and is more than convinced that Othello used magic to get Desdemona to marry him. Othello becomes jealous and suspicious of Desdemona, as Iago has managed to poison his mind by convincing him that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. This is supported by Bianca, Cassio's significant other, being in possession of Desdemona's handkerchief, which Othello had given to Desdemona. Plots and murders ensue and Othello returns to the castle to kill his innocent wife. He then kills her on her marital bed. Emilia, Iago's wife and Desdemona's lady-in-waiting, tells Othello the truth about the scheming Iago. Othello wounds Iago and then proceeds to kill himself. Iago in turn, kills Emilia. A theme can be defined as the central topic, subject or concept that the author is trying to put across. The themes Shakespeare used in the play are as follows: 1. JEALOUSY Jealousy is a resentful and bitter feeling usually associated...
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...Compare & Contrast Othello and “O” Despite working with low-budget and a small crew, Orson Welles makes his Othello interesting and memorable through several techniques. He generates a sense of suspense by placing the final scene in the beginning of the movie. When translating play into film, he creatively rearranges the scenes while keeping the text intact and shoots from odd angles to produce interesting lighting and shadows. Even though some of the characters in the film do not quite live up to the viewer's ideals of the characters, Welles's Othello still achieves remarkable success. In order to accompany the powerful words of Shakespeare, Welles chooses to shoot from either slightly above the usual camera angle or below it to create a dramatic effect. As the movie begins, the cameras angled from the ground up to show off dark, sparsely clouded skies, and soldiers in dark silhouettes marching to a funeral. When Welles shoots the first scene between Othello and Desdemona, he chooses Venice, a traditionally romanticized city, to emphasize the early attraction between them. Although Welles often shoots conversations between a character and a shadow because he couldn't employ additional actors for certain characters in the play, his creativity is seen through his resourcefulness-which is crucial in the success of his Othello. Another aspect of Othello's success is the soundtrack and background music. Welles doesn't choose random notes oblivious to the action and...
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...of act 1 in Othello. Act 1 of ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare is of extreme importance to the development of the play and the audiences understanding of it as a whole. Othello is introduced to the audience as calm, confident and eloquent individual who has deeply in love with Desdemona even in the face of adversity in their relationship. However, as the play progresses Othello is manipulated and warped by his ensign Iago. His mind begins to fracture until he commits an atrocity so foul; he believes death is the punishment he deserves. One of the most important points portrayed in act 1 is Othello’s personality and thought process before he is manipulated by Iago in later scenes. “From men of royal siege; and my demerits…may speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune…as this that I have reached”. Othello is portrayed here as calm and rational here despite the fact that Iago is attempting to rile him by giving false information about Roderigo. Furthermore, Othello emphasises his self-confidence by stating that his past glories will speak louder than Brabantio’s gripes about his daughter’s relationship with him. Othello emphasises this point again by speaking in verse “Were it my cue to fight I should have known it without a prompter.” This emphasises his supreme confidence and rational thinking as he states that he has done nothing wrong and has no reason to feel guilty about his marriage to Desdemona. Moreover, although Brabantio orders his guard to arrest Othello, he remains...
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...of act 1 in Othello. Act 1 of ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare is of extreme importance to the development of the play and the audiences understanding of it as a whole. Othello is introduced to the audience as calm, confident and eloquent individual who has deeply in love with Desdemona even in the face of adversity in their relationship. However, as the play progresses Othello is manipulated and warped by his ensign Iago. His mind begins to fracture until he commits an atrocity so foul; he believes death is the punishment he deserves. One of the most important points portrayed in act 1 is Othello’s personality and thought process before he is manipulated by Iago in later scenes. “From men of royal siege; and my demerits…may speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune…as this that I have reached”. Othello is portrayed here as calm and rational here despite the fact that Iago is attempting to rile him by giving false information about Roderigo. Furthermore, Othello emphasises his self-confidence by stating that his past glories will speak louder than Brabantio’s gripes about his daughter’s relationship with him. Othello emphasises this point again by speaking in verse “Were it my cue to fight I should have known it without a prompter.” This emphasises his supreme confidence and rational thinking as he states that he has done nothing wrong and has no reason to feel guilty about his marriage to Desdemona. Moreover, although Brabantio orders his guard to arrest Othello, he remains...
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...Analytical Essay Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, he wrote this masterpiece in 1603. The play mainly revolves around four central characters: Othello, the Moorish general in the Venetian army; his wife, Desdemona; his lieutenant, Cassio and his ancient, Iago. In this play, by not showing Othello at the beginning of the first scene, Shakespeare creates an uncomfortable feeling to the story. Furthermore, he foreshadows the conflicts to come later in the plot. One of the conflicts is Iago becoming the archetypal evil villain who ruins Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. Iago manipulates Othello’s weakness his jealousy; Iago hates and does not respect women which is one of the main reason of his plan for revenge against Othello. Firstly, Iago knows how to observe people and uses human psychology to manipulate people’s minds. Iago manipulates Othello’s weaknesses which make Othello feels insecure. For example, after Cassio looks for help with Desdemona, Iago gets a golden chance to talk to Othello in private. Iago starts to plant the seed of jealousy in Othello concerning Desdemona and Cassio. Iago tells Othello to “beware …of jealousy” (III/III/l.195) which makes Othello nervous and start to suspect that Desdemona is cheating on him. Moreover, Iago warns Othello to “observe her well with Cassio.” (III/III/l.228) which causes Othello believes from the bottom of his heart that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him. Furthermore, he tricks Othello into believing that...
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...the Shakespearean tragedy “Othello” written by William Shakespeare, the themes that’s being portrayed are honour and gender, through the play the audience if captivated by the characters choices and motives through the play. With the characters choices they help to make the play more understandable as the audience can recognise the tragic hero in both the plays. The relationships between men and women in Othello are remarked as lesser then men. Iago often refers to his wife as a prostitute - "A house wife that by selling her desires, Buys herself bread and clothes (iv.i.95)” showing what type of relationship women and men had during the late 16th century. Women were generally considered obedient, respectful, kind and warm. They were never outspoken nor were they meant to, for it could be seen as a lack of loyalty. When Othello accused Desdemona of cheating on him, he found himself in a position that he didn't want to face with. Othello was emasculated with the thought of a woman disobeying him. Men were easily manipulated into thinking the worst of woman because they were certain it would never happen. However, when the slightest things start to be pointed out the characters start to over analyse. Woman were not on the same level as men; men talked down to woman, they didn’t see them as equals nor think that they should be treated like one. This relates to Othello and Desdemona’s relationship – she “betrayed” their marriage by cheating so when Othello found out he reacted by saying...
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...does Shakespeare explore human weakness in Othello? Shakespeare explores human weakness in his playwrite “Othello” through themes of power, jealousy, love, seduction, and as in most of his plays, through tragedy with murder or suicide. He also explores human weakness through tales of betrayal, revenge, evil, and racial discrimination. He uses his characters to show varying characteristics of each and how they fit into a complex existence. With the play opening with Iago’s discussion about why Cassio was selected as lieutenant, Shakespeare presents to the audience the human weakness of the plays sequential plot, jealousy and destruction. Human weakness is a fact of life, with Shakespeare employing dramatic technique such as tone in order to convey to the audience human vulnerability. Through Iago, who is the only one that speaks to the audience, Shakespeare highlights societal issues such as the struggle for power and superiority. Iago speaks to the audience with bitterness, with deceit and evil, and his explaning his plot, describing his plan of action as a web in which he will catch a fly, highlights his lusting for revenge through deception. Furthermore Shakespeares foreshadowing technique throughtout the play with Iago speaking to the audience, and his choice of words suggesting to the audience that its going to be a fight to the bitter end, one that will end in tragedy, the death of Desdemona from Othello’s raging jealousy that he cannot bear “Or failing so, yet that...
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...****Analyzing Jealousy In Othello English Literature Essay**** Shakespeare’s play of Othello is largely driven by a grand love story, and filled with jealousy. Through the juxtaposition of Othello’s credulous nature and Iago’s pernicious villainy, the image of jealousy is truly personified as an all-consuming “green-eyed monster”. Because of this venomous nature of the beast of jealousy, the events of the play manage to unfold in Iago’s lustful authority, which bring down the eponymous character to his tragic downfall. In human psychology today, the modern definition of jealousy remains relatively unchanged from Shakespeare’s time, albeit being expressed in more modern scientific terms. It is defined as “a complex of thoughts, feelings, and actions which follow threats to self-esteem and/or threats to the existence or quality of the relationship ... generated by the perception of a real or potential attraction between one's partner and a (perhaps imaginary) rival." (White, 1981, p. 24). In scenes of jealousy, there are typically a triad of people involved: a jealous and threatened individual, a partner of the opposite gender, and his/her third party rival. In the case of Othello, there are certainly three important people involved at the beginning: Iago being the jealous individual, Desdemona being the partner, and Othello being the third party rival. Iago definitely feels threatened by Othello’s dominance over him, both in his military rank and his relationship...
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