Othello as a tragedy essay. Othello's Tragedy Essay Example 2022-10-07

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Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in the early 17th century. The play tells the story of Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, and his tragic downfall. Othello is a tragic hero who is initially presented as a noble and brave military leader, but ultimately succumbs to jealousy and betrayal, leading to his own demise and the destruction of those around him.

One of the key elements of a tragedy is the presence of a tragic hero, and Othello fits this role perfectly. As a respected and accomplished military leader, Othello is admired by those around him and is able to command their loyalty and respect. However, despite his many virtues, Othello also has a tragic flaw - his susceptibility to jealousy and his lack of self-control when it comes to his emotions. This flaw ultimately leads to his undoing, as he is manipulated by the character Iago into believing that his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful.

Another element of a tragedy is the reversal of fortune, and this is also present in Othello. At the beginning of the play, Othello is a successful and respected general, but by the end he has lost everything - his reputation, his wife, and ultimately his life. The contrast between his initial status and his final downfall is a key aspect of his tragic arc.

The play also explores the theme of appearance versus reality, as Iago is able to manipulate Othello and others by presenting false evidence and creating an illusion of reality. This theme is particularly relevant in Othello's relationship with Desdemona, as he is convinced by Iago's lies that she has been unfaithful, leading to their tragic end.

Overall, Othello is a classic example of a tragedy. The character of Othello is a noble hero who is brought down by his own tragic flaw, and the play explores themes of appearance versus reality, reversal of fortune, and the destructive power of jealousy and betrayal.

Othello's Tragedy

othello as a tragedy essay

William Shakespeare attempted to create an Aristotelian …show more content… This creates pity in the play as the audience may become sympathetic for the tragic hero. Othello represents such an Aristotelian tragedy intertwined by the mere words of the characters. In the Shakespearean sense of the word, most tragic plays follow the pattern of having a hero whose fatal flaw causes his inevitable downfall ending in an untimely moment of clarity with a moral take-away. Although it would appear to be more logical that Iago target Cassio,. After the peripetia, the anagnorises follows; this is where the hero attributes his downfall to his weakness or flaw. Also, the consequential drinking takes place in the evening which is followed by the murder that takes place during bedtime. Roderigo, without any fixed principle, but not without the moral notions and sympathies with honour, which his rank and connections had hung upon him, is already well fitted and predisposed for the purpose; for very want of character and strength of passion, like wind loudest in an empty house, constitute his character.

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Othello downfall childhealthpolicy.vumc.org

othello as a tragedy essay

However, after giving Desdemonas a handkerchief with the perspective that she had left it with Cassio, Othello gets into a trance and then plans to murder both Cassio and Desdemona. Emilia, Desdemona, and Othello all fall blind to the truth and die because of it. In William Shakespeare's "Othello," Othello's hamartia is the misconception he has "of himself as being uncouth, poorly spoken, and old; and because he begins to believe that his fair wife, Desdemona, cannot love him, he starts to believe that she is guilty of infidelity. Despite the fact that catharsis does not take place, the audience does experience fear toward the end of the play. However, it deviates slightly from the normal concept of heroic tragedies whereby the protagonist is the source of his own failure.

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Othello has been called a 'domestic tragedy'

othello as a tragedy essay

Shakespeare, His Contemporaries, and the Religions of His Time. The character of Desdemona is a complex one. This is known as catharsis. Lianne Evans "who would not make her husband a cuckold, to make him a monarch? The true colors of Iago are shown because this is the first time the audience has been exposed to the deceitful side of Iago. Iago takes full advantage of this and As Aristotle defined the attributes of a hero, Othello completely fulfills them as he was held in reverence and was a noble man. Her main belief is in true love, and her views on this never falter. The lead character often gained high societal approval, and nothing could seemingly bring them down.

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Othello as an Aristotelean Tragedy

othello as a tragedy essay

The third person that I will be telling you about is is Roderigo and he is still from act one two and three to act four is that he is still very gullible and that he still is doing what Iago tells him and that he… Othello Essay ADMIRABLE is the preparation, so truly and peculiarly Shakspearian, in the introduction of Roderigo, as the dupe on whom Iago shall first exercise his art, and in so doing display his own character. Othello: I do believe 'twas he. Othello is similar to this, he idealises Desdemona, showing little understanding of her as a person. Many modern women could easily relate to Emilia. Merely accepting women as a rightful component of society and a necessary aspect of culture has taken countless numbers of years.

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Othello As A Tragedy Analysis

othello as a tragedy essay

Iago felt Cassio was not qualified for the position because he had never been in actual situations unlike Iago. Words: 532 Pages: 2 20586 In the book, Othello, by William Shakespeare, we see a big impact of racism and racial prejudice. Othello states that the marriage is through love and not witchcraft. It is therefore likely that a strong-willed female character would have been accepted by an audience of this time. This is not only shown as a hidden trust between two characters but also with the use of the word trust and honesty within the text. Also, similarly to any tragedy, some characters become victims of circumstances such that they also fall with the protagonist; good examples are Desdemona, Roderigo, and Emilia who die as the play winds up. Othello is manipulated by Iago to murder Desdemona Iago uses Othello's trusting nature against him Hero Words: 2410 Length: 7 Pages Topic: Literature Paper : 93941294 Othello Aristotle's Poetics is the most informative piece of work on the nature of art.

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Othello's Tragedy Essay Example

othello as a tragedy essay

It is generally thought that wives were expected to be obedient to their husbands at this time, and play the "maiden never bold", as Desdemona is described by her father in Act One, scene three. His talent of manipulation managed him to deceive all the characters in the play in a way that serves his goals, which makes him a very powerful figure. Furthermore, his insecurity about the type of man that he was to be loved by Desdemona increases his doubts. Being said that, regards Ryan´s statement it would make us agree that Desdemona desires to oppose and fight for the equality by being direct and sincere when she speaks her mind. The flaw creates the climax and leads to ultimate downfall of a tragic hero. Secondly, Roderigo shows how jealousy can make one become easily persuaded into doing wrong things.

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Essay The Tragedy of Othello

othello as a tragedy essay

Through manipulation Iago is able to bring the downfall of every character he pleases. According to Brabantio, the only way that Desdemona would accept Othello is through witchcraft. As Iago continues to use his manipulative skills, Othello gets to a point where he doesn´t question his reliability and becomes convinced that Desdemona was unfaithful. When Cassio loses his status as Othello's Lieutenant, it is Desdemona that he goes to for help, under the instruction of Iago. According to Bradley, Emilia "remains perfectly true to herself", but this is not true.

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Othello's tragedy

othello as a tragedy essay

He has been a man of two extremes having imperfections and committing a deadly mistake, as well as is also a man of prosperity and reputation. Lago, on the other hand, did not like Othello with the view that he outranked him and hence driven by envy. Iago is saying: Othello, Cassio is robbing you of your reputation and that is immoral not only because he wants you to lose your respect and is only doing this to hurt you, but because he will not receive any personal gain and yet is still determined to go through with it. The story has it focus set in current day Italy. After Brabantio discovers that his daughter is missing, he sends officers to go and arrest Othello and bring back his daughter. This proves that her surroundings were ill-mannered, and she was hapless in that situation. International Journal of General Systems.

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Othello As A Domestic Tragedy; Play By Shakespeare • Es

othello as a tragedy essay

Shakespeare reinforces the tragic genre of the play in a multitude of ways within the extract alone and we can analyse this, whilst holistically drawing reference to the entire play, to validate its significance. The only piece of evidence to support the allegations is a handkerchief given to Desdemona by Othello. The Tragedy of Othello: Plot Summary The plot of the story begins in Venice in a conversation between Lago and Roderigo, who is a man of high status. As Leavis says, Othello has a "preoccupation with his emotions rather than with Desdemona in her own right. We say lie on her, when they belie her.


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