Essay Othello

Othello as a Tragic Hero Essay
Othello is a tragic hero because of his greatnesses and his weaknesses. He is a noble man who
possesses all the qualities of a military leader, which he is. He has control over himself and shows
courage as well as dignity. Just as Othello is a virtuous man there are some flaws within him, these
flaws complete him ff as a tragic hero. Othello is often blinded by trust and can not see a person for
who they really are. He trusts the people around him even when they mean to afflict harm upon him.
Through this, it can be seen why Othello is one of the most tragic hero out of all the characters from
Shakespeare's many plays.
To begin with, Othello is a graceful man with a valiant personality which draws people near.
Although he is known...show more content...
Even in the toughest of times, he keeps his anger under control. "I will a round unvarnished tale
deliver of my whole course of love – what drugs, what charms, what conjuration, and what mighty
magic (for such proceeding and charged withal) I won his daughter" (Act 1, scene 3, 90–94)
As an example. this shows how Othello deals with style and grace under fire, when accused of
witchcraft by marrying Desdemona. Othello neither yells nor screams, but explains in a way that
captivates his audience and enhances the emotions in the play.
Aside from the greatnesses there also are some flaws. With Othello being a military leader for
most of his life, trusting another military friend would be common and therefore Othello had no
reason to not trust iago. So it can be said that Othello has tragic weaknesses, one being too
trustworthy. Many times Othello does not see the evil acts of iago. He is used to dealing with
military people on the battlefield, where you put your life in the hands of others. In this situation
trust is very important. Othello says that iago is a man of honor and trust and therefore has no reason
to doubt his honesty.
Likewise another weakness of Othello's would be that he is a man who gets confused easily and
cannot judge right from wrong. This can be seen when
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

Ambition In Othello
The tragedy Othello by Shakespeare explores Othello's downfall as a tragic hero to which can be
attributed to the gender role, duplicity of Iago, and the racist society to a certain extent. His racism
and jealousy that internalized due to Iago's duplicity combined with his rashness ultimately causes
this tragedy.
In the tragedy, Shakespeare illustrates how ambition can be used to produce the downfall of a hero.
Shakespeare studies the ruthless cunning of the machiavel – a character who has risen during the
Renaissance period. In the earlier part of Othello, Iago admits in his soliloquy that: "O sir, content
you. I follow him to serve my turn upon him." At this point in the play, Iago and Roderigo tell
Brabantio that his daughter has eloped...show more content...
In Illustrating the downfall of the heroic character in this play, the internalize of Othello's racism
also contributes to his fatal flaw in a certain extent, which combined with his rashness later on.
Shakespeare presents the Renaissance view of race and reveals how the stereotypes influenced
Othello's perception of himself. "A malignant and turbaned Turk/ beat a venetian... I took by th'
throat the circumcised dog/ and smote him thus." The insulting and stereotypical language Othello
uses shows himself internalized the racist ideas. He compares his jealousy to a cancerous disease
also uses negative racial terms to compare himself metaphorically to a dog, showing his own tale.
By using the animalistic imagery, his language debased along with describing himself as a
'circumcised dog'. Later on in the play, after Othello had smother Desdemona, he regrets with using
an imagery by comparing himself as an Indian. "...one whose hand, Like the base Indian threw a
pearl away, 'Richer than all his tribe'". Othello uses derogatory terms to describe himself to a native
American Indian who does not know the value of the metaphoric 'pearl' – his wife, Desdemona, that
he discards. Othello's blindness and internalizing of racist ideas built up the downfall of himself, and
illustrates the fatal flaw to

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

Essay The Tragedy of Othello
William Shakespeare masterfully crafted Othello, the Moor of Venice as an Aristotelian tragedy
play. The main protagonist of the play, Othello, is the perfect example of a tragic hero. Shakespeare
was influenced by Aristotle's concept of a tragic hero and used Aristotle's principles to create
Othello. William Shakespeare attempted to create an Aristoteliantragedy play with a tragic hero and
succeeded in Othello, the Moor of Venice by weaving in pity and fear into each line and action.
The power of pity and fear creates the upmost tragic situation and follows in accordance of
Aristotle's definition of tragedy. Othello makes the ultimate act as a tragic hero by killing himself at
the end of the play. "Othello, more than any play in the...show more content...
This creates pity in the play as the audience may become sympathetic for the tragic hero. Lastly, the
tragic hero must have a downfall. This comes together from the protagonist being of high estate and
having a tragic flaw. Othello fits perfectly into the three requirements to become an exemplary tragic
hero.
Othello is a highly respected soldier for the Venice army. He is of elevated status making him of
high estate to fulfill the first requirement of being a tragic hero. Othello's tragic fall is that he is
too trusting and is quick to be jealous. He also feels like an outsider in Venice due to his race.
Othello trusts everything which is told to him which ultimately leads to his fall. He is also
jealous and insecure. He takes the Iago's words instead of trusting his wife, Desdemona. He is
jealous of Desdemona's possible affair. The jealous and insecurity he feels leads to his downfall
which completes Aristotle's requirements of what makes a tragic hero. In order to fully appreciate
Othello as a tragic hero, the reader or the audience must take a closer look at each of Othello's steps
which led to his demise as a tragic hero.
Aristotle's first requirement was for the protagonist to be of high estate. Most tragic heroes were of
royal blood such as Oedipus in Oedipus the King by Sophocles. However, Othello is a highly
respected general. Othello is called "valiant" by the Duke of Venice. The Duke shows Othello great
respect throughout Othello's

Analytical Essay Othello
Shakespeare is prominent in his use of recurring themes throughout his works, particularly those of
love, death, and betrayal. All these themes are present in Othello. Most dominant, however, are
manipulation and jealousy. Jealousy runs the characters' lives in Othello from the beginning of the
play, when Roderigo is jealous of Othello because he wishes to be with Desdemona, and to the end of
the play, when Othello is furious with jealousy because he believes Cassio and Desdemona have
been engaging in an affair, but manipulation the prominent action that fuels the jealousy within
Othello. Some characters' jealousy is fashioned by other characters. Iago is involved in much of this,
creating lies and implementing confusing situations....show more content...
He is clever in his diction to avoid confrontation that can easily erupt. An example of Iago's
manipulation is when he and Roderigo confront Brabanzio about his daughter. Brabanzio does not
believe what the two say about Desdemona, calling it ridiculous, and he becomes angry because he
has been woken up in the middle of the night. Roderigo immediately starts to explain, which only
angers Brabanzio even more. Iago, on the other hand, responds by actually complimenting
Brabanzio. Brabanzio yells, "Thou art a villain" to which Iago responds, "You are a senator". The
father is taken aback by this surprising comment and it causes him to step back and re–examine the
situation, which eases his anger and causes him to believe the two storytellers, especially when he
finds Desdemona missing from her bed chamber
However, along with his word choice, Iago is clever at the timing of what he says. He knows
exactly what to say and when to say it to incite jealousy within anyone he wishes. He uses this
particularly well with Roderigo and Othello. An example of Iago's timing of jealousy is when he
speaks to Roderigo of the suspicions regarding Desdemona's love for Othello. "Mark me with what
violence she first loved the Moor but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies. To love him still
for prating? Let not thy discreet heart think it. Her eye must be fed". In this excerpt Iago represents

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

Essay about Othello
People are not always the way you see them to be. Within the play Othello by William Shakespeare,
a character named Iago displays a very good example of this. Iago who is Othello's ensign is
considerate to people although at the same time manipulates their minds into thinking different
things other than what had really occurred. Therefore, the victims of Iago's mischievous acts had
been lured in to gullibility at every corner.
In Act I, Iago had used his 'magic' on Roderigo who was very upset upon the fact that Othello and
Desdemona were still able to be as one, since he was very much in desire for her. Iago had told him
not to worry and that Desdemona will soon desire him. Roderigo had then believed him. He...show
more content...
Iago had shown great dishonesty and evilness to his own leader.
Iago had already caused so much devious acts that he took this to another level. He had taken
something that symbolized the love and compassion Othello had for Desdemona which a
handkerchief. Iago had told Othello that Cassio and Desdemona have something going on after
Iago had supposedly over heard what Cassio was saying in his sleep. Othello eventually becomes
furious at both of them, most especially his wife because he is led to believe their marriage was
false. Iago's plan worked and it yet close to his goal. He again persuades Othello in killing Cassio so
he will win her back. Othello still relies on Iago's influence thinking that all his decisions are proper
things to do.
As of act V, at the end Iago's own wife is the one to figure out what his whole plot is and tells
Othello what he had done and this was one thing that Iago had not been able to use his skills in
manipulating him. Othello stabs Iago who was the villain of this play the whole time.
This play displayed the power that one person may have in order to get what they want. It also
showed how much the characters had bought into Iago's thoughts and influence to cause even more
damage between everyone. His power is led to believe that anyone could be gullible no matter what
position you are whether it be in rank or how smart you may

Essay on Othello Chose His Fate
The play "Othello the Moor of Venice," is one of Shakespeare's great tragedies. That being so, for
every tragedy, there is the tragic hero– a man that is, at bottom, truly honorable and good, but
plagued by a flaw that causes his fateful undoing. The question then arises whether there is sufficient
evidence to all–together condemn Othello as a malevolent and innately evil man, or such evidence
that he was simply deceived by Iago's treachery and should be excused for his actions. Yet, as the
play unfolds, it is clear that no such solid line can be drawn. That is, we are given evidence that
rather suggests that Othello's dynamic role as the tragic hero manipulates the very virtue of his
greatness to his demise. It is Othello's passion, the...show more content...
Desdemona's own account provides further evidence of Othello's innocence. She recounts: "My
heart's subdued even to the very quality of my lord. I saw Othello's visage in his mind, and to his
honors and his valiant parts did I my soul and fortunes consecrate" (I.III.251–255). Another of
Othello's qualities, one that makes him susceptible to Iago's trickery, is that of his naivety. Iago
recognizes this saying: "The Moor is of a free and open nature that thinks men honest"
(I.III.399–400). It is upon this quality that Iago begins to play Othello.
At the onset of the play, Iago is presented as a cunning snake in the grass, the antagonist of the play,
and a catalyst that sets Othello into a downward spiral of jealousy, suspicion, rage, and violence–
respectively. Angered that Othello appointed Cassio, and not himself as lieutenant, Iago seeks
vengeance. An evil and truly deceitful man, Iago's hatred of Othello is masked behind false
rhetoric and manipulation, but vividly clear to the audience. While it seems to nearly everyone that
Iago is Othello's loyal servant, Iago only serves his own agenda: "I follow him to serve my turn
upon him. We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly followed" (I.I.42–44). Thus Iago
begins to spin his web of deceit, using anyone that he so chooses as his pawn. Most instrumental in

Othello and His Masculinity Essay
l
'Be a man', how are ideas of masculinity presented in Othello.
Othello is set during the Elizabethan era, where men were considered to be the leaders and women
their inferiors. Women were often regarded as the 'weaker sex'. This patriarchal society and theme of
male superiority is portrayed throughout the play. These themes are depicted through the
relationships between the characters. Brabantio and Desdemona's relationship shows how he
believed the traditional Elizabethan view, that men were to control and dominate their wife's or
daughters. He is furious at Othello for stealing his daughter from him. Also, Othello's masculinity is
destroyed through the poisoning of his mind against Desdemona, his wife. Iago also treats his wife
...show more content...
Othello believes that Desdemona is his possession, an object in his life which is supposed to show
he honour and reputation as a man, therefore the belief that Desdemona has broken that honour and
nobility forces Othello to destroy her.
We can see the breakdown of Othello's masculinity by the breakdown of his language. At the
beginning of the play, Shakespeare uses blank verse for Othello's parts. Othello speak in iambic
pentameter, clearly and purposefully. He portrays himself and a confident and noble man when
Brabantio accuses him for using witchcraft to win Desdemona. He replies in a poetic and calm
manner, in comparison to Brabantio, who is aggressive and rude. Othello states, "Rude am I in
my speech..." he is very humble, he apologises beforehand in case he offends anyone. We
recognise him as a powerful speaker; we also know that Desdemona is seduced by his
storytelling, therefore showing him as authoritative and dominating. However, as the play moves
on and we begin to see Iago deception taking over Othello's mind, his speech turns to prose. He
begins to turn aggressive as he takes in more or Iago manipulative lies. "Damn her, lewd minx!, oh
damn her, damn her!" and regards Desdemona as "the fair devil", he speaks in hell imagery, which
is in contrast to his previous heavenly marriage with Desdemona. This shows he is weak, therefore
destroying his masculinity once again.
Furthermore, Othello is a black man in a

Discrimination In Othello
For those who have suffered from domestic violence, Othello is a difficult read. For those of us
who have also had a forebear murdered on the basis of her husband's unfounded suspicion of
infidelity, Othello is an almost impossible read. Although the Blackfriars mentioned above is in the
inner–west area of Sydney, the association of early performances of Othello at Blackfriars Playhouse
is certainly an unnerving one.
It may be argued that the "domestic tragedy", as A.C. Bradley describes 'Othello', is the result of
racism. This essay, however, not only agrees with the statement thatgender is an even deeper divide
than race but that destructive emotions, such as jealousy and greed are the root cause of the divide.
To test the issue of race...show more content...
The play's two marriages both end in the wives being murdered by their own husbands.
Desdemona's father, Brabantio believes his daughter's marriage is the result of Othello's trickery.
This has less to do with race than it has to do with ownership. Desdemona was his property, to be
given not taken. In fact Brabantio was friends with Othello, "[Desdemona's] father loved me, oft
invited me, / Still questioned me the story of my life / From year to year" (I.iii.127–129).
If race was the deeper divide surely this would have impacted on Othello's career as a military
general, a position of power and influence. It is only the vindictive Iago and Brabantio who find fault
with the union of Othello and Desdemona. Once married, Desdemona becomes Othello's property.
While ever Desdemona is the compliant and dutiful wife, in awe of her husband, boosting his ego:
In Act 2 Othello himself comes across as a liberating husband, "My wife is fair, feeds well, loves
company, / Is free of speech".
Once convinced his wife is cheating on him, the destructive emotions take over. Othello feels
emasculated and humiliated and his wife must pay the ultimate

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

Essay on Othello
Books related to Othello Othello – The protagonist and tragic hero of the play. A Moor commanding
the armies of Venice, he is a celebrated general and heroic figure whose "free and open
nature" will enable Iago to twist his love for his wife Desdemona into a powerful jealousy.
Desdemona – The daughter of a Venetian Senator, and Othello's bride. The most sympathetic
character in the play, she is deeply in love with her husband, and her purity contrasts strongly with
Iago's wickedness. Iago – Othello's ensign, and Shakespeare's greatest villain. His public face of
bravery and honesty conceals a Satanic delight in manipulation and destruction. Passed over for a
promotion by his commander, he vows to destroy the Moor. Cassio –...show more content...
Othello's defense, meanwhile, is both eloquent and honest––his nobility is never more evident than
in these early speeches, which serve to balance Iago's earlier descriptions of the Othello/Desdemona
marriage in crudely sexual terms. Othello's account of the courtship and his wife's confirmation
testify to the authenticity of their romance––which is an important theme of the play. The tragedy
succeeds so well only because the audience is never allowed to doubt that Othello and Desdemona
are truly in love with one another. In telling the story of how he was passed over for promotion to
lieutenant, Iago says that three influential men apparoached Othello on Iago's behalf, "But he,
as loving his own pride and purposes, / Evades them, with a bombast circumstance / Horribly stuff'd
with epithets of war" (1.1.12–14). "Bombast" is cotton stuffing;
"circumstance" is wordy rigmarole; and "epithets of war" are military terms.
In short, Iago accuses Othello of using phony military reasons to give the job to Cassio, who has no
military experience. However, later in the scene, after the enraged Brabantio declares that he will
hunt Othello down, Iago admits that Venice

Essay Othello

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Paper Writer Services

More from Paper Writer Services (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Essay Othello