William Shakespeare s Othello Is A Play About Human...

Shakespeare s Othello is a play about human nature and relationships. By studying these human relationships, differences in race, gender and class suggest that as in all other societies, Venetian society consists both of empowered groups, and constrained groups. These relationships, discussed with reference to Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Emilia, Cassio, Bianca, Lodovico and a number of other characters, are revealed through words and actions. The relationship between Iago and Emilia is a superb example of power in gender roles as they were prescribed by the Renascence society. Iago, the masculine being in the relationship has the power to describe, define and ultimately destroy Emilia; the feminine persona. The definition of women as subservient to men is exemplified in their behavior toward each other. Emilia, hardened to cynicism about male - female relationships by years of marriage, has the view that women are food for men who are all stomachs and belch women when full (3.4.98). Iago continually describes women as whores and wenches (3.3.306), only good for supplying the desires of men, in this case, the handkerchief. This subservience is momentarily subverted at the end of the play when Emilia ignores Iago s warning to be wise, and get home. Instead, she tells of how he begged of me to steal (the handkerchief) (5.2.227), thus unraveling Iago s web of deception. She is immediately degraded verbally to th e level of a villainous whore Show MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Othello The Moor Of Venice1745 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Othello the Moor of Venice, is a tragedy of great manipulation and jealousy that exploits the evil in people and how one could take advantage of another based on their weaknesses and flaws; perfect people do not exist in a world filled of temptation, failure, and suffering as Shakespeare proves the consequences of being trustful and naà ¯ve. People of Venice must be aware of the people around them and who they trust because one should live with a reasonable mind in order to avoidRead MoreThe Chinese Concept Of Yin And The Dark Knight Essay1324 Words   |  6 Pagesto be both good and evil is part of our human nature. As humans we cannot be perfect, because inherent evil is something that will always be part of humanity. Throughout time, a variety of texts and film have been able to give us the greatest insight into who we are today . This universal topic has been observed and contemplated by religions such as Christianity, great philosophers such as Augustine, authors such as William Shakespeare in his play ‘Othello’ and directors such as Christopher NolanRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Othello By William Shakespeare998 Words   |  4 Pages The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice is William Shakespeare’s play, written around sixteen hundreds. The Tragedy of Othello is not just a story of jealousy; this is a tragedy of the clash of two worlds. One of them is a world of absolute cynic, manipulate or Iago; the second world is the world of all the other characters in the tragedy, including, possibly, even Othello. Even though both of the main male characters, Iago and Othello, are murderers, they have different types of charactersRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare2240 Words   |  9 Pages Othello In the life of every tragic hero, with a promising future, there is a damaging flaw that takes over and possesses their life. This is a flaw that is possessed, by all heroes. From the place of honor, the hero will fall and the character of Othello is no exception. He is a genuine character that is determined to prove his worth as husband and a soldier, by speaking of his exploits. He is easily misled by others and thereforeRead MoreAnalysis Of William Shakespeare s Othello1603 Words   |  7 PagesMAJOR WORKS REVIEW GENERAL 1. 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The play describes how Othello’s fate has an undesirable change in fortune, the reversal. In brief, Othello is portrayed as a happy, powerful man in the beginning of the play, and by the end of the play he enduresRead More Othello’s Sinister Side Essay3322 Words   |  14 PagesOthello’s Sinister Side  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare’s Othello, with its prolonged exposure to the evil mind of Iago, is difficult for some in the audience. Let’s consider the play’s evil aspect.    In the Introduction to The Folger Library General Reader’s Shakespeare, Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar explain the single, evil focus of the drama – the arch-villainy of the ancient:    Othello has been described as Shakespeare’s most perfect play. Critics of dramatic structure have praisedRead MoreComparing Power in The Tempest and Othello1801 Words   |  8 PagesPower in ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Othello’ Both plays are about the ultimate struggle for power. Power can be shown in many ways such as race, gender, ‘others’, social class, and most importantly through use of language. Power can be shown in both plays through the use of ‘otherness’. This can be associated with power as characters such as Othello or Caliban are ‘others’ because they are from ‘elsewhere’. One such character who could be described as an ‘other’ is Othello. Bill Bryson suggested that