Othello: Victim of Vice
Othello: Victim of Vice
Depicted throughout the 1995 movie Othello, which is directed by Oliver Parker, although originally a play written by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy that takes place in Venice about a strong Moor solider who eventually suffers from a downfall when he is blinded by trustworthiness and pride. Even though Othello possesses various bad qualities, which portray him as weak, his good qualities such as leadership and patience depict him as a man of much greatness. His virtues augment his position as a leader, but especially serve as a contrast to his vices. In order to fully understand the character of Othello, played by Laurence Fishburne, it must be recognized that he is a tragic hero who portrays both positive and negative characteristics. In the beginning of the movie, Othello is married to the beautiful Desdemona, played by the actress Irène Jacob, whom he was sincerely in love with. Senator Brabantio, played by Pierre Vaneck, whose younger daughter is Desdemona, claims that Othello must have put a spell on Desdemona in order for her to fall in love with him. In this time, interracial marriage was not fully accepted, causing the marriage of Desdemona and Othello to be frowned upon because he was not only black, but also a Moor of Venice. As the story line progresses, Iago, played by the actor Kenneth Branagh, conceives an evil plot to tear the marriage of Desdemona and Othello apart, because he was in love with Desdemona while Othello had stolen her heart. Othello gives Michael Cassio, played by Nathaniel Parker, a position in the army that Iago believes he himself deserves, which leads Iago to take action in the evil plan against Othello. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona has become unfaithful to him, causing him to turn against his own wife. He literally becomes mad, eventually leading him to his own demise. In turn, Iago plays a big factor in the downfall of Othello, using his ability to understand various people while
Depicted throughout the 1995 movie Othello, which is directed by Oliver Parker, although originally a play written by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy that takes place in Venice about a strong Moor solider who eventually suffers from a downfall when he is blinded by trustworthiness and pride. Even though Othello possesses various bad qualities, which portray him as weak, his good qualities such as leadership and patience depict him as a man of much greatness. His virtues augment his position as a leader, but especially serve as a contrast to his vices. In order to fully understand the character of Othello, played by Laurence Fishburne, it must be recognized that he is a tragic hero who portrays both positive and negative characteristics. In the beginning of the movie, Othello is married to the beautiful Desdemona, played by the actress Irène Jacob, whom he was sincerely in love with. Senator Brabantio, played by Pierre Vaneck, whose younger daughter is Desdemona, claims that Othello must have put a spell on Desdemona in order for her to fall in love with him. In this time, interracial marriage was not fully accepted, causing the marriage of Desdemona and Othello to be frowned upon because he was not only black, but also a Moor of Venice. As the story line progresses, Iago, played by the actor Kenneth Branagh, conceives an evil plot to tear the marriage of Desdemona and Othello apart, because he was in love with Desdemona while Othello had stolen her heart. Othello gives Michael Cassio, played by Nathaniel Parker, a position in the army that Iago believes he himself deserves, which leads Iago to take action in the evil plan against Othello. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona has become unfaithful to him, causing him to turn against his own wife. He literally becomes mad, eventually leading him to his own demise. In turn, Iago plays a big factor in the downfall of Othello, using his ability to understand various people while