William Thomas McNary 10/26/2011 ENGL 3000 The Effect of Xenophobia on Comedies and Tragedies From 1589 to 1613 William Shakespeare produced some of the most original‚ thought-provoking and emotionally compelling plays‚ sonnets‚ and poetry. Two of his finest pieces of work‚ Othello and The Merchant of Venice feature dynamic characters‚ and insights into the chivalry and the xenophobic disposition of the English people at the time. Throughout these two stories‚ three primary female characters
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Othello racism Othello tragedy Dustin Mills English 102 Dr. Elisabeth Sachs Othello Essay Honest Iago One of the most interesting and exotic characters in the tragic play Othello‚ by William Shakespeare‚ is honest Iago. At first Iago seems to be motiveless. However‚ the motivation behind his actions lie more in Iago’s quest for personal gain‚ as opposed to just being evil for evil’s sake. Iago’s greediness can be validated by examining his manipulation of Roderigo‚ Cassio‚ and most importantly
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William Shakespeare is considered to be among the greatest playwrights that have ever lived. He has written dozens and dozens of brilliant plays‚ most of those plays have been made into movies. One such play that has been made into a movie is “Othello.” The play “Othello” is one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies. It is about a black general in the Italian army‚ Othello‚ and what happened between him and his wife‚ Desdemona. The main villain in this play is Iago; who is a soldier under Othello’s
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Tragedy- it brings the great‚ the great‚ the remote and the impossible to an equality with the little‚ the real and the near. Shakespeare’s Othello is one such tragedy‚ a play which explores the complexity of human emotion in its many forms. The theme of jealousy plays a strong role in shaping the tragic events of the play‚ however it must be said that tragedy alone is not the cause of Othello’s downfall. Insecurity‚ manipulation and pride are several of the many themes which contribute to the disintegration
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William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was easily one of the greatest playwrights of all time. He has written many plays including Romeo and Juliet‚ Much Ado About Nothing‚ Macbeth‚ and Hamlet. Shakespeare was also one of the proprietors to the Globe theater in 1589. Much of his work is still performed today. Shakespeare was born on April 23rd 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. John was an alderman of Scotland who had served as mayor in 1569. Neither of his parents could
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1a. Identify in Romeo and Juliet one element that does not fit in with Aristotle’s theory of tragedy in the Poetics. According to the Aristotle in ’s theory of tragedy in the Poetics‚ tragedy is the “imitation of an action“[1](mimesis) according to “the law of probability or necessity. “[2] Hence‚ the length of a play should be perceived as probable in the reality. The theory insists the ascertainment of an action could have happened in such and such a time during the play.[3] However in Romeo
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In Shakespeare’s plays Othello and Macbeth the audience is presented with two great heroes who both poses a certain character flaw that inevitably leads to their downfall. This is the idea behind a tragic hero; a person of great importance comes to a tragic end because of a serious flaw in his character. Both Othello and Macbeth find themselves on top of the world one moment and being crushed beneath it the next. The next logical comparison to make between two of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes is who
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Othello is changing and thinks that Desdemona is cheating on him. He is black and older so he understands why Desdemona would be cheating on him. Desdemona is trying to eat Othello to take Cassio back and is being annoying about it. She keeps asking Othello when are you doing to have dinner with him to talk to him. When are you going to just let him back in. Cassio is worried that Othello is not going to let him have his spot back. Cassio told Desdemona that even if he does not give him his spot
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AP English Literature and Composition Synthesis Essay Othello is a story of tragedy; a failed marriage between a Moor and the white daughter of a political figure. Through jealousy and deception‚ Othello and Desdemona’s‚ his wife‚ marriage goes from a love story to two tragic and preventable deaths. Othello is a highly respected general in the defense forces of Venice; his charismatic and intelligent demeanor allows him to gain power and status in a majority white atmosphere. Desdemona is the daughter
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William Shakespeare‚ widely regarded as the world’s greatest playwright‚ has revolutionized the world of English literature with his plays. Some of these plays are clear-cut comedies and tragedies‚ while others are more ambiguous. The Merchant of Venice is a play that falls under the latter type‚ and it has been hotly contested whether this literary work should be classified a comedy or a tragedy. However‚ since the majority of the characters received a happy ending‚ the abundance of comic relief
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