appear to be‚ few really know who you are.” To put this quote in context‚ Machiavelli was instructing a prince to appear to be a trustworthy and merciful guy and then to be prepared to act in a manner contrary to the appearance. Iago from the play Othello‚ employs this exact strategy--appearing to be an honest man only to use this good reputation to get what he wants. Throughout the play‚ Iago capitalizes on the gullibleness of others and his reputation as a righteous individual. Whether it be a poor
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Othello begins on a street in Venice‚ in the midst of an argument between Roderigo‚ a rich man‚ and Iago. Roderigo has been paying Iago to help him in his suit to Desdemona. But Roderigo has just learned that Desdemona has married Othello‚ a general whom Iago begrudgingly serves as ensign. Iago says he hates Othello‚ who recently passed him over for the position of lieutenant in favor of the inexperienced soldier Michael Cassio. Unseen‚ Iago and Roderigo cry out to Brabanzio that his daughter
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Othello is the protagonist of the play; he is a highly respected general of the Venetian army. Othello is not a Venetian though; he is a moor‚ which means he is from North Africa. This puts Othello in a very unusual position; he is one of the most important people in the Venetian army and very respected but is also an outsider because he is a black man. I perceive Othello’s character at this point in the play to be Naïve‚ honorable and honest; he really has nothing to hide. His naïveté’s will cause
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In Shakespeare’s Othello there is an immediate contrast between Iago and Othello’s language. In “Act1 scene 1” Iago’s first speech to Roderigo is of a revengeful nature and evil tone. “Despise me if I do not. Three great ones of the city (In personal suit to make me his lieutenant).” Iago is infuriated with Othello’s neglect of him‚ Shakespeare creates this foreshadow of a tragic outcome early on‚ but he misleads the audience into thinking that Iago’s language is justified. Furthering Iago’s support
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In Shakespeares Othello the characters are as much a victim of their own weakness as they are of Iagos plotting. Do power dynamics in Othello support this? Iago‚ whos charisma and intellect make him more powerful than Othello and Desdemona‚ proves that powerplay amongst the characters supports the fact that characters‚ specifically Othello and Desdemona‚ are equally victims of their own weakness as they are of Iagos plottings. Othello and Desdemonas weaknesses are race and gender respectively which
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Shakespeare’s Othello and Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan are two plays which males dominate and control. Gender discrimination was strongly evident throughout both the Jacobean and Victorian era in which both were written. Women were generally considered the ‘inferior’ gender with little purpose other than their domesticated role. Males were seen as more powerful with a harsh attitude towards females. Marilyn French examines that it’s a females “cultures dictum to be obedient to males‚” however
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Violence in Othello In William Shakespeare’s Othello violence can be found in several different ways. Violence can be expressed physically‚ mentally‚ and verbally. This tragic play shows how jealousy and envy can overpower a person’s mind and lead them to wreak havoc on others. Not only does this story give many different examples of violence‚ it displays how mental violence can promote physical violence‚ and continues on in that cycle. Mental promotes physical which ultimately leads back to
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What is the play about? Othello themes include: * Jealousy (the sexual jealousy of Othello‚ and Iago’s professional envy of Cassio * Appearance versus reality (including honesty/dishonesty‚ loyalty/disloyalty) * Reputation * Public versus private concerns * Racism (including notions of alienation and belonging) Cultural materialist – Argues the play offers a subversive critique of the social and political beliefs of Shakespeare’s time e.g. racism and sexism seen as
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The Tragedy of Othello‚ The Moor of Venice Act I 1. A noble Moor in the service of the Venetian state‚ a General. He is somewhat important to society. And he was slightly famous and well-known captain and general. To others that knew who Othello was didn’t really like him as a person but they liked him for the things that he had done for the country and the people. Also some of the people were jealous of Othello because of the fact that he was a moor and that Desdemona was in love with him
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William Shakespeare’s character‚ Othello‚ testifies to the fact that everyone‚ no matter their rank in society‚ can be made vulnerable when they are brought to questioning their sense of self. As a person matures and enters into adulthood‚ they take on many different types of responsibilities as a functioning part of society. Society characterizes its members based on how effectively they deal with their responsibilities‚ and furthermore an individual’s identity and sense of self derive in part
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