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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happened to Othello are due to him giving into gossip and being gullible. Othello was a commendable military leader which made it surprising that such a strong military leader would let gossip without validity become his downfall. The events which prompted Othello’s collapse stemmed from Iago. He had deep rooted hatred towards Othello and wanted to destroy him. The villain Iago came up with an evil scheme to reveal to Othello that his wife Desdemona had an affair on him. Iago knew that Othello was
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The Beast in Shakespeare’s “Othello” "What is left when honor is lost?" This question‚ asked by Publilius Syrus‚ a known writer of the Ancient Rome during the times of Caesar‚ serves as a basis for the struggle between Othello and Iago. Both men are engaged in a battle over Othello’s honor. Iago is intent on destroying Othello’s sense of honor and reducing him to a bestial state. Iago views Othello as a beast masquerading in warrior’s dress. He wants to return Othello to what he believes to be his
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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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Shakespeare’s Othello continues to engage audiences through its dramatic treatment of grand and challenging ideas. In the light of your critical study‚ does this statement resonate with you? Make specific reference to the text. Shakespeare explores numerous grand and challenging ideas throughout the play Othello. One such idea is the concept of dualities and the way in which they are manifested in people. In the play‚ there is no exploration of the ambiguities of life‚ everything is divided into
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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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Could one ordinary woman be more intelligent than several highly skilled male warriors? In William Shakespeare’s Othello‚ although Emilia plays a small role‚ she makes a powerful impact. Her omnipotent bravado brings us to the conclusion that she is the reincarnation of Esther from the Bible and that she is a mirror image of today’s risk taking woman. Emilia’s insight brings perspective to not only what is righteous but also to the darkness of bestiality portrayed throughout the play. Although
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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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