Towards the ends of Othello both Emilia and Desdemona are confirmed as tragic heroines. Throughout the play‚ Emilia is beaten down by Iago‚ as a result of the gender inequality of the time and her low status as a woman. In the last scene though‚ she finally breaks through this and finds her voice and stands up to patriarchal domination‚ which leads her to her death‚ confirming her to be a tragic heroine. Differently‚ Desdemona starts off as being independent; standing up against her father by marrying
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William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is considered the greatest English playwright. He wrote and produced a large number of plays‚ ranging from comedies and histories to tragedies. Othello was written in 1604 during a phase of other profound tragedies‚ such as Hamlet (1601) and Macbeth (1606). Shakespeare is appreciated for the ways in which he beautifully and poignantly expresses the dilemmas at the core of human existence. Brief synopsis The Moor‚ Othello‚ is a respected leader in the Venetian
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Jealousy; The Green-Eyed Monster Rationale: Having just finished Act 3 of Othello (by William Shakespeare) ‚ a motif stood out to me. The motif jealousy‚ and it can corrupt anyone‚ even a noble Moor with principles like Othello. While reading I realized how complicated Iago is as a character and how he lacks an origin to his jealousy‚ yet is convincing himself to carry out his evil doings his ability to orchestrate a complicated interweaving of pre-planned scenarios. Iago ’s deception is
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During the Elizabethan time period‚ the ideal woman was quiet and obedient. A woman who was outspoken and opinionated seemed to be rare and unwanted. The ideal man was envisioned to be masculine‚ ruler of the house‚ and to be overshadowed by women. Shakespeare mentions both of his thoughts of the ideal woman and man in both plays and in sonnet 127. Shakespeare’s writing helped the reader understand and accept the gender roles being changed. “Although Shakespeare reflects and at times supports the
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the play Othello is not so much Othello’s flaws and weaknesses but more Iago’s villainy. A thorough analysis of the play Othello tends to reveal that the focus of the play is actually about Othello’s flaws and weaknesses rather than Iago’s villainy. This conclusion has been reached due to the fact that many elements of drama as well as a characteristic of Shakespearean tragedy are centered on Othello and his imperfections. In essence‚ the conflict and thematic concerns which Shakespeare addresses
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Elizabethan Literature Literature produced during the reign of Elizabeth I of England (1558–1603). This period saw a remarkable growth of the arts in England‚ and the literature of the time is characterized by a new energy‚ originality‚ and confidence. It was the most splendid age in the history of English literature‚ during which such writers as Sir Philip Sidney‚ Edmund Spenser‚ Roger Ascham‚ Richard Hooker‚ Christopher Marlowe‚ and William Shakespeare flourished. Drama was the dominant
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In the Elizabethan era women were portrayed as less than equals to men. Male seemed to be the dominate gender and women were to be seen-not-heard. They existed within a patriarchal society. As a feminist himself‚ Shakespeare shows through his plays how women are ill treated and powerless; yet possess more intelligence than the male characters. This is why Shakespeare creates overwhelming female characters; which is evident in Shakespeare’s "The Taming of the Shrew"‚ where the lead female character
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extent does Shakespeare present Othello as being responsible for his own downfall? Shakespeare’s Othello consists of the themes betrayal‚ love and dishonesty. At the centre of this play is the tragic downfall of Othello at the hands of his so called friend Iago. In this essay I will be discussing the reasons for and against Othello being responsible for his downfall through looking at critical interpretations of his character and actions. In some ways you could say that Othello was highly
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Othello In the beginning of the play‚ Othello is mentioned in description by Iago and Roderigo during their discussion rather than being physically present; “The Moore”(1.i57) ‚ “the thick-lips” (I.i.66)‚ “an old black ram” (I.i.88)‚ and “a Barbary horse” (I.i.113). Other than description‚ we do not see Othello till Act 1‚ scene iii. We understand in the beginning through Iago And Roderigo’s discussions that Othello is an outsider‚ by description racially and culturally. I believe Shakespeare
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The Elizabethan View of Women Women in Elizabethan times had few rights or luxuries. Their entire lifestyles depended upon that of their husbands‚ picked out for them by their fathers. They had almost no say in their lives‚ and they were expected to be thankful for having someone to rule over them. This is made abundantly clear by Katherina ’s famous speech in 5.2.137-180 of The Taming of the Shrew. She compares a woman ’s proper devotion to her husband to that a subject owes a prince‚ saying that
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