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 the story of Othello by William Shakespeare it is easy to see that there is competition going on just as there is in his other plays. In this story the competition is light versus darkness or as some may see it good versus evil. The definition for lightness in this story is innocents‚ purity love and goodness. Also the definition for darkness would be malevolence‚ betrayal and hate. There are three main characters in this play including Iago‚ Desdemona and Othello. Then there are three side characters
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OTHELLO THEMES The incompatibility of military heroism and love; the danger of isolation- Othello is the perfect soldier‚ but his directness means he is unable to understand the subtleties of political life and affairs of the heart. Jealousy Jealousy 1: The play opens with a discussion of jealousy. Iago is upset because Othello selected Michael Cassio as his lieutenant. He is jealous of Cassio’s position both in the military and with Othello’s service. This initial jealousy is the catalyst
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******** ******** 3/14/12 Period 7 Topic 1 Othello is one of the many plays by William Shakespeare. It tells the story of the tragic love life of the valiant Moor‚ Othello. It shows how he changes; starting from greatness and respect‚ he is tricked by Iago in to being cruel and hating. Many people assume the basis of the story is Othello’s life and that because the play is called Othello that he is the protagonist. The actual protagonist though is the supposed antagonist‚ Iago. Iago
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Othello: The Other Race and religion seem to be very prevalent in Shakespeare’s Othello. From the beginning of the play the reader gets the impression that the protagonist‚ Othello the Moor‚ is considered an “other” in the Venetian society. Othello’s high military ranking gives him the respect of the characters in the play‚ but his race and religion are brought up a lot throughout the play in the speech of the characters in the play. Despite the characters in the text constant dehumanization of
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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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Manipulation In Othello we see what jealousy and pride can do to a man and to what extent they will go to satisfy their inner demons. Many a man has fallen prey to the lies of a quick tongue‚ as well as the humiliation that comes with their confidence and pride. It is hard to say exactly what drives any one man to his dire actions‚ but one can assume that his temper‚ pride or honor was the starting spark that led to a fire. Tell me‚ what drives a man to use others to achieve his goals? In Othello many things
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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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Jealousy is described as feelings of resentment against someone because of that person ’s rivalry‚ success‚ or advantages. It plays a very large role in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. Jealousy is the fire that motivates Iago and clouds Othello’s judgment‚ leading to the downfall of both men. Iago is extremely jealous of Cassio because of his position in the army. “Iago‚ a Venetian soldier of so good reputation that he is known to everyone as “honest Iago”‚ feels bitterly and deeply that he has
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(Written in the style of a speech) William Shakespeare’s Othello is a play about reputation. The role of reputation is a major one as throughout the play we see the importance of how one is perceived. For some‚ to act in a certain way with self control ultimately leads them to strengthen their character and image. But for others it can be lost in a single action. The characters within the play struggle to keep their reputation for various reasons such as retribution or to keep a good name for
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