Adiche's Othello: A Single Story

In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, he uses duality and paradoxes to reveal parts of human nature that people wish to ignore. Othello is about a man named Othello who marries above his station and wrestles with his insecurities as the antagonist, Iago, uses them and his own reputation for candor as mean to enact his revenge for Othello’s alleged affair with his wife, Emelia. Iago embodies the paradox of a truthful man who uses his honesty to manipulate people, which contradicts a core human idea that honest people are the most righteous or virtuous.

How powerful is a single story? At Ted Global 2009, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian novelist, expresses her view of single stories and the ways in which they are used to create stereotypes and divides us as a people. Adichie’s talk, “The Danger of a Single Story”, stimulates careful consideration to what happens when people and situations are reduced to a single narrative. She believes single stories are highly correlated with the power structures of the world and have the ability to strip people of their humanity. In my rhetorical analysis essay, I will detail how Adichie’s talk is effective in persuading her audience because of the Cause & Effect Analysis, Exemplification, and Metadiscourse rhetorical strategies.

Thesis Statement: Othello’s generosity and integrity, let the false accusations that Iago told him get to him because he was too focused on one part of the story that was being told.

During the Elizabethan Era, drama began to flourish in Western Europe. Plays have become more violent and dramatic as well as new ways of driving a performance. William Shakespeare’s Othello involves a man named Iago who wants to get revenge on Othello who is known as ‘the Moor of Venice’. Iago is able to get Othello to fully trust him and manipulates Othello to believe in false claims which eventually brings both of them to their downfall. A soliloquy acts as an aid to the audience in order to understand a character’s internal thoughts. Shakespeare utilizes this technique frequently throughout the performance especially for the antagonist for the play, Iago. The soliloquies enhance Iago’s villainous characteristics by giving him moments to

The scene between Iago and Desdemona indicates exactly what Iago will say to Othello in convincing him to believe Desdemona has committed adultery. This scene reflects the most serious matter of the play, which is when Othello lets his jealousy get the best of him and be swayed by lies to turn on his love. The play is dramatic and represents human nature in its ugliest form, highlighting envy, discrimination and

In the first act of the play, after Roderigo finds out that Othello married Desdemona, he carries out a dialogue with Iago about Iago’s discontentment with Othello, Roderigo comments, “What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe,/ If he can carry it thus!” With this, Roderigo shows his feelings of jealousy for Othello, basically stating that luck was on Othello’s side in getting Desdemona, but it will probably not last very long. In addition to this, Roderigo gives Brabantio large sums of money to Iago in order to try to get Desdemona from Othello. In addition to Roderigo’s jealousy, Iago’s jealousy of Cassio cascades to the point where he begins to manipulate Othello to want to kill Cassio, which ends up leading to the death of Desdemona. In the beginning, Iago details how he was passed up for a promotion by Othello. He expresses his jealousy for Cassio when he says that Othello “already chose [his] officer” who he calls “One Michael Cassio, a Florentine” who “never set a squadron in the field.” Iago believes he should have gotten the promotion because he had more military experience and training. After he gets Cassio drunk and dismissed from service, he devises a plan to manipulate Othello into believing he is cheating with Desdemona in order that Cassio never gets his position again or even killed. Iago also hears a rumor that Othello slept with his

Racist undertones are commonly evident in works of literature that have been written during all eras. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, many of the characters are prejudice towards Othello, and it comes through in the way they speak to and talk about him throughout the play. Shakespeare uses diction, imagery, and various figures of speech to reinforce the theme of racism in Elizabethan society.

In order for Iago to gain control of the characters in the play, he manipulates Othello, Roderigo, Cassio, and more to believe false information and turn on one another. In the opening act of the play, Iago and Roderigo wake Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, from his sleep, informing him of his daughter’s marriage to the Moor, Othello. Knowing of Brabantio’s prejudice towards Othello because of his race, Iago says, “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.” (1.1.94-95). Iago feeds anger into Brabantio’s mind using

It is very hard for someone’s identity to not falter when they face bias and discrimination. Staying true to one’s roots requires a large amount of willpower which Othello has unfortunately lacked. In Othello by William Shakespeare, Othello’s Moor background and the subsequent racism and marginalization he receives, results in his eventual downfall. Initially, Othello’s background affects his identity, making him easily manipulated by Iago. Furthermore, Iago manipulates Othello into several situations where Othello is discriminated. This results in the progressive growth of Othello’s feelings of suspicion and jealousy. Finally, Othello is marginalized

While Othello seems an insane story, the plot teaches that jealousy and deception can destroy many people, including those who seek benefits through channeling their feelings. A major liar attempts to create fights between his acquaintances, assuming he will get by doing so. His lies create some bloody circumstances and ultimately lead to his undoing. He controls the story and is later despised once the plot is foiled. Iago exploits creases in the feelings of Othello and Desdemona to create conflicts. Othello is a black Moor, the type of person naturally hated by many citizens. Iago uses this and his age in an attempt to damage his image. He also uses certain circumstances between Desdemona and Cassio to build jealousy in Othello. The characters

This encounter takes place earlier in the play, right after Iago and Roderigo have convinced Brabantio into believing the scandalous and provocative gossip they have fed him. Othello speaks these words in an attempt to placate Brabantio, who has just stormed into the Duke’s council, agitated by Iago’s claims concerning his daughter. Additionally, his monologue is addressed to everyone present in the chamber so that he may prove his innocence more widely. He confirms that he has married Desdemona, but denies the allegations that he has won her through trickery and that this is the extent of his “crime.” Othello goes on to explain that he won Desdemona’s love through stories of his seven years at battle, but will nevertheless tell the tale of these stories.

The crisis of identity is a very significant turning point in the development in this play. It effectively creates sympathy in the audience through the change in character’s speech style and the act of an “other” in the play conforming to what society demands of him.

Desdemona is pure and sees cheating as wrong, however, because she is a women she is still stereotyped and degraded. Desdemona is seen being degraded by her father and Iago after getting married to Othello. Iago firstly implies that Desdemona, Brabantio's property, had run away and gotten married. Brabantio insists that Desdemona was put under a spell by Othello by saying, “if she in chains of magic were not bound, whether a maid so tender,fair and happy, so opposite to marriage that she shunn’d the wealthy curled [darlings] of our nation… abus’d her delicate youth with drugs or minerals that weakens motion. (1.2.63-68;74-75).” This statement shows that Brabantio does not believe Desdemona to decide who she is to marry since she had rejected the wealthy, attractive men. Brabantio warns Othello that because she deceived him that he is bound to deceive Othello. This is sensed through cheating and also foreshadows Othello’s believing in the lie. This accusation is later reestablished by Iago “she did deceive her father, marrying you, (3.3. 206).” Desdemona also is subject to verbal and physical abuse by her husband. She is often called a devil and a whore. In act four scene one, Othello the strikes. Desdemona quickly fires back by saying “I have not deserv’d this. (4.1.241).” in which she had

After reading Chapter 24, choose a scene or episode from a novel, play, or epic written before the twentieth century.

In the first act of the play, Iago and Roderigo go to Brabantio’s house to rile him out of his sleep. This is seen as the first step of defaming Othello’s character. The two