The Hero And Victim In Shakespeare's Othello
Who is Othello? What makes Othello the hero and victim of the play Othello? William Shakespeare created Othello to be a very complex and important individual in his play Othello. In the beginning, Othello is an outsider but deemed powerful and wise, then he lets Iago plant jealousy and make him suspicious. In the end, he comes to a realization and is ashamed, remorseful, and genuinely upset. His love and passion for Desdemona and his insecurities lead him to be easily influenced into jealously and aggression. Othello was a general of defense in Venice, but his race causes conflict and those around to judge him. Unlike the rest of the characters in Othello, Othello is continuously labeled as “the Moor” (I.i.39), mentioning his “thick-lips” (I.i.66) hinting that he is darker skinned, being from North Africa, which is unaccepted in …show more content…
While being discriminated against, Othello is also admired and respected due to his bravery and his leadership skills impressed the Duke and senators of Venice. His reputation for being courageous, good in battle, and making smart decisions get him the position of General. Many were unhappy with this decision and still see Othello as just moor Othello is also temperamental and passionate, which leads him to aggression and jealousy. Though he is a noble and well respected General, he is insecure of himself, “Haply for I am black. And have not those soft parts of conversation. That chamberers have, or for I am declined. Into the vale of years” (III.iii.263-265). He thinks Desdemona would leave him because he is black, because he is different, and therefore not good enough for her. Iago keeps filling Othello’s head with false accusations of Desdemona cheating with Cassio and because Othello is so vulnerable due to his insecurities, he is
Who Is Responsible For Othello's Downfall
882 Words | 4 PagesThe characteristics of Othello includes passion, obligation, courage, jealousy and intelligence. These are great characteristics to have, but proves to eventually lead to Othello’s demise. Othello was a foreigner from Africa who was sort of accepted into the Venetian society, only because of his excellent track record of winning wars, but he was an outsider and never fully accepted. Othello enjoyed the status and luxuries of being a General and leading the defense of Venice. He also understood that he
Classic Character Foils In William Shakespeare's Othello
1027 Words | 5 PagesThe classic hero vs. villian storylines have been used in traditional and nontraditional texts for centuries. The creators use classic character foil in order to achieve the distinguishable hero and villain. Othello by William Shakespeare uses character foil to achieve a , protagonist Othello and an ,Iago, antagonist the play and in the movie adaptation Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago/Ben Jago is a villain because of how he manipulates others in order to get ahead and they also have some differences, but in the play Iago is more of a villain than Ben Jago in the movie adaptation. Throughout the play Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago is a villain because of how manipulative he is.
Self Confidence In Othello
1344 Words | 6 PagesUnfortunately, he trusted the wrong person due to his growing lack of self-esteem. Iago, a hypocrite who hid his evil thoughts by appearing as a man of extreme honesty, saw that he could erode Othello’s self-esteem because of who he was, a moor living in European society. He realized he could manipulate Othello for his own evil ends. He slyly used pathos to gain his trust, saying, “My Lord, you know I love you” (III.iii.118) to convince him of his honesty and reliability. Then he suggested the unpredictable nature of Desdemona by saying, “Ay, there’s the point: as, to be bold with you, not to affect many proposed matches of her own clime, complexion, and degree, whereto we see in all things nature tends - Foh!”
Why Is Othello A Hero
1121 Words | 5 PagesThe play’s protagonist and hero. Othello is the highly respected general of the armies of Venice, although he is not a native of Venice but rather a Moor, or North African. He is an eloquent and powerful figure, Othello shows to be a fearless soldier and general. and has been in the army for many years. He is used to the work of military life.
Internal Conflict In Othello
928 Words | 4 PagesHe occupies contradictory personal and political positions. He is a trusted military officer, who holds power and ensures safety for the Venetian state, and who seeks to become a member of this society, through marriage in his case, with Desdemona. But Othello is a black man in a white world, which makes this insertion into society harder. He appears to be an impressive figure who displays a number of qualities, such as sincerity, authority and level-headedness in face of danger or strenuous circumstances (quote here or give specific example to illustrate the point.) This is revealed in Act 1 Scene 2.
Stereotypes In Othello
959 Words | 4 Pages”Elizabethans viewed people with customs different from their own with fear and apprehension, depicting them as savage and uncivilized”, the people from Venice viewed people from foreign places as savage and uncivilized. “Negros likewise lead a beastly kind of life, being utterly destitute of the use of reason, of dexterity of wit, and of all arts”, the Venetians saw the Moors as beast and were afraid of them because they believed the Moor most violent people. Shakespeare presents Othello as a well respected military person with prowess but throughout the play he changes to the Moor that Venetians expect to see and he creates the dichotomy because not everyone is like the stereotypes say but he at the end Othello changes to the Moor that he is believed to be. Shakespeare shows that no matter how different
Jealousy And Manipulation In Othello
700 Words | 3 Pages“Othello” written by William Shakespeare revolves around this protagonist who is depicted as strong and powerful. To everyone he is known as Othello or the Moor. Throughout the play, Shakespeare portrays numerous counts of jealousy and manipulation around many of the characters. It is mainly illustrated through Iago, the antagonist of the play, who manipulates other to their downfall. Iago who is known for always being true and honest towards others has easily earned the trust of everyone around him, thus giving himself an advantage on his schemes.
How Othello's Character Changes
844 Words | 4 PagesOthello’s character undergoes a significant change due to a series of events at the hands of Iago, the play’s antagonist to enhance the fact that even a valiant heroes can become corrupt. In the beginning of the play, Othello adores
Overt Racism In Othello
1097 Words | 5 PagesOthello was born a Muslim Turkish Moor. When he was older, he was “taken by the insolent foe/ And sold to slavery” (Shakespeare 698). It was likely during this time he found his way into the white-dominated Europe, where he eventually had to procure his own freedom. After this, he joined the Venetian military and ascended to the rank of General. In this position, his main war is with “the Turkish fleet.”
Jealousy Quotes In Othello
759 Words | 4 PagesThe tragedy of Othello written by William Shakespeare presents the main character Othello as a respectable, honorable, and dignified man. However, because of his insecurities and good nature he is easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his alleged friends. Shakespeare is known for his exceptional ability to compose plays full of deceit, revenge, and jealousy. Jealousy is an underlying theme throughout the tragedy and has been represented by many of the main characters, such as Iago, Roderigo, and Othello. The topic of jealousy will ultimately lead to the demise of many characters throughout the tragedy.
African American Characters In Othello
1064 Words | 5 PagesIn Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the title character is a 16th century Moorish general of the Venetian army who, because of the cultural and historical background of the play’s setting, the playwright, and the original intended audience, is portrayed as both well-respected for his military prowess and disparaged for his race. Similarly, because socialization through media, African Americans in society are lively for the entertainment of music and are seen as violent for the media showing crimes committed by African Americans. Shakespeare crafted Othello’s character as a respected general to the people of Venice that people need in a time of war. This was mentioned as Othello walk in after receiving a letter from the Duke of Venice stating
Theme Of Dishonesty In Othello
750 Words | 3 PagesIn Act 4, Iago lies to Othello saying,“What if I had said I had seen him do you wrong?” convincing Othello of Desdemona and Cassio’s affair (4.1.24). Iago knows Othello’s jealousy overwhelms him at the thought of Cassio and Desdemona, giving Iago control over Othello’s emotions and
Othello Act 3 Scene 3 Analysis
982 Words | 4 PagesAs a scheming villain, Iago begins to ensnare Othello into his trap of vengeance by echoing in Othello’s mind prospect of an affair between Cassio and Desdemona. Iago begins his insinuations by reminding Othello that Cassio served as their go-between during their courtship through a rhetorical
Comparing Othello And Realism In Lanval By Marie De French
1135 Words | 5 PagesOthello as a black man, through his qualities, mark him out as a born leader, he cannot modify the prejudice processed in people’s minds, which reflects the deeply rooted racism at that time. One example is when Rodrigo and Iago are standing outside an alley discussing the secret marriage of Desdemona and Othello. Rodrigo is angry with Iago because he is paying him to woo Desdemona, but he has seen no progress and he has just learned that Othello has married Desdemona. Iago reassures Rodrigo that he hates Othello and makes a racial slur towards Othello by saying, “ What a full fortune does the Thick-lips owe, If he can’t carry thus” (Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 68-69). Rodrigo and Iago eventually approach
Jealousy In William Shakespeare's Othello
665 Words | 3 PagesOthello’s life transforms the second he steps into Cyprus. Iago’s motives are devastating as he plan’s to take Othello’s position, regardless of the cost. Iago plants the seed of deceit and unfaithfulness when he hints of an affair involving Othello’s love, Desdemona and Cassio. An overwhelming feeling of jealously takes a hold in Othello’s life. Othello is no longer the well spoken, and respected army general that everyone knew him to be, but instead a short tempered man with little respect for
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