William Shakespeares Othello Essay - 2198 Words

William Shakespeares Othello Every artist needs a subject to draw inspiration from—an idea to develop into a masterpiece. Leonardo da Vinci had Madame Lisa to portray in paint. The Beach Boys had Rhonda to render in rhyme. And William Shakespeare had one of one hundred stories written by Giraldi Cinthio to help him create his masterpiece, Othello. Each artist creates his own interpretation from his source. Shakespeare transformed the core of Cinthio’s story into a tragedy. A tragedy is drama which depicts â€Å"a public struggle between larger-than-life protagonists and universal forces† (Glossary 175). A tragedy also involves a â€Å"hero’s suffering and his consequent moments of tragic insight or knowledge† (McJannet 1). Each subtle†¦show more content†¦Othello is the clear target of the trickery, ergo—with a small change—the protagonist is created. In addition to the creation of a protagonist, universal forces must be at play to warrant a tragedy. It is within the dialogue that Shakespeare identifies the involvement of fate. Elizabethans believe that changes in the affairs of man transcend to the moon and stars. Under such beliefs, Othello surmises, â€Å"Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse / Of sun and moon, and that th’ affrighted globe / Should yawn at alteration (5.2.98-100).† Likewise, a change in nature can affect the human entities below. For, â€Å"it is the very error of the moon [when] / She comes more nearer earth than she was wont / And makes men mad (5.2.108-109).† When the moon is out of place, and approaches too near earth, it makes men crazy. Thus, through the dialogue, Shakespeare acknowledges that universal forces are at play. In order to have a tragedy, the main character must have a tragic flaw, or make a tragic error. Shakespeare makes changes which allow the protagonist to gain a tragic flaw; and thus, Othello makes his tragic error by trusting Iago. This leads to the catastrophe of killing Desdemona. The tragic flaw designed for Othello is jealousy. One must â€Å"beware†¦of jealousy! / It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock / The meat it feeds on (3.3.165-168).† Jealousy makes a fool of thoseShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeares Othello997 Words   |  4 Pagesa person chooses to act around a certain group of people can be out of courteousness or his or her bad nature. William Shakespeare does not only shed light towards this topic but allows his audience to distinguish appearance versus reality. Shakespeares Othello and sonnets 93 and 138 demonstrate being who you are in reality triumphs over appearance and what you seem to be. In Othello, Shakespeare illustrates the importance reality takes place in identifying a persons true character as early asRead More William Shakespeares Othello1440 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Othello A significant moment in Othello demonstrates the theme of binaries questioned in many of Shakespeares works. Addressing the Duke and senators, Othello says: Let her have your voice. Vouch with me heaven, I therefore beg it not To please the palate of my appetite, Nor to comply with heat--the young affects In me defunct--and proper satisfaction, But to be free and bounteous to her mind; And heaven defend your good souls that you think I will your seriousRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Othello1173 Words   |  5 Pages Othello is set in a world and focuses on the passions and personalities of its major figures. (Thomas). Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, Othellos wife Desdemona, his lieutenant Cassio and advisor Iago. The play appeared in seven editors between 1622 and 1705. The themes of the story are racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal. Othello is a black soldier who is accused of stealing his wife Desdemona. Although Desdemonas fatherRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Othello574 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Othello The play Othello was said to have been written in 1603/4, but no one really knows. It was first performed in front of king James I. It was very original because it had a black tragic hero and at that time it was very rare too see a black character let alone a main one. The key themes are the same in most of Shakespeares plays (love, jealousy, appearance and reality, dark and light. The main theme is Othellos jealousy, which results inRead More Othello as the Greater Evil in William Shakespeare’s Othello1842 Words   |  8 PagesOthello as the Greater Evil in William Shakespeare’s Othello What makes one person to be considered evil, while another is considered righteous? The character Iago, in William Shakespeare’s Othello, could be considered evil because of his plot against Cassio and Othello. Othello, could be considered righteous, because he believes his wife has been unfaithful. The line between these two labels, evil or righteous, is thin. Ultimately, actions speak louder than words. Iago is evil in his actionsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Othello629 Words   |  3 Pagescharacteristics of human beings is the necessity to survive. In Shakespeare’s play, Othello survival is taken to the extreme by the character, Iago. Iago’s selfishness is what ultimately drives him to manipulate the people around him. Initially Iago manipulates a character by the name of Roderigo. Roderigo is a Venetian gentleman that is in love with the wife of Othello, Desdemona and will do whatever it takes to win her over from Othello. Roderigo who is oblivious to the idea and fact that Iago isRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Othello827 Words   |  3 Pagestragedies. One of the tragedies was the play Othello. The two characters that stuck out the most were Othello, the moor, and his beautiful wife Desdemona. The couple had certain mishaps but most readers did not expect a melodramatic plot twist. Othello had many downfalls, including insecurity. In the play Othello, the lack of communication between Desdemona and Othello was the cause for their deaths. Iago had major hatred toward Othello because Othello did not employ him as his lieutenant. Iago knewRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Othello2192 Words   |  9 PagesOthello is commonly referred to as just Othello but the full name of the play is The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. The tragedy of Othello is concise with Shakespeare’s other more popular works. Upon dissecting the play the most recognizable themes are the play’s complex and prevalent ambivalences of love and hate, jealousy, and perniciousness. Title and playwright â€Å"The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is believed to have been based primarily on the Italian short story Un CapitanoRead More Racism in William Shakespeares Othello Essay1059 Words   |  5 PagesRacism in William Shakespeares Othello The play, Othello, is certainly, in part, the tragedy of racism. Examples of racism are common throughout the dialog. This racism is directed toward Othello, a brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian army. Nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at one point in the play. Even Emilia sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. The character that most commonly makes racistRead More Iago in William Shakespeares Othello Essay1229 Words   |  5 PagesIago in William Shakespeares Othello William Shakespeare, born: 1564 died: 1616, is considered one of the greatest writers who has ever lived. He had a unique way of putting things into words. All of his plays, sonnets, and poems have gotten great recognition. But when Shakespeare wrote Othello he created one of the most controversial villains of all times; Iago. He is best described as disturbing, ruthless, and amoral. No other character can even come close to his evil (Iago: The 1). Iago

Trying to Get Rid of Classism Prejudice in My English Class

In Western society, certain questions and topics are intentionally excluded from polite conversation. Straightforward inquiries such as â€Å"How much do you make?† or worse â€Å"How much are you worth?† elicit personal consternation in many socioeconomic settings of our culture. Instead, differences in economic class reside as the proverbial white elephant in the room, almost as if we would rather pretended it did not exist (Yeskel, 2007). However, while the question may remain verbally unspoken, many of us, including myself, are guilty of asking the question subconsciously when forming opinions of other people. Class is an element of culture by which we construct an identity for self and others based on the associations we make with ones†¦show more content†¦The stereotypes our society associates with certain languages, dialects, careers, styles and preferences then translates into stereotypes against working class people, often regarding them as less intell igent, inferior, and lazy (Barone, 1999). In a study purposed to examine the psychology associated with classism, Langhout, Rosselli and Feinstein (2007) found that fifty-eight percent of those they interviewed endorsed at least one type of citational classism. Identifiably, I can relate to the casual dismissal of the term â€Å"dumb redneck,† a reference to an activity that culturally relates to a truncated dialect and a rural point of view. Even more damaging, I have been guilty of dismissing the term â€Å"nigger rig,† a reference to a task accomplished in a make-shift fashion with the only materials at hand. These attitudes illustrate that class privileges are perceived upon the basis of the group quality: the upper class is more civilized, more gifted and more intelligent; the lower class is not as deserving because of their apparent inferiorities (Barone, 1999). In sitcoms especially, the working class is portrayed as unintelligent, and those in poverty are often viewed as criminals (Yeskel, 2007). Following the patterns of racial discrimination, these stereotypes covertly disguise the differences in socioeconomic class as the natural order of society. The first step I plan to take in eliminating this prejudice is to stop unconsciously placing

Grace and Freedom Amidst Sin and Imprisonment free essay sample

A study of contrasting images used to reinforce themes in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter. This paper investigates how Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his book The Scarlet Letter presents the reader with a number of contrasting images to reinforce the themes in the book. The author explores three themes in this paper: the nature of women, the problem of guilt, and the contrast between sin and grace. Hawthorne uses some beautifully crafted images throughout the novel, The Scarlet Letter. Hawthornes use of contrasting images to reinforce the themes is not only inspired, but creates a richness for the reader that could not exist otherwise. The contrasting images of the prison door and the rosebush create a visible contrast between the imprisonment of sin, as preached by and to the Puritans, and the beauty and wildness of the rosebush, representing human nature, beauty, freedom and grace given to all sinners, both in the prison and outside of the prison. We will write a custom essay sample on Grace and Freedom Amidst Sin and Imprisonment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The rosebush, placed by God, gives hope to those in the prison, while the prison door, placed there by those who are supposedly civilized, the Puritans, only offer condemnation and shame.

Pornography Essays - Anti-pornography Feminism, Pornography Law

Pornography Suppose one accepts MacKinnon and Dworkin's suggested statutory definition of pornography. How does one who generally accepts MacKinnon and Dworkin's views on the pervasively harmful effect of pornography, and who accepts a need for legal redress of the harms perpetrated by pornography, deal with pornographic material? The ordinance proposed by MacKinnon and Dworkin would deal with such material by enacting legislation which gives people adversely affected by the works, which clearly fit their definition of pornography, a cause of action against the producers, vendors, exhibitors or distributors for "trafficking", or for an assault "directly caused by the specific work. I do not think liberals, or others for that matter, should have much problem with the clause dealing with assault, since a causal connection to specific works is demanded by it. However, s. 3.2(iii) which deals with trafficking would be very problematic for liberals and legal conservatives because it creates a cause of action for a person contrary to the traditional conception of a rights holder's cause of action. This subsection reads: Any woman has a claim hereunder as a woman acting against the subordination of women. Any man, child or transsexual who alleges injury by pornography in the way women are injured by it also has a claim. [emphasis added] My goal in this paper is to suggest that a slight modification to this subsection of the ordinance would make it very difficult for liberals and legal conservatives to object to it. This modification would restrict the cause of action to the same persons as the other sections of the ordinance, namely, the particular victim of the specified injury. I shall argue that such a modification would largely cohere with the conception of harm already at work in Ontario law, would afford only a minor reduction in the potential efficacy of such legislation in curbing the harm of pornography, and would offer to empower the feminist camp which is behind such an ordinance with a mechanism for social and political change if a sufficiently organized feminist "vanguard" took hold of the opportunity to empower women. Adrian Howe argues that the concept of social injury which may be suggested by the ordinance recognizes the differential harm felt by women from pornography. Howe suggests this social notion of harm may be a necessary feature of any successful law reform which is to address the huge social problem of male domination and female oppression. The liberal notion of an individuated human right fails to capture, for MacKinnon and Howe, "the specificity of the harm to women." Thus, an ordinance which did not create a cause of action "for women as women" would fail to address the root of the social problem of which pornography is a manifestation. This conception of social harm, and thus subsection 3.2(iii), may offend liberals or legal conservatives in two ways. First, the notion of non-individuated harm is antithetical to the liberal conception of a rights holder claiming a cause of action. Fundamental to a liberal conception of harm is the notion of the individual who is autonomous, separate and fundamentally worthy of respect. Rawls and Kant exemplify this view in their analyses when they posit the undifferentiated self, free of any particular qualities save that of being an agent worthy of a fundamental, inviolable respect. This notion of the individual worthy of equal concern and respect in the eyes of the state permeates liberal conceptions of rights. It is also a fundamental, if not exclusive, tenet of the common law of torts: In tort litigation, the courts must decide whether to shift the loss suffered by one person, the plaintiff, to the shoulders of another person [emphasis added]. Clearly, on its face this conception of harm precludes the notion of a harm suffered collectively which cannot be delineated individually. While class actions are possible, and claims may be made on behalf of groups such as company shareholders, this is only by virtue of the fact that a legally recognized individual has suffered an identifiable particular harm. Thus, the conventional liberal notion of harm is radically distinct from that outlined by Howe and MacKinnon. Since on the liberal conception rights holders are autonomous, individual selves who are essentially distinct, harm to one is distinct from harm to another. It may be that a liberal conception of a rights holder simply renders the concept of a social harm, and thus a cause of action "for women as women" incoherent. I do not wish to discuss whether it is possible to develop a complete liberal notion of social harm. It is sufficient to note