Redemption in Death in Othello Essay - 1562 Words

Redemption in Death in Othello The brilliance of a tragedy lies in its ability to maintain its moral and the values it explores even in the tragic ending or in the downfall of its heroes. William Shakespeare does just this Othello, so quintessentially that the deaths in the end do not only refrain from undermining or canceling out the virtues of the play, but they actually restore them to the deceased, who have died because they have lost them. In this play, love, loyalty, and honesty are of foremost importance in the human condition, and when those are questioned or lost, chaos ensues. The tragedy lies in the fact that the truth is revealed only too late, and because of this only death can restore those values. The loss or†¦show more content†¦Iago, who presents himself as Othello’s confidante, signifies the antithesis of the virtues of the play, and Othello’s belief in the lies this villain tells destroy these values and lead to his demise. Iago is disloyal from the start. From the be ginning he tells us, â€Å"In following him [Othello], I follow but myself. / †¦ I am not what I am† (I, I, 55-62). Iago feigns devotion to Othello only to bring him down, and in doing so he makes himself seem virtuous and turns the true virtue, in Desdemona, to vice. When scheming to make Othello think that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, he plays on her concern for people, and her willingness to help Cassio come back into Othello’s favor: â€Å"So will I turn her virtue into pitch, / And out of her goodness make the net/ That shall enmesh them all† (II, iii, 360-62). As the opposite of all that is valued in the play, Iago is able to make the virtue of the other characters into their downfalls without them suspecting it. He observes of Othello, â€Å"The Moor†¦Is of a constant, loving, and noble nature† (II, I, 288-89). He then plans to use this nature to â€Å"Make the Moor thank me, love me, and r eward me / †¦ Even to madness† (II, I, 308-11). Iago uses Othello’s trusting nature and Desdemona’s goodness to create theShow MoreRelated Is Falling Failure or Freedom? Essay1279 Words   |  6 Pagesauthority over you. The falls in book nine of â€Å"Paradise Lost† and â€Å"Othello† both have parallels in the reasons and methods in which revenge was carried out and perfection was destroyed. But these stories end with different victors and very different balances of power. The fall of â€Å"Paradise Lost† does have motives and patterns common with the fall of â€Å"Othello.† Each story establishes the authority of a Supreme Being, God the creator and Othello respectively. God the creator made everything that exists, andRead MoreOthello, By Director Iqbal Khan891 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to director Iqbal Khan the state of not having certainty makes Othello a tragedy as a play. As a character not having certainty allowed his mind to become polluted and create a jealous monster. The relationship between Othello and Iago jeopardizes the idea of Othello’s character. The series betrayals are drawn upon by the false whisperings of Iago. He allowed Iago to manipulate his thoughts and conquer his conscience. During the final scene not having certainty deteriorates Othello’s characterRead MoreEssay on The Flaws of Othello, Murderer of Desdemona1477 Words   |  6 PagesIn Shakespeare’s play Othello, the main character Othello is typically victimized and portrayed as a mere scapegoat of the villainous Iago’s devious plans. However, Othello is not completely void of responsibility for the death of his wife. Othello, the tragic hero, is just as responsible as Iago for his premeditated murder of Desdemona due to his own internal flaws. Specifically, flaws such as his vivid imagination and his self over-idealization are brought to the surface by Iago, which consequentlyRead MoreWhat Are The Similarities Between Macbeth And Othello1267 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare is the playwright in which the works of Macbeth and Othello are written . These works are both written in Shakespeares signature style of tragedy where a character experiences a reversal of fortune at the hands of their own actions. A true tragic hero is a character who is admired while being flawed; has both good and evil characteristics; experiences a hamartia, a moral mistake or ignorant error; is given an opportunity for redem ption yet continues refusing; experiences the reversal of fortuneRead More Shakespeare - Tragic Heros Essay625 Words   |  3 Pagesguilty of harboring many flaws, like Othello. Among Othello’s wrongs are gullibility and stupidity. In either case, the character never realizes ones flaws until act five, however, by that time it is too late (Desjardens). amp;#9;While the tragic flaw is the key element in a tragedy, the tragic hero’s social status is also of high importance. All tragic heroes are from a very noble class. Whether the heroes are Thanes or Generals in the army, like Macbeth, Othello, and Antony, or from royalty, likeRead MoreEssay about Redemption and Damnation in Measure for Measure and Othello2596 Words   |  11 PagesRedemption and Damnation in Measure for Measure and Othello      Ã‚  Ã‚   Measure for Measure and Othello are closely related. There is a thesis-antithesis bond between these two plays. Much more than just sharing a trait or a source, the two constitute a paired study of the processes of redemption and damnation.    Measure for Measure counterbalances Othello. Looking at the text of each play, one finds parallel and contrasting circumstances and characteristics that would incline one to interpretRead MoreRecognition in Tragedy - Othello Essay1561 Words   |  7 Pagesdegrees of recognition in tragedy. In Othello, recognition is minimal: the protagonist learns what he has done and what he has lost, but learns little or nothing about himself.’’ How far do you agree? – This is a quote that I have adapted into my thesis, taken from ‘’A Book of literary terms’’. Anagnorisis, a Greek word meaning ‘’recognition’’, is described by Aristotle as ‘’a change from ignorance to knowledge’’. I agree with this statement as, in the play Othello, Othello’s character experiencesRead MoreEpic Hero : William Shakespeare s Hamlet1606 Words   |  7 Pagesepic hero as he is born into nobility, but he breaks the mold of an epic hero as he never takes action against Claudius while in Othello, Othello fits the mold of an epic hero as he is a great warrior but he breaks the mold as he ultimately loses in the end. Both Hamlet and Othello fit and break the mold of epic hero traits. When Shakespeare wrote Hamlet and Othello, epic heroes were considered the traditional example of heroes. One characteristic of an epic hero includes being born into nobilityRead MoreDesdemona from Othello Essay example1358 Words   |  6 Pagesfaults of others). Throughout Othello, Desdemona is presented as pure and innocent – in regards to this, Auden’s comment is unusual as Desdemona is seldom criticised; indeed many critics are complementary, giving her titles such as ‘gentle Desdemona’. Desdemona is a victim of both Othello’s jealousy (the ‘green-eyed monster’) and Iago’s malevolence. However, as a literary construct, she is unable to prevent herself from falling victim to the hamartia of Othello and his hubris, an essentialRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare Essay1659 Words   |  7 Pageswill argue that Othello has the ability to transcend the racial infused â€Å"Moor† stereotype to become an individual with an inherent will to do good deeds and extinguish evil. Critical works from Albert Gerard (1957), Edward Berry (1990), and Martin Orkin (1987) will be cited as evidence for this. Albert Gerard proclaims that Othello’s â€Å"fundamental barbarousnous† is made clear by his â€Å"superficial acceptance of Christianity† which hides his â€Å"fundamental paganism†. He accuses Othello of his lack of