Essay on William Shakespeares Othello - 1294 Words

In Shakespeare’s play Othello, tragedy unfolds on the account of one man’s actions, Iago. He is a twenty eight year old military veteran from Venice. His personality consists of being obsessive, manipulative, relentless, and bold. From the beginning he expressed his hatred towards the Moor, or North African named Othello. Othello is a highly respected general and is also married to the pure Desdemona. The marriage between Othello and Desdemona is destroyed due to Iago’s actions and lies. His actions consist of getting Michael Cassio discharged as lieutenant and convincing the Moor that his wife is cheating on him. The motives Iago has for despising Othello are he passed him over for a promotion to be his lieutenant, instead he chose†¦show more content†¦The reason Cassio is discharged as Othello’s lieutenant is because he fought Montano, who was the governor of Cyprus before Othello. Now that Cassio has been discharged as lieutenant, Iago has achi eved one of goals because Othello tell Iago â€Å"Now art thou my lieutenant† (III, ii. 485). Although his hate for Othello still remains as he has suspicion that he has slept with his wife, Emilia. Iago’s next achievement in Shakespeare’s play Othello is to convince Othello that his wife is cheating on him. He wants to destroy their marriage because he believes Othello has slept with his wife, Emilia which is another motive as to why he hates Othello. Starting in Act One, Scene Three Iago wants to start â€Å"poisoning† Othello’s mind with thoughts of his wife having an affair with Cassio. He states in lines 385-387, â€Å"Let’s see. After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear that he is too familiar with his wife†. Iago is going to put the impression that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. Iago wants to put these thoughts into Othello’s head; therefore Othello can experience the same betrayal and heartbreak that he is experiencing. He believes Othello will trust his word because Cassio is good looking and a smooth talker. In Act Three, Scene Three Iago starts hinting to Othello that his lieutenant, Michael Cassio coul d be having an affair with Othello’s wife Desdemona. Iago tells Othello, â€Å"Look toShow 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. 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The main theme is Othellos jealousy, which results inRead More William Shakespeares Othello Essay2198 Words   |  9 PagesWilliam 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 isRead 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. 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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 racist