The main themes portrayed include intrigue, jealousy, faithfulness, remorse, death, and betrayal. This one quality makes him feel great and enjoy privileges although they do not last long due to his weakness of reacting with rage.  The other characteristics that earn him high honor include courage, dignity, religious ties, sound judgment, and practice of self-control according to the play (Bradley 66).  However, towards the play end Othello loses his self-control qualities when he commits a terrible murder crime that irritates everybody. Instead, Othello is accused of abusing Desdemona. The imagination of the audience is captured by the fact that the drama involves interracial marriage that was unfathomable in those days. Besides, it is an armed forces premeditated target for both Turks and Venetians. He cannot imagine that his wife can love another man and becomes extremely angry such that he cannot control his actions leading to violence. By planting the handkerchief in Casio’s house, it is an indication of a conspiracy between him and the wife (Lankey 6). At this moment, Othello realizes Iago’s lies and cries before ending his life since he cannot forgive himself for the crime he has committed. The play does not end in a happy mood, but the punishment of Iago gives it a dramatic closure. By the time he is a grown up man he is very experienced and capable of leading the troops to any battle. Iago at times hilariously expresses his intentions for the murderous abhorrence of Othello. The death of his wife becomes his final blow and he realizes that he is no longer the powerful and respected man. Desdemona as a victim in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is widely known for his famous plays, sonnets, and other works including the tragedy. More in our Cookie Policy. The Moors conquered Spain in the eighth century and brought it under Islamic rule, taking their immense knowledge of literature, architecture, medicine to Western Europe; And technology, much of which they had learned from ancient Greeks and Arabs. In The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, many characters are unjustly victimized. Compared with these strict rules, Shakespeare's tragedy is a more relaxed genre, but Othello much more than, for example, the sprawling Hamlet, observes the spirit of Aristotle. Therefore, it is right to argue that Othello is a tragic drama considering the changing life of the main character from a highly regarded man to a shameful one. He is … He allowed Othello and his daughter to discuss more about him since he was mesmerized by his slave stories. . Othello should investigate the accusation concerning the accused but believes all the lies and murders Desdemona and later himself. However, it does not require supernatural instructions to hook the audience. Othello is a tragic hero because of his tragic flaw. The audience witnesses actions that have terrible effects although the agent is not aware of it. A famous Shakespearean tragedy about what happens when people let their emotions get the best of them. Such incidents have been happening in society. Shakespeare possibly wrote The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice in 1603 or 1604, as we know it was first performed on November 1, 1604, at court. The main protagonist of the play, Othello, is the perfect example of a tragic hero. At this point, he is very weak and cannot control his actions and his life ends tragically. The play Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy with Othello as the tragic hero. He commands nobility, is confident, and very strong besides being highly respected by people of the Venice State. The plot itself was drawn from a novella written in 1565 by the Italian writer Giraldi Cinthio. The play shows that Othello is always imploring for a brawl. In the most basic and commonplace sense, it is the story of terrible events, ending in violent death. Shakespeare was actually moulding Iago, the villain in Othello, after the character of Vice in the medieval morality plays. The other one is catharsis in which the emotions of the audience change in a manner that makes them learn a lesson from the drama. That is, how I experience it as a silent reader and as a text for public performance. Fromthe earliest moments in the play, his career affects his marriedlife. In addition, an actual tragedy according to Aristotle contains a purgation, which can leave the audience with a feeling of justification and uplift at the end. The dialogue reflects the reality of a society that is under pressure from the usual hassles of life. Just like Simpson, he murders the wife after being informed that she has been cheating on him. These people had a mixed heritage: they originated from the Berbers (an indigenous Caucasian people). The drama teaches the audience to be careful when handling difficult situations especially after receiving devastating news. The play begins with the news of them getting married, the beginning of their personal relation, the actions fall towards catastrophe with the possible destruction of it and ultimately its pitiful e… In fact, one member of the sitting senators exclaims, “here comes the Barantio and the Valiant Moor (Shakespeare and Opzoomer Act 1 Scene 3). Certainly. The key rivals of the Venetians were the Turks, or Ottomans, who ruled a large empire extending from the eastern Persian Gulf to the western part of Hungary, including Greece and Egypt. Shakespeare possibly wrote The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice in 1603 or 1604, as we know it was first performed on November 1, 1604, at court. Othello represents the third location called Turks. Why is beauty an invariable source of joy? As a North African man in Venice, Othello is isolated from the start. Like pretty much all tragedies, a good production gives the audience a "catharsis," that is an overwhelming sense of having experienced something real and tragic, to (hopefully?) This meant that he does not keep horses. Iago uses Othello’s jealousy and Desdemona’s innocence to break and separate their love. Vice was a vile stock character who made known his intent Why did Saheb spend his time going through garbage dumps? Africans were strange and foreign enemies of Christianity to the English of Shakespeare’s time, given to heathen practices such as witchcraft and voodoo. It can also be said, after having read the story, Othello's own insecurities were the product of his own The visual plainness displayed on the stage according to the stage directions focuses directly on the actors and a fascinating account of retaliation, gullibility, and jealousy. The Senate and the Duke ran the city. Othello is a tragedy written by the big dog of English theater himself: Billy Shakespeare. Othello, a classic tale of love, jealousy and deceit, is considered one of the greatest dramas of Shakespeare. As many critics have noted, Othello ‘s time scheme is rather confusing. In addition, his demonstration of confident reaction especially when Barbantio accuses him of engaging in witchcraft activities is proof that he is the hero of the land as defined by Aristotle. The play’s first act is set in Venice, a city-state in northern Italy, and the next four acts in Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. When the revelation is made, Shakespeare's drama climaxes as Othello faces the reality of the crime he has committed due to his hasty decisions. Unless the actions really took place in either two to three days, Desdemona would not have had enough time to be unfaithful and the result of the play would have been unbelievable. Another important element of tragedy according to Aristotle found in Othello is the revelation of facts related to the tragic hero referred to as anagnorisis. He is highly respected by the senators of Venice State and the citizens, He has heroic qualities such as courage, dignity, religious ties, sound judgment, and practice of self-control, Another distinct quality of a tragic hero according to Aristotle is that the cause of the downfall must result from flaws of his character, Othello’s jealousy is one of his weaknesses, Othello kills his wife, but the audience still has pity on Othello after he realizes his wife is innocent. The murder is committed on stage. Othello is a Tragic Hero: A tragic hero has to be a virtuous and “a morally blameless man”. Othello, a classic tale of love, jealousy and deceit, is considered one of the greatest dramas of Shakespeare. The audience is aware of Desdemona's innocence yet her husband, Othello is not. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But no matter what the exact colour of his face, the crucial point is that Othello was a stranger in Venice, an alien character who, though being respected and appreciated for his military prowess, aroused frequently intrigue, distrust and even hate. Othello's tragedy is a product of not just Iago, but himself. Othello is the one at fault for the terrible events in the play. It is therefore; right to argue that Othello fits well in the description of a tragic hero by Aristotle since his downfall results from his hamartia or tragic flaws. The target was, of course, power and property, but religion also entered the equation. stupid’, because he romanticises the tragedy at the end His behavior that seems quite impulsive makes him react violently instead of trying to find out whether the stories told about his wife are true or not. The Turks have, however, been successful in capturing Cyprus in real life, although they are being held off by a storm in the story. The Venetians were Christians, and the Muslims were Turks. Iago is aware of the moor's weaknesses and uses them to cause his downfall as he states "The Moor is of a free and open nature… And will as tenderly be led by the nose / As asses are" (Shakespeare and Opzoomer 1.3. As you read, it’s up to you to decide whether Iago, like Vice, is doing evil for his own gratification or whether he has a real reason to want revenge. By acting as a director and producer in charge of staging the tragedy of the Othello, I would ensure the actors bring out the rhetoric of the drama. The play is full of suspense and contains the theme of jealousy, intrigue, suspense, and murder creating a great tragedy as per Aristotle's order. Numerous elements would probably catch my attention as a critic of the play. What message does the author want to convey through the story lost spring? 379). Othello ‘s setting must have appeared very exotic to Shakespeare’s London audience. The killing of Desdemona is evidence of the frustration that Othello is going through after being cheated and convinced by Iago to trust that his wife was cheating on him. One primary purpose of a tragedy is dramatizing the weaknesses, failure, and the despair of human beings and how they can improve their character through character analysis. The stage businesses are illustrations of what takes place in real life. . Critical Analysis of The Tragedy Of Othello, Setting: Venice, Cyprus, and the Ottoman Empire, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window). This incident is probably inspired by a real battle which occurred in 1571. This happens because he has the quality of hamartia leading him to suffer shame at the end of the drama. Othello is a man that commands high honor from everybody including soldiers and his people that call him "captain" a word that refers to a commander or a soldier of troops. The role of Sin in playing morality has been to encourage the protagonist to do something that will cause his own damnation. Othello becomes the victim of a domestic calamity. Despite being a middle-class man, his tragedy is great because of his great character of heightened morals and power. The third ingredient is anagnorisis, which involves the revelation of some facts that were never realized before to the character considered as the hero. Queen Elizabeth, I issued an edict against these unfortunate foreigners in 1596, reading as follows: “Her Majesty understands that several blackamoors have recently been brought into this realm, of which there are already too many people here. He finds it hard to adjust to the marital existence having been in the armed forces for long. The play tells the story of a powerful general of the Venetian army, Othello, whose life and marriage are ruined by a conniving, deceitful, and envious soldier, Iago. WhileDesdemona is used to better “accommodation,” she nevertheless accompaniesher husband to Cyprus (I.iii.236). Decide, as you read, if the “double time scheme” of Shakespeare is successful, or whether it can be called fault in the play. Further, the drama involves a bed in which murder is eventually committed. Othello is a tragic hero in this tragedy. All the meetings were bold, contentious, and very modern. The play presents the audience with a tragic hero of colour. A tragic hero according to the Greek Philosopher, Aristotle, must be a person occupying a prestigious estate, Prince, or nobleman, possess a tragic flaw besides having some judgmental skills, and falls from a high state to a low one (Dewar‐Watson 12). It is a play capable of arousing deep emotions in audiences, exciting feelings of pity and terror (feelings that according to Plato ought to be kept in check). Compared to Europeans, the Moors of Barbary were dark-skinned people but not black. Learn how your comment data is processed. William Shakespeare’s work titled The tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, is thought to have been based on an Italian short story Un Capitano Moro (Jones 2). However, the word Moor was also commonly used in Shakespeare’s day, to refer to any person with dark or black eyes, including black Africans. There is no record of Shakespeare travelling to Venice so he probably relied on books to help him construct a clear image of Venetian life. In the opening scene for example, Iago displays characteristics that will show his pivotal role in the tragedy of Othello. The island is very symbolic of Desdemona. Nobody expected or knew besides Roderigo that Iago wanted Cassio’s job and Othello punished for sleeping with his wife. Venice was at the time of writing the play one of the most influential and cosmopolitan European cities. However, the rhetoric does not come out clearly even when he is called a thief in the street. This statement shows that he receives a lot of respect from other leaders and thus can be considered a tragic hero. Many of these errors are bound up with Iago's deception, but Michael Donkor looks at other, additional causes in the play. One critic has criticised the statement that Othello is presented as a tragic hero because ‘Othello is overly aware of his nobility’ (2). Othello, a noble black Moor, has spent his life as a mercenary soldier and is now a general in the army, serving the republic of Venice. William Shakespeare masterfully crafted Othello, the Moor of Venice as an Aristotelian tragedy play. The tragic hero in Othello experiences this at the end of the play by knowing the real character of his wife and Iago, but it is too late. For instance, in Othello's case, the audience may not feel happy and excited with the play's ending since almost all the main characters die. He is very powerful at first, and no one thinks that his life can end tragically, as it happens during the conclusion. In order to fully understand what a tragedy is one must understand the characteristics of what a tragedy and a tragic hero is according to Aristotle. grow as a result. Othello is descended from men “of royal siege” and a chosen commander in chief. It was isolated from the colonial government. In the play, some references seem to describe Othello as a black African. The Turks were the despised enemy to Venice, and indeed to the England of Shakespeare, whom Christians fought during the crusades. Othello is a moor, a black but honorable man, in Denmark. Moorish architecture and art can be seen throughout Spain today, particularly in the towns of Toledo, Cordoba and, and Seville. The catastrophic downfall of the noble warrior is a common phenomenon in many societies plagued by jealousy and vengeance. I the play, Othello is sent to Cyprus, to fend off the island’s Turkish invasion. Again, he is a man with an African stature that commands respect from the people and senators of Venice since he is described as tall and dark. Shakespeare may have been divided between two objectives: in the one side, by making the events take place in a brief time period, raising the dramatic suspense, while on the other, requiring ample time to pass such that the storyline can be plausible. By using the criteria suggested by Aristotle, it is possible to determine whether Othello, the Moor acts as a tragic hero or not. It is lago who catches Othello in his net of fraud and destroys him. What message does the poet want to give through the poem beauty? When he realizes that he acted with haste and that Desdemona is innocent, he commits suicide and the play ends in a sad mood. In act 1, scene 2, Othello’s first words are quite subtly yet Eloquent ‘Tis better as it is’. . “Tragedy of Othello” is a “tragedy of character” in which the seeming protagonist Othello belongs to the upper-class of the society by being a general in the army. This emerged upon considering that the location was only mentioned as a war zone with the other two characters. One source he almost certainly used was the Government of the Commonwealth of Venice (De magistratibus et Republica Venetorum), written by Italian author Gasparo Contarini in 1543, and The audience has a climactic moment as it discovers the truth as Herzel put it that "a special kind of double vision comes into play" (498). He enjoys some power and happiness especially when the play begins but later falls to become a murderer hated by people. Shakespeare was possibly following the pattern of the Greek dramatist Aristotle in using a brief time span, who urged playwrights to keep the action of a tragedy “within one revolution of the sun.” Shakespeare probably realized that his story couldn’t take place in such a short time, but was trying to limit the time span as much as possible. For instance, in Shakespeare and Opzoomer Act 1 scene 2, the governor of Cyprus named Montano awaits for Othello's ship to arrive after an intense storm in the Sea. Thus, Shakespeare creates the illusion that more time has passed, even as the group has been in Cyprus only for two days when we examine the scenes. What is Saheb’s complete name and why is it ironical? The Moors were a Muslim people living on the African northern coast, an area called Barbary by the Europeans. It tells the tale of Othello, a general from Moorish (North Africa) who marries a Venetian lady and then is cruelly fooled into thinking that his wife is unfaithful. Vice was a villainous stock character, who kept the viewer conscious of his purpose by asides and soliloquies. There are many undesirable traits in Othello, like his jealousy and gullibility. What pleasure does a beautiful thing give us? There is a struggle to dominate her between Othello and Iago. Why does Saheb seem unhappy while working at the tea stall according to the narrator? The language used to give directions to the audience is natural and restrained. Asking “fit disposition” for his wife after being orderedto Cyprus (I.iii.234), Othello notes that“the tyrant custom . It is a tragedy, as the characters we sympathize with end up dead. The Ottoman Empire and Venice had been in continuous conflict. Although he is good in the military, he is bad at home. Othello is considered to be a tragedy play, Tragedy is a type of drama that generally deals with problems and conflicts of the major character, leading to … Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. However, the directions are based on the modest approach to a drama that is located in two diverse worlds known as the Venice and Cyprus. Before and above all else, Othello is a soldier. He possesses a lot of knowledge and skills since he started his military career at a young age of seven years. However, it is already too late since he has committed an irreversible act of killing his wife. He did only that for his own pleasure and no other reason. But in a more specific sense, OTHELLO fits in pretty neatly into what Elizabethans thought of as a … “Othello” is a great example of a revenge tragedy because no one knows that they are victims, and no one suspected Iago to be behind the whole thing. All these have been depicted fully in Shakespeare's play that highlights the rise and downfall of Othello. The emphasis of Othello is the center on the love association among Othello and his spouse (Shakespeare, 1903). In fact, this is founded on the fact that the daughter had eloped with a man of colour. In fact, he turns out to be a chauvinist and protective. That s, it involves the risk of isolation. Othello discovers that Iago lied to him of Desdemona’s unfaithful. Again, Othello’s plot has catharsis experience at the climax of the drama as the play ends. However, before the action of the drama, Brabantion had been kind to the Moor (Horman 112). Shakespeare has accomplished all the requirement of a tragic hero to bring a feeling of pity and fear to the audience.Â. He calls him brave Othello a character that commands complete respect and honor from leaders and citizens of the state (38). Othello’s jealousy is one of his weaknesses besides believing the lies told by villain Iago that Desdemona is unfaithful to him. On the contrary, Cyprus is very unpredictable and natural. “Considering this environment, it is very shocking that Shakespeare would have written a play in which the hero was an African and a rather noble character. The wife of Iago, Emilia cries in bitterness exclaiming Desdemona’s innocence after the Moor kills his wife “Moor she was chaste…” (Shakespeare and Opzoomer 5.2.258). They may therefore identify the nature of the play as a tragedy of self-deception on Othello’s part.Immediately, Shakespeare imposes Iago’s sadistic, ruthless nature on the audience in Act One of the play, as he exhibits the villain’s swear to gain revenge against Othello for promoting Cassio above him. The events seem to take place in just a few days, but there are references throughout the play which suggest that much more time has passed. Write the poet’s feelings when he sees a host of golden daffodils? The story tells of the troubled relationship between the title character and his wife Desdemona. According to Aristotle, three main things constitute a tragic drama such as hamartia, which is the tragic flaw in the character that faces the downfall. Moreover, sheis unperturbed by the tempest or Turks that threatened thei… Shakespeare was influenced by Aristotle’s concept of a tragic hero and used Aristotle’s principles to create Othello. Do we experience things of beauty only for short? Othello is a tragic hero since he is a respected man at the begging enjoying power and honor but later faces downfall when he murders his wife suspecting her of being unfaithful. Othello, the Moor fits the definition of Aristotle’s tragic hero. What is the message of the poem prayer of the woods? This is a short critical analysis examining the play from multiple perspectives. Othello is one of the tragic plays written by William Shakespeare. Othello is the tragic hero since the play satisfies all the qualifications for tragedy as defined by Aristotle. The characters in Othello are acting like normal people pursuing everyday undertakings. It is unbelievable that such a respectable and powerful man can behave in a manner that irritates everyone in the state. Deceit and jealousy contribute to his tragic failure, the death of the couple, and Iago's punishment. Othello is a tragic hero since he fulfills all the three requirements offered by Aristotle since he is initially a person possessing noble status but later falls to a shameful one. The drama is ahead of its time. Considering all the happenings in the play especially to its main character, Othello, the moor of Venice qualifies to be a tragic drama. Even though it has a small part in the plot, the battle at sea serves an important role, as it provides a backdrop and mirror for the smaller Iago-Othello conflict brewing. For instance, Venice is represented by Lago while Cyprus represented by Desdemona. Translated into English in 1599 by Lewis Lewkenor. Typically, this would be the reaction of a husband convinced that the wife has been cheating on him. For one to qualify he must possess qualities such as being a person of a high state, face downfall and become unhappy, and his downfall must be contributed by his tragic flaws (Kennedy & Gioia, 856).  In the play, Othello is a Moor from Africa of noble birth who serves at the highest rank in the military as the Cyprus Governor-General. The revenge tragedy was very popular during the Elizabethan and Jacobean period. Un Capitano Moro, means ‘a Moorish captain’. The stage directions are the realistic forms of domestic tragedy. A tragic hero must be a man of high status and later face downfall. Outline Introduction The play Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy with Othello as the tragic hero. Iago cannot convince the audience in whatever he says given that the audiences have insight into his character though it is not evident to the actors. / Hath made the flinty and steel couchof war / My thrice-driven bed of down” (I.iii.227–229). Another important element of tragedy Othello is the revelation of facts related to the tragic hero or anagnorisis. 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The members of Shakespeare’s audience probably shared these same sentiments toward Africans. Shakespeare’s play Othello is an example of such a tragedy, where the vulnerable qualities of the hero cause him to fall from power and happiness to uncontrollable rage, jealousy, and death. Aristotle indicates that in order to be … However, the play is a domestic tragedy as the centre to the destruction is the marriage of Othello and Desdemona. The worst fears come when Othello kills his wife, but the audience still has pity on Othello after he realizes his wife is innocent, stabs himself, and dies. The play Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy with Othello as the tragic hero. The dialogue simply involves a husband, wife, and a scoundrel. The critic, Leavis, says that ‘Eloquence is a form of arrogance’. “Othello, the Moor of Venice" can be considered as a Shakespeare's tragedy in which Othello serves as the tragic hero according to Aristotle. Othello, the protagonist of the tragedy, is a tragic figure because he is a man of great character and some virtues but brings about his own doom due to a tragic flaw. Othello is a tragedy that proceeds from misunderstandings and miscommunication. Thus, this appears as the main theme of incompatibility in the armed forces of heroism and love in the drama. Ania Loomba quote on Othello’s misogyny ‘Othello becomes a victim of racist beliefs precisely because he becomes an agent of misogynistic ones’ Hazlitt quote on Iago being an amateur ‘Iago is an amateur of tragedy’ F.R Leavis calls Othello ‘ferociously…. The stage directions in the Tragedy of Othello are realistic. A major theme that runs throughout Othello is this conflict between Christian and Muslim, European and foreign, “civilized” and “barbaric”. The dialogue sounds natural and does not involve the provocation of laughter in the audience. For several centuries the Moors ruled over different parts of Spain. Hence, Her Majesty’s pleasure is that these men should be removed from the country. Given that the play had no subplot, the play directions tend to budge in terms of place, time, and action once the theme is shifted to Cyprus. Today, Venice is a part of modern Italy, but in the 1500s it was a powerful maritime empire ruled by a duke, or doge, and a council of nobles. Moreover, although Shakespeare ‘s plot was not original, his talent for dialogue, characterization, and romantic language and phrasing made the tale into something uniquely his own. Othello is certainly a tragedy by every definition of the word. He is the victim of an envious monster of jealousy (Langis 61). In Othello, the audience pities Othello, Iago, and Desdemona but still feels fear for the couple that was enjoying a happy marriage before the conflicts set in. The Africans who have come to England have been looked at with distrust and animosity.

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