Othello Group at eNotes

Iago exploits the amorous passions of both Roderigo and Othello, but...

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 21:06:14 PST

Iago exploits the amorous passions of both Roderigo and Othello, but appears to have no romantic inclination himself. We gain some insight into Iago's relationship to the opposite sex through the statements and actions of his wife, Emilia. In Act IV, Scene 3, a troubled Desdemona asks her older serving lady Emilia if she would ever be unfaithful toward her husband. Emilia says that she would not cheat on Iago by "heaven's light," and then...

The first character we encounter in Othello is Roderigo, a foolish...

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 21:05:30 PST

The first character we encounter in Othello is Roderigo, a foolish suitor for Desdemona's hand, and his first words are in the form of a complaint about Iago's taking money from him on the pretext of using it to advance Roderigo's suit. Roderigo complains about this same issue several times in the course of the play, and on each occasion not only is Iago able to divert Roderigo, he is able to direct him to take an unwitting part in Iago's...

Lodovico appears for the first time as an emissary to Cyprus from the...

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 21:04:12 PST

Lodovico appears for the first time as an emissary to Cyprus from the Duke of Venice in Act IV, Scene 1. He inquires casually about the situation on the island, but immediately witnesses Othello strike Desdemona. Lodovico is shocked by Othello's behavior, asking the rhetorical question: "Is this the noble Moor whom our full Senate / Call all in all sufficient?" (IV.i.265-266). As a neutral observer, his comment highlights the dramatic...

In Iago's soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3 lines 303-328, why does shakespeare...

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 09:24:45 PST

In Iago's soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3 lines 303-328, why does shakespeare use so many references to hell? And what is the effect of them?

The final four acts of Othello are set on the relative remote location...

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 06:45:47 PST

The final four acts of Othello are set on the relative remote location of Cyprus. All of the characters are removed from the buffering effects of civil society as a consequence of this shift from Venice to the Mediterranean island. In Act IV, Scene 1, the Venetian nobleman Lodivico witnesses Othello physically strike Desdemona, and protests, "My Lord, this would not be believed in Venice / Though I should swear I saw't" (IV.i.243-244)....

By provoking Othello's jealousy toward Cassio, Iago effectively kills...

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 06:44:34 PST

By provoking Othello's jealousy toward Cassio, Iago effectively kills two birds with one stone, inflicting harm on both his superior and the man whom his superior has chosen to take a position that Iago believes to be rightfully his. There are three other aspects of Cassio's character that make him a prime candidate for Iago's scheme. Cassio is known to have a problem handling his cups: if he can persuade or trick the lieutenant into drinking,...

Othello is one of two plays in which Shakespeare uses Venice as a...

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 05:49:22 PST

Othello is one of two plays in which Shakespeare uses Venice as a setting, the other beingThe Merchant of Venice. In both cases, Shakespeare depicts a thriving commercial society in which the inhabitants pursue luxury and see the world in mercantile terms, as for example, when Iago says that he knows his own "price" in the play's first scene. In both plays, attention is brought to the integral function of outsiders in Venetian society; Venice...

Othello, of course, sees love as someone caring for him, showing...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:04:25 PST

Othello, of course, sees love as someone caring for him, showing tenderness toward him, and being devoted entirely to him. Desdemona represents these characteristics, and for the first time in his life, Othello puts aside some of his military attributes and becomes vulnerability. Desdemona complements Othello's view of love because she is moved by his stories and scars and desires to care for him. By supporting him, devoting her time to...

Because they deal with themes and topics that still interest and...

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:57:22 PST

Because they deal with themes and topics that still interest and intrigue us today. Humans are creatures of habit, but by studying other human motives and outcomes, we may be able to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid making similar ones in our own lives.

They are both relevant, because as staples for IB and AP EEnglish...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:57:49 PST

They are both relevant, because as staples for IB and AP EEnglish classes and mandatory reading, they offer readers, viewers, and students alike various themes that deal with everyone's way of life. They deal with life's problems and how to deal successfully with those problems. For when you are in the same situation, and you know how it turned out for the characters, hopefully you won't make the same mistakes.

William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, like most of his plays, is...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:03:56 PST

William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, like most of his plays, is divided into five acts, with between two and four scenes per act. The nature of the tragedy in Othello derives from the jealousy and mistrust Iago instills in Othello. Othello's jealousy leads him to kill Desdemona, bringing about much of the tragic action. It is also tragic in the sense that Othello is brought to commit such an action, specifically through the words and...

It may very well have been to bring to light the racism of the time. ...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:53:51 PST

It may very well have been to bring to light the racism of the time. Shakespeare has been known (as are other authors--Chaucer, Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Edith Wharton, to name a few) to put it all out there and place the mirror before society's face and make them look full-on into their own faults. He often addressed the way women were treated in his time period--why do you think so many of them dressed...

They are both relevant because we are human and we are intrigued by the...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:49:51 PST

They are both relevant because we are human and we are intrigued by the human condition. In both of these stories, humans are motivated by greed, envy, jealousy, anger, fear, love, etc. How is that any different than humans in today's world? The answer of course, is it's not. This is why the classics are the classics. They deal with themes, emotions, and elements of human nature that will always be relevant. If we don't study them,...

It goes to the fact that they have universal themes, are staples of...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:56:58 PST

It goes to the fact that they have universal themes, are staples of American and world English high school classes, and both are critically acclaimed and critiqued.

Thank You ^_^ This Really Helped A LOT, Almost done my Essay! So,...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:28:29 PST

Thank You ^_^ This Really Helped A LOT, Almost done my Essay! So, Thanks SO Much!

Grammardog Guide to Othello

In order to answer this question, it's probably more helpful to look at...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:47:37 PST

In order to answer this question, it's probably more helpful to look at the themes of the piece, rather than the plot events. In "The Crucible," Arthur Miller takes on some pretty hefty themes, especially when they were applied to the Red Scare in the 1905s and 1960s. Miller asks his audience to consider when should a person go against his/her moral convictions? Is it appropriate to do so, even in the face of death? Miller also explores...

In order to answer this question, it's probably more helpful to look at...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:47:37 PST

And then for herTo win the Moor, were't to renounce his baptism,All...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:30:02 PST

And then for herTo win the Moor, were't to renounce his baptism,All seals and symbols of redeemed sin...(2.3.342-44) There's Iago, in Act 2, Scene 3, telling us that Othello has indeed been baptised. And yet, as a Moor, it seems highly unlikely that Othello could have been born a Christian, as Moors were Muslim and circumcised. Othello has been converted to Christianity, as his own words seem to suggest a little later in the play: "For...

Why are "The Crucible" and "Othello" still relevant reading today?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:17:17 PST

Why are "The Crucible" and "Othello" still relevant reading today?