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Othello
Othello is a respected, talented general, known for his fearless exploits and leadership in battle. Although he valiantly serves the country of Venice, he is considered an outsider because he is a...
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Othello
In act I, scene 1, Iago tells Roderigo to yell with great abandon at Desdemona's father's house to waken him. He says, "Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell/ As when, by night and...
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Othello
Jealousy is the driving force behind much of the action—and tragedy—within Shakespeare's Othello. Othello thematically traces how jealousy can destroy lives—and how so often jealousy stems...
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Othello
Unfortunately, Othello's character development over the course of the play traces a tragic fall from grace. Othello begins the play as a successful African general in the defense forces of Venice....
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Othello
You absolutely can compare Julius Caesar with Othello. The two plays are both tragedies, so they share many similarities. Both focus on tragic heroes (Brutus in Julius Caesar and Othello in...
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Othello
Act II provides a clear delineation of the three characters. It is in this act that we learn what sets the three apart. The act also provides insight into how exactly Othello and Cassio,...
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Othello
I tend to agree with this statement, as the tragedy in Shakespeare's Othello relies upon deceptive appearances and exploited assumptions about these appearances. After all, Iago is able to dupe...
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Othello
A lot of critical interpretations of Shakespeare's Othello focus on the single-minded evil of Iago's deception and the ways in which it brings about Othello's downfall. However, while this...
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Othello
Othello is a notably heroic character, making his manipulated downfall all the more tragic. Although his nobility and honor are some of his primary characteristics, Othello is also a black man in a...
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Othello
One of the themes of the play is the nature of what people consider to be civilized. Within the world of the play, Venice represent the "civilized" European world and Othello, as a Moor, is a...
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Othello
There are certainly some instances of deception that are not perpetuated by Iago. In Act III, Scene 4, Desdemona has lost her handkerchief and wonders aloud about its whereabouts. Emilia says she...
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Othello
As it was in the ancient biblical story of Cain, the "worm of jealousy" moves into Othello's heart and causes him to commit his heinous act of killing Desdemona. Iago is the one who places this...
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Othello
Othello's status as a black man in a white man's world is of vital importance to the plot of Shakespeare's Othello. In defiance of stereotypical and racist assumptions about the black community...
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Othello
Iago is a complex and duplicitous character. That means we can never fully trust what he says, even when he is speaking a soliloquy. Part of his belief that he deserved the promotion is grounded in...
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Othello
In Act 3, Scene 3, Othello does refer to his race. He uses the reference in a monologue after the devious Iago has manipulated him into believing that Desdemona was involved in an inappropriate...
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Othello
What an interesting assignment. Shakespeare's Othello offers many choices. You can choose an incident that is a turning point in the play--when the incident results in a character's or characters'...
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Othello
Othello plays on the low status of women in Venetian society. Women are depicted as the possessions of men, as sex objects, and as untrustworthy. For example, in Act I, Iago says the following to...
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Othello
Brutal in many ways, Shakespeare's Othello is especially ruthless in its treatment of women. By the end of the play, Desdemona and Emilia are dead, both murdered in swift succession by their...
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Othello
The first incident, featured in Act I, Scene 1, in which Iago and his sidekick Roderigo inform Brabantio that Othello stole his daughter Desdemona was definitely planned. When the upset Brabantio,...
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Othello
Well, for starters, Shakespeare used the word "honest" or some form of it a lot in Othello: over fifty times! So it's definitely worth our consideration. First, the characters talk about who does...
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Othello
What a creative assignment! I am assuming you already know what product that your sales pitch will be about. So, I will try to help you with Othello's language. Look at Othello's early speeches...
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Othello
This quote is significant because it represents Iago's efforts to convince Othello that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. Because Cassio is supposedly involved with Desdemona behind...
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Othello
Othello was angry at Desdemona because he believed that she was cheating on him by having an affair. He had been manipulated into believing a lie. Othello had fallen in love with her when she asked...
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Othello
The quote comes from Act 3, scene 3, and is an instruction from Othello to Iago. In this quite lengthy scene, Iago has managed to persuade Othello into believing that Desdemona and Othello's...
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Othello
The handkerchief plays a major role in the play. It is probably the most crucial evidence to prove Iago's claim that Desdemona and Cassio, Othello's lieutenant, are having an affair. To understand...
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Othello
I'm not sure that women were explicitly hated in the sense that people would shout at a woman, "I hate you!" However, one could argue that the oppressive and patriarchal society which dominated...
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Othello
William Shakespeare's Othello is another complex tragedy that explores themes of betrayal, prejudice, and appearance versus reality. I'll provide a brief summary, but I'll also include additional...
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Othello
This moment is perhaps the most important turning point in Othello, and the climax to the lengthiest scene in the play. In the space of 461 lines (from "Ha? I like not that" to "I am your own...
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Othello
Obviously, the entire narrative of Othello builds toward a horrific act of misogynistic violence: Othello's murder of Desdemona in the play's final scene. This crime is presaged by the painful...
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Othello
Observing Brabantio's distress over what he regards as the loss of his daughter in marriage to Othello, as well as the strength and genuineness of Othello and Desdemona's affections for one...
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Othello
Roderigo is angry because he believes that Iago has been using him without any reward to himself. He has been giving Iago all his money in the hope that he would enable Roderigo to win Desdemona's...
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Othello
Iago can be blamed for Othello's downfall because it is his innate evil, bitterness, jealousy, and resentment towards the general that leads him to initiate an evil plot, not only to punish him but...
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Othello
Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It was probably written in 1603 and was first performed in 1604. It is based on the 1565 story Un Capitano Moro ("A Moorish Captain") by Cinthio....
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Othello
At the end of Act II, Scene 1, Iago provides a few reasons why he despizes Othello so much. First, Iago acknowledges that, even though he cannot stand Otehllo, Iago knows Othello is of a constant,...
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Othello
In Shakespeare' Othello, the tragic hero Othello is driven primarily by jealousy, confusion, and a sense of inferiority to murder his wife Desdemona. Iago sets up a ruse to get Othello to believe...
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Othello
Iago is indeed acting out of jealousy. First of all, he's jealous that Othello passed him up for a promotion and chose to honor Cassio instead. Secondly, he's jealous because he believes that...
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Othello
One thing we learn about Iago in the second act is that he treats his wife Emilia poorly and appears to be a misogynist. He announces to everyone that Emilia talks too much and then makes...
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Othello
Othello's tragic downfall is in his gullibility and lack of good judgement. While he is easily swayed in his opinions about others, his opinions are seemingly fixed unless an outside voice leads...
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Othello
If by inferiorities, you mean weaknesses or inferiority complexes, it is true that every character in the play has insecurities and flaws. One of Cassio’s weaknesses is alcohol: “I have very...
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Othello
You should, firstly, consider beginning your essay with a strong thesis statement which incorporates the question and clearly indicates the direction your essay will take. Once this is done, you...
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Othello
Inside the world of the play, Lodovico has come to Cyprus in order to bring news from the Duke of Venice. He says that the Duke wants Othello to return to Venice and Cassio to take over command in...
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Othello
Othello' tragic flaw has been the subject of much debate. Some scholars argue it is jealousy, and other scholars believe it is Othello's lack of self-esteem. I would argue that Othello's tragic...
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Othello
It is difficult to know exactly what an Elizabethan audience would have thought, but there would have been prejudices and fears about “Moors” like Othello. Perhaps racism would have made...
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Othello
When we first hear of Othello in Act 1 scene 1, it is through the rhetoric uttered by Iago, his ancient. Although Iago's words are spoken in bitter contempt for the general, it is clear that he is...
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Othello
Though separated across centuries, all three works view women through the lens of male desire. In all three, women, though not entirely without power, exist primarily to fulfill male or patriarchal...
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Othello
I have included a number of images below to indicate the strength of Othello and Desdemona's love for each other. After Brabantio accused Othello of abducting Desdemona, Othello is given an...
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Othello
In Act 1 Scene 3 of Othello, Brabantio's attitude towards women is evidenced in his outrage towards Desdemona having married Othello. Brabantio says that his daughter has been "stol'n from [him],"...
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Beowulf
In Beowulf and Paradise Lost, women are very powerful characters. Grendel's mother in Beowulf avenges her son's death by slaying Hrothgar's most beloved friend. The she-monster's power comes not...
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The Pillowman
Each of these three plays is related to A High Wind in Jamaica through tragedy as well as other strong themes, including murder and the corruption of innocence. In A High Wind in Jamaica, Emily is...
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Othello
Before Othello’s drastic fall from grace, the leaders of Venice treat Othello with respect. Characters refer to him as “noble” and “valiant.” The nobleman Lodovico describes Othello’s...
