William Shakespears's Othello, the moor of Venice as a tragedy - Research Paper Example

?Outline Thesis: An analysis of the play Othello reveals it to be a tragedy: from the beginning of this play to its end, the stage is set for the eventual downfall of Othello, the main protagonist, at the hands of none other than Iago, a man who he trusts and considers a friend. persecution I. rejection of foreigners II. Attempts to fit into society cultural isolation I. Othello’s culture shock II. Cultural inadequacy Relationships I. Marital relationships II. Non marital relationships manipulation I. Iago’s manipulation of Othello II. Iago’s manipulation of Othello’s colleagues III. Othello’s acceptance of Iago’s lies racial and sexual prejudice I. The description of Othello II. Accusation of Othello for witchcraft Shakespeare wrote Othello, the Moor of Venice, at a time when the English, in their expansion around the world, encountered cultures that were different to their own and also at a time when many in Europe were feeling threatened by the continuous expansion of the Ottoman Turk empire. An analysis of the play Othello reveals it to be a tragedy: from the beginning of this play to its end, the stage is set for the eventual downfall of Othello, the main protagonist, at the hands of none other than Iago, a man who he trusts and considers a friend. The tragedy that can be observed in this play is observed through human nature and it is possible that Shakespeare’s intention was to show that despite the differences in race, all human beings are of the same nature and display the same characteristics. In this play, Shakespeare tackles subjects such as racism, love, hate, jealousy, pride, trickery, and persecution to develop his characters as well as to make the audience see these characteristics in them. In this play, although it is not blatantly displayed, is the theme of persecution which eventually leads to and is a part of the tragedy. According to Hunt (162 – 184), Shakespeare depiction of persecution in this play is based on racial stereotypes that depict the Venetians as a peace loving and courteous people in opposition to the violent and warlike tendencies of the Turks and the Moors. It is because of this that the Venetian senate decides to bring in Othello, a Moor and an outsider, to help them fight their wars against the Turks. It is further seen that it is difficult for outsiders to fit into Venetian society due to the fact that despite Othello having served Venice for a very long time, he has not established any strong personal relationships with any of those around him. If he had known these people well, then he would not have been swayed by the lies that he was told by Iago, a man who he trusted blindly. It can further be said that his blind trust of Iago was an attempt to fit into Venetian society and it is quite possible that Iago was the first Venetian to ever listen to him concerning things which were not military in nature. It is against this background that the tragedy of the play is set because Iago uses Othello’s feeling of being an outsider as well as the stereotype of his race being violent to plot his downfall. In this play, according to Vitkus (145 – 176) there is a focus on the differences in age and color between Othello and his wife Desdemona and Shakespeare does this to increase Othello’s seclusion from the society of Venice and to show his susceptibility towards Iago’s manipulation. Othello had spent many years on the battlefield and had therefore not had the time to indulge in normal society and to develop the skills necessary for understanding and surviving within it. His wife was much younger than him and this may have made him feel inadequate due to his thinking that she may have preferred somebody younger. Furthermore, she is the daughter of a senator, meaning that he had married way above his social station in Venice and this only because he was a great general and not because he was regarded as a Venetian, since despite his lengthy service to it, he was still not a native of the city. Sid Smith in his 1995 article in the Chicago Tribune states that Othello’s race and culture may also have had a part in his feeling inadequate and his having a lack of understanding of his wife because it was quite different to that of the Venetians and this leads to Iago taking advantage of this to convince him that Desdemona is having an affair, a part of his scheme to destroy Othello. Most of the relationships and associations in the play shows the susceptibility of the characters within it when these characters get personally involved with each other. Each of these relationships, centered on one character, Iago, displays the insecurities around each of the other characters, and it is these insecurities which Iago uses in his evil scheme for the downfall of Othello. The marital relationships between the various characters in this play show their defenselessness because they display the greatest expectations and the most awful fears of the characters involved. Othello’s marriage to Desdemona shows that although two people can really be in love with each other, the wish for one or both partners to have control over the other can destroy such a relationship and will instead cause heartache and turmoil in their lives. Othello displays his willingness to completely dominate his wife as a way of establishing and maintaining his manhood when he claims, “...O curse of marriage/ That we can call these delicate creatures ours/ And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad/ And live upon the vapor of a dungeon/ Than keep a corner in the thing I love” (Othello, Act III Scene III line 267 – 270). This statement further shows that Othello is putting his own interests first before those of his wife and it is this which eventually makes him vulnerable to the manipulations of Iago, a man who he puts his trust in instead of putting it in his wife. Desdemona on the other hand also shows a willingness to do everything in her power to gain control over her husband in order to come to the aid of her friend, Cassio, a member of Othello’s command who had been relieved of his duties due to the plotting of Iago. In Act III Desdemona says, “I give thee my warrant/ assure thee, I do vow friendship/ to the last article my lord shall never rest…/ I shall watch him tame and talk him out of patience” (Othello, Act III Scene III line 19 – 28). This statement clearly shows that Desdemona intends to use any means available to her, including her denial of conjugal rights, to persuade Othello to reinstate Cassio to his position. It is this willingness to gain control over each other that creates a rift between Othello and Desdemona because it seems to confirm to Othello that his wife is having an affair with Cassio, just as he had been told by Iago. The tragedy in this play is based on Iago’s attempt to destroy every bit of happiness that Othello has by gaining mental and emotional dominance over those people who are around Othello or are closely associated with him. Schapiro (481 – 499) states that Iago’s actions can only be compared to the Christian depiction of the devil due to the fact that he not only wants to destroy Othello but Iago also wants to destroy everything and everyone he values, without any logical explanation except a vague one in Act I line 60 when he states that he is what he is. Shakespeare uses Iago’s character to display how it is a very dangerous thing to believe completely in what anybody tells you without finding out all the facts for oneself. Iago skillfully used his relationships with the different characters in the play to manipulate their feelings and wishes to suit his purposes. If Othello had been willing to listen to all the parties involved as Iago’s pawn in the makings of his downfall instead of listening only to Iago, then the tragedy that occurred would not have happened. Racial and sexual prejudice is clearly displayed in Othello because racial discrimination is an unavoidable part of Othello’s life in Venice just the way male chauvinism affects almost all the women in the play. From the beginning of this play, the audience is exposed to the unconcealed racially prejudiced and erotic language of Iago especially in Act I when he speaks to Brabantio, Desdemona’s father of Othello having eloped with his daughter, “…Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul/ Even now, now, very now an old black ram/ Is tupping your white ewe Arise Arise!/ Or else the devil will make you a grandsire of you” (Othello, Act I Scene I line 84 – 89). This racism, according to Thorell (1 -25), whether concealed or displayed openly, is experienced by Othello who has to live with it every day of his life in Venice despite his noble services to this city. Brabantio makes racist remarks to Othello for secretly marrying his daughter despite the fact that he has gained a well respected son in-law, only considering his color and insinuating that his daughter has married an ugly person. Grinnell (72 – 80) states that the accusation of witchcraft against Othello by his father in-law is used by Shakespeare as an initial way of destroying his character. Brabantio claims that Othello may have used witchcraft to lure his daughter into marriage because she would otherwise not have accepted to do such a thing without her father’s permission. Brabantio says this despite the fact that all of Othello’s actions were noble and were done without any evil intentions towards either Desdemona or her father. It is also quite possible that Iago’s racist attitude towards Othello may have contributed to his decision to destroy him probably because he could not stand to see a foreigner gain so much power and glory in his home city. In conclusion, the play Othello can be considered, from its very beginnings to have the makings of a tragedy. All of Iago’s machinations against Othello come to fruition at the end of the play when Othello kills his wife due to his belief that she was cheating on him, something which he has not proven to be true. When Iago’s wife Emilia confesses her husband’s scheme against him, Othello kills himself due to the regret and shame he feels for killing his innocent wife. Furthermore, the play also ends in tragedy for Iago, whose deeds are eventually exposed and he is taken away to be tortured and most likely to be eventually killed. Therefore, the events of this play end in tragedy not only for the protagonist, but also for the antagonist. Works Cited Grinnell, Richard W. "Witchcraft, Race, and the Rhetoric of Barbarism in Othello and 1 Henry Iv." The Upstart Crow 24 (2004): 72-80.  ProQuest Research Library. Web. 15 Aug. 2012. Hunt, Maurice. "Shakespeare's Venetian Paradigm: Stereotyping and Sadism in the Merchant of Venice and Othello." Papers on Language and Literature 39.2 (2003): 162-84. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 15 Aug. 2012. Schapiro, Barbara A. "Psychoanalysis and the Problem of Evil: Debating Othello in the Classroom." American Imago 60.4 (2003): 481-99. ProQuest Psychology Journals; ProQuest Research Library. Web. 15 Aug. 2012. Smith, Sid, Tribune,Arts Critic. "Culture Shock Shakespeare Repertory Rethinks `Othello' by Making Moorish Prince the Star."Chicago Tribune (pre-1997 Fulltext): 7. Oct 15 1995. The Advocate (Stamford); Baltimore Sun; Business Dateline; Greenwich Time; Hartford Courant; Los Angeles Times; Morning Call; Newsday; Orlando Sentinel; ProQuest Newsstand; Sun Sentinel. Web. 15 Aug. 2012. Thorell, Porter Tsomondo. "Stage-Managing "Otherness": The Function of Narrative in Othello." Mosaic : a Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature 32.2 (1999): 1-25. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 15 Aug. 2012. Vitkus, Daniel J. "Turning Turk in Othello: The Conversion and Damnation of the Moor." Shakespeare Quarterly 48.2 (1997): 145-76.  ProQuest Research Library. Web. 15 Aug. 2012. Read More