Shakespeare's Othello - Literature review Example

To be sure, the warring families in Romeo and Juliet fit the revenge motif, as does Antony's rabble-rousing speech against the conspirators in Julius Caesar. But by Hamlet, the hero's interest in revenge becomes reified into artistic ornaments like the play-within-the-play entitled The Mousetrap. Thus, I agree with Judge Posner that Hamlet is "not really about revenge," though I am less certain that the "theme of maturing" bears heavily on the plot (Law 67). (2) My point is that revenge becomes less and less insistent in Shakespearean tragedy until in Timon of Athens the hero does no bloodletting at all.

Othello is among those mature tragedies transcending vengeance even while representing brutal retribution. Othello commits rash deeds that precipitate the tragedy in a way that the revenge formula cannot comprehend, however bloody the results--and they are indeed bloody (Othello). Therefore, Iago’s betrayal was not justifiable because, in this play, it was necessary to explain how society works with corruption Some people like Iago believe people should not express what they feel for another person because he thought Othello’s judgment was clouded by him being in love.

His way of thinking may stem from his hatred of women and would explain the murder he committed. This forced him to betray Othello so that he would focus on politics more than his personal relationship. Iago’s murder of Emilia could also stem from the general hatred of women that he displays. Some readers have suggested that Iago’s true, underlying motive for persecuting Othello is his homosexual love for the general. He certainly seems to take great pleasure in preventing Othello from enjoying marital happiness, and he expresses his love for Othello frequently and effusively (Othello play).

After Othello realizes Iago’s betrayal, Shakespeare was trying to get across the point that despite the fact that reluctance is repeatedly in the mind a person cannot stop being corrupted after it has infected them. By then, it is too late to go back when the damage has been done. This is caused by the idea that the corrupt actions add on to the darkness that Othello felt after each death due to the reluctance that he had. The fact that he felt reluctant showed that he knew himself that he could have stopped them at any time but he failed to do so until it was too late.

Shakespeare explained Othello’s reactions to the death going from being a well-rounded person to a corrupted soul that has nowhere to go except leading himself to his own death since he did not give in to his reluctance.