Comparison of Sophocles Oedipus and William Shakespeares Othello - Research Paper Example

Thesis This paper focus on the protagonists of Sophocles Oedipus and William Shakespeare’s Othello, and will discuss that the downfall of Oedipus is mainly due to the work of the gods and his fate, while the downfall of Othello is self-inflicted. Outline If the downfall of the character is due to his/her actions, then the readers may grieve If the downfall of a character is due to fate, then they will feel for that character. Background Oedipus after becoming the King of Thebes, succumbs to fate Othello is deceived by Iago and Oedipus is doomed by his own destiny. Oedipus’ downfall and the role of god Oedipus was destined by superior power to kill his father and marry his mother, He is unable to handle the terrible fate that has befallen him due to the act of god Othello’s downfall and self-infliction On the other hand, Othello kills his wife believing Iago, Othello without finding Desdemona innocence kills her. Conclusion Circumstances are same, but the reason behind their tragedies is different. Othello is naive and so he himself is the reason for his downfall. Oedipus is not accountable for his wrongs for he is a prey of his fate which is calculating his actions. Downfall of Oedipus and Othello Of all the complex aspects of the human mind, the one truth we cannot deny is that all humans seek for satisfaction, may it be in reality or a part of a fantasy. Happy endings are what we expect to see in a book, enabling us to turn the last page with a pure sense of satisfaction. However, it is a fact that tragic endings and downfall of the main protagonist affect us much more than usual endings, leaving a throbbing pain and a lasting impact on the readers. So, the easiest way to have a striking impact on the viewers would the conceptualization of a character that would never leave the mind of the viewers, keeping them bound to the grief of a tragic hero. However, based on the process or reasons for the downfall of the character, the readers’ grief may vary. That is, if the downfall of the character is due to his/her own actions, then the readers may not grieve and instead will justify that ending. However, if the downfall of a character is due to fate or other characters’ actions or even due to god, then they will feel for that character. So, this paper focus on the protagonists of Sophocles Oedipus and William Shakespeare’s Othello, and will discuss that the downfall of Oedipus is mainly due to the work of the gods and his fate, while the downfall of Othello is self-inflicted. Background Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles is about Oedipus who after becoming the King of Thebes was destroyed by his fate. Oedipus was born ot King Laius of Thebes and Queen Jocasta, but King Laius fearing the prophecy that he would be killed by his own son, Oedipus, orders him to be killed. However, the prophecy comes true when Oedipus due to the actions of a superior power kills King Laius without knowing that he was his biological father. Then the other prophecy of Oedipus marrying his mother also came true, when he married Queen Jocasto. When he came to know about both this crimes, he repents for all his offenses. Othello, a tragedy by William Shakespeare focuses on theme of suspicion, love and treachery. Othello, a black general is detested by Iago for he has promoted Cassio. Iago is desperate to avenge Othello and he uses Cassio to make Othello believe that his wife, Desdemona was having an affair with Cassio. Iago succeeds in his endeavor when Othello blinded by suspicion kills his wife. But he is repentant when he comes to know the whole truth and commits suicide out of the guilt of killing his innocent wife. Othello is deceived by Iago and Oedipus is doomed by his own destiny. But the difference between their plights is that Oedipus had no control upon his fate but Othello could have changed his fate if he was not so gullible. Oedipus’ downfall and the role of god Oedipus was destined by superior power to kill his father and marry his mother, while Othello was responsible for his ruin. Oedipus did not kill his father or marry his mother intentionally, but those crimes happened because of some external superior forces, which was not under his control. He kills Laius as he is ignorant of the fact that Lauis is his biological father. Even when he becomes King of Thebes, he strives to find the killer of Lauis unaware of truth that he has taken the life of Lauis. So, Oedipus was not responsible for his crimes he was fated to do so. His life was predestined so he was at no fault at killing his own father. Even he married his own mother as he was ignorant of his parentage. He solves the Sphinx riddle upon which he is crowned as the King of Thebes. As the King of Thebes he marries Queen Jocasta, his own mother according to the prophecy. When Oedipus is aware of the actions of his past, he inevitably falls into a state of depression and shock. He undergoes anagnorisis, when he is told that it was he who killed the former King Lauis and that he is, in fact, now married to his own mother. (personal.monm.edu). He is unable to handle the terrible fate that has befallen him due to the acts of god, which pushed him to end his life. He laments, "I, Oedipus, damned in his birth, in his marriage damned, Damned in the blood he shed with his own hand" (Sophocles, 2002, p.123). Oedipus was not aware of the fact that he had killed the king and was forced to do so under circumstances or fate or god. The realization of the truth only puts him in deeper misery, putting him through ultimate pain and grief, thereby hastening his downfall. Although he did not harm his biological parents intentionally but mainly to save his kingdom, god or fate played its part. “Salvation becomes annihilation; the tragic does not take place in the heros downfall, but rather in the fact that man meets his demise along the very path he took up to escape his demise.” (Szondi, 2002, p. 59). Oedipus is seen to be left with only two options in the end, either to commit suicide or to blind himself. He decides to blind himself, for he does not wish to see the misery that his actions have brought upon him. "The alternative of suicide is directly before him. He takes up her golden pins...blinds himself. It is Sophocles point that Oedipus sees two possibilities and chooses the harder and more painful course" (Smith 92). Oedipus’ actions were fully controlled by superior power, and those controlled actions lead to his downfall. Othello’s downfall and self-infliction On the other hand, Othello kills his wife believing Iago, although appearances could be deceiving and could be misleading. Othello becomes the victim of this false appearance, when he doubts Cassio, after Cassio had a private conversation with his wife, Desdemona. Actually, both of them conversed about how to get Cassio’s job, which got lost due to Iago’s machinations. It was the same Iago’s deluding words which only pushes Othello to forget the reality and instead belief the false appearance that his wife Desdemona and Cassio are having an illegal affair. “…I cannot think it, that he would steal away so guilty like.” (Shakespeare, 2008, p.42) - Iago tells to Othello. Therefore, Othello without finding what really transpired in the meeting between Desdemona and Cassio starts to suspect his wife deceived by Iago’s words and by Cassio’s fast stride. It is the first in the series of incidents, in which Othello in spite being a noble king fails to see the difference between the appearance and reality. Othello is the destroyer of his own life for he fails to see the truth behind Iago’s evil intentions and doubts his wife’s true love for him, “She was false as water.” (Shakespeare, 2008, p.218). He describes his wife to Emilia in the above words as a justification of his act of killing Desdemona. If he was sharp enough to understand the truth behind the false pretense created by Iago, he would have not met such a tragic death. Othello’s murder of his wife is not the working of fate but the weakness of Othello which is apprehensive about his wife’s faithfulness. Iago takes advantage of this failing and succeeds in his evil motives. Harold Bloom compares Iago to the devil because of Iagos unusual resentment towards Othello and his plot to destroy not only Othello but also his wife and everything Othello values" (Al-Amin). As Othello let his insecure and weak mind take over and did not use his analytical mind and committed a grave deed, he is the one who can be held as the destroyer of his own life. That is, if Othello has been sharp enough and had the ability to believe the right persons, he would have surely found out the negative actions of Iago and his false pretence. "Othello is caught between the old ideals and the new professionalism; his adherence to a chivalric code of honor defines his sense of "occupation" and makes him more vulnerable to the wiles of Iago." (Vaughan, 1996, p.5). Importantly, he also would have not murdered his wife and thereby more importantly could have not met such a tragic end. Othellos late comprehension of his blunders, when Emilia exposes about Iago malevolence, could not bring out any positives because so overwhelmed by his guilt, he kills himself. Here also, Othello exhibits weakness by taking the ultimate weak decision of committing suicide. Although, he would carry that guilt feeling of murdering an innocent soul, Othello holding a crucial position should have shown strong resolve to live and carried on with his responsibilities. From a man who was respected by all, Othello commits a lot of wrongful actions leading to his downfall. Conclusion The lives of Othello and Oedipus meet with tragic ends, though their circumstances are same, the reason behind their tragedies is different. Othello is naïve enough to blindly believe Iago and kill his guiltless wife, so he himself is the reason for his downfall. Oedipus is not accountable for his wrongs for he is a prey of his fate which is calculating his actions. How man’s own failings bring his downfall is evident from the tragic death of Othello and how fate plays with the lives of humans is apparent from the plight of Oedipus. References Al-Amin, Z. (1996). Othello: The Tragedy of Human Nature. Retrieved on October 26, 2010 from http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~shale/humanities/composition/handouts/sample/Othellopaper.html Vaughan, V. M. (1996) Othello: A Contextual History. Cambridge University Press. Sophocles. (2002). Four Greek Plays: The Oedipus Rex of Sophocles. Translated by Dudley Fitts. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. personal.monm.edu. Aristotles Ideal Tragic Hero. Retrieved on October 26, 2010 from http://personal.monm.edu/ysample/aristotle.htm Smith, H. L. (2006). Masterpieces of classic Greek drama. Greenwood Publishing Group. Shakespeare, W. (2008). Othello, The Moor of Venice. Forgotten Books. Szondi, P. (2002). An essay on the tragic. Stanford University Press Read More