Othello

William Shakespeare

The Tragic Hero: He must be someone important in society He must have admirable qualities He must suffer greatly before death He must fall from grace as a result of his tragic

flaw and external forces (ie. Iago influences Othello)

He must have free will He must die with dignity and courage He must become aware of what he has done

when it is too late to do anything about it

OTHELLO: THE TRAGIC HERO

• The tragic hero refers to a man who has the qualities of true greatness : he is honourable, generous, brave, responsible, proud, dignified, well-respected and is often a leader. Sadly, due to fate or the manipulations of another, he falls from grace.

• Othello personifies all of the above as he truly

appears to be a heroic character.

• HOWEVER, the element of tragedy enters the play when we witness his manipulation at the hands of the villainous Iago.

• Our heroic Othello is dragged down to a point where he no longer knows his own mind – Iago is his singular source of ‘truth’.

OTHELLO: THE TRAGIC HERO

• The ease with which he is manipulated causes some to consider him a weak man – the complete opposite of his heroic self.

• Once Othello has totally descended into chaos, he seems a different man entirely and his violent words and actions cause horror among those who idolised him.

• The murder of the lovely Desdemona serves as a devastating end to his madness – for he soon discovers the truth.

• However, the tragic hero does not always remain a figure of contempt – Othello is devastated at his actions and seeks redemption by committing suicide.

Othello as a tragic hero:Othello is a well

respected person at the start of the play

Othello is convinced by Iago that his wife is not faithful and his jealously (fatal flaw) causes him to

kill Desdemona.

BACKGROUND:• Othello was written during Shakespeare’s great

tragic period, which also included Hamlet (1600), King Lear (1604–5), Macbeth (1606), and Antony and Cleopatra (1606–7).

• Othello is set against the backdrop of the wars between Venice and Turkey that raged in the latter part of the sixteenth century.

• Cyprus, which is the setting for most of the action, was a Venetian outpost attacked by the Turks in 1570 and conquered the following year.

OTHELLO THE MOOR• The word Moor now

refers to the Islamic Arabic inhabitants of North Africa who conquered Spain in the 8th century, but the term was used rather broadly in the period and was sometimes applied to Africans from other regions.

• Othello’s darkness or blackness is referred to many times in the play, but people who were brunette or darker than average Europeans were often described as black.

Black and white

• The opposition of black and white imagery that runs throughout Othello certainly shows the difference between Othello and his European peers.

• However, the difference is not as linked to race as a modern reader might imagine it to be.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

OTHELLO • Othello is an outsider in Venetian Society –

his Moorish ancestry sets him apart from the Italians.

• However, he has risen to a position of great respect – he is the General of the Venetian Army and is often called on by the Duke to perform difficult missions.

• The Venetian government trusts Othello enough to put him in full martial and political command of Cyprus.

• In his dying speech, Othello reminds the Venetians of the “service” he has done their state (V.ii.348).

OTHELLO• At the start of the play, we are led to believe (by

Roderigo and Iago) that Othello is a vulgar, sexually orientated, animalistic man, but we later witness his calm and dignity when faced with Brabantio’s wild accusations.

• Othello is also able to captivate people with his words. – The duke’s reply to Othello’s speech about how he wooed

Desdemona with his tales of adventure is: “I think this tale would win my daughter too” (I.iii.170).

• Although he is clearly an eloquent man, Othello’s speech does suffer under Iago’s manipulation – at times he is almost incoherent.

• Othello’ initial greatness simply makes his ‘fall’ that much more difficult to accept.

IAGO• Possibly the most heartless villain created by

Shakespeare, Iago is fascinating for his most terrible characteristic: his utter lack of convincing motivation for his actions.

• His inability or unwillingness to express his true motivation—makes his actions all the more terrifying.

• He is willing to take revenge on anyone—Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, even Emilia—at the slightest provocation and enjoys the pain and damage he causes.

• Iago is often funny, especially in his scenes with the foolish Roderigo, which serve as a showcase of Iago’s manipulative abilities. These moments serve to create a bond between Iago and the audience.

IAGO• It is Iago’s talent for understanding and

manipulating the desires of those around him that makes him both a powerful figure and a formidable opponent .

• Iago is able to take the handkerchief from Emilia and know that he can deflect her questions;

• He is able to tell Othello of the handkerchief and know that he will be believed.

• Though he is clearly a habitual liar, Iago manages to convince every single character to trust him; a quality that is eventually lethal to Othello.

DESDEMONA• She initially appears to be a strong character

when she stands up to her father at the council meeting.

• However, this strength soon reveals itself to be a mere mask as she crumbles under Othello’s hatred and violent behaviour.

• Tragically, Desdemona is apparently aware that she is about to die. She, not Othello, asks Emilia to put her wedding sheets on the bed, and she asks Emilia to bury her in these sheets should she die first.

• Like the audience, Desdemona seems able only to watch as her husband is driven insane with jealousy.

• Although he commits such a horrific act, Desdemona also forgives her husband.

• Her forgiveness of Othello may help the audience to forgive him as well.

MICHAEL CASSIO

• He is Othello’s lieutenant. • Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier,

whose high position is resented by Iago. • He is truly devoted to Othello and is extremely

ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl in Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant.

• Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and friendship with Desdemona to play on Othello’s insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity – Cassio’s reputation as a womaniser only serves to help Iago’s cause.

• Michael Cassio is an unfortunate victim in this scenario – a pawn used by Iago.

MINOR CHARACTERS:• Emilia  -  Iago’s wife and

Desdemona’s attendant. She is deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband. It is her revelation at the end that untimately convinces Othello of Iago’s deception. Emilia is seen as weak at the start of the play – but shows her strength when she is fuelled by her rage at Desdemona’s murder.

• Bianca  -  A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Bianca’s favorite customer is Cassio, who teases her with promises of marriage.

• Brabantio  -  Desdemona’s father a self-important Venetian senator. Brabantio feels betrayed when the general marries his daughter in secret.

• Roderigo  -  Young, rich, and foolish; he is convinced that if he gives Iago all his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona’s hand. Repeatedly frustrated, Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio after Iago points out that Cassio is another potential rival for Desdemona.  

MINOR CHARACTERS:

• Duke of Venice -  The official authority in Venice, the duke has great respect for Othello as a public and military servant. It is he who sends Othello to Cyprus.

• Lodovico  -  One of Brabanzio’s kinsmen, Lodovico acts as a messenger from Venice to Cyprus. He arrives in Cyprus in Act IV with letters announcing that Othello has been replaced by Cassio as governor and is to return to Venice.

• Graziano  -  Brabanzio’s kinsman who accompanies Lodovico to Cyprus. Amidst the chaos of the final scene, Graziano mentions that Desdemona’s father has died.

• Montano  -  The governor of Cyprus before Othello. We see him first in Act II, as he recounts the status of the war and awaits the Venetian ships. At the end of the play, Iago’s punishment is left to him to decide.

THEMES IN OTHELLO

THEMES:• Appearance Vs.

Reality• Good Vs. Evil:• Light Vs. Dark• Truth Vs. Lies• Order vs. Chaos• Sanity Vs. Insanity• Othello as an

outsider

• Jealousy• Manipulation• Loyalty • Death• Love• Honesty• Confusion• Prejudice• Revenge

• Animals: There are many times when Othello is compared to an animal – always in negative terms. It is a huge insult to use animal imagery when discussing a person.

• The handkerchief: Represents Othello and Desdemona’s commitment as well as serving as a symbol of her faithfulness to him.

Symbolism In Othello