Othello - The Ambivalence Of Human Nature
William Shakespeare began writing tragedies because he believed the plots used by other English writers were lacking artistic purpose and form. He used the fall of a notable person as the main focus of his tragedies (Tragic Hero) developed through the characterization of his pivotal characters correlated with a common theme or a controlling idea. His play Othello, written in approximately 1604 displays this style with the theme of human nature, its being of both good and evil within a person. He illustrates this through his two main characters, Othello and Iago. Paradoxically they are displayed as the exact opposites in the play, but they are exactly the same in that they both possess this ambivalence of good and evil. There is no character in all of Shakespeare's plays so full of serpentine power and poison as Iago. He is envious of Michael Cassio and suspects that Othello has wronged his honor; but his malignancy is all out of proportion to even his alleged motives through which he shows his ambivalence of nature. His goodness of nature is not pure but simply good in appearence to the other characters. The reader sees the true evil of Iago and how he fools the other characters into believing he is an honorable man. His fa
To exonerate himself from any suspicion on the part of Cassio, Iago once again pretends to befriend Cassio and offers his help in reinstating Cassio as Lieutenant, but he has alterior motives involving a conflict with Othello and Desedemona. He proceeds to play on Othello's jealousies hinting at an affair between Cassio and Desedemona while at the same time working with them to get Cassio reinstated thus making himself appear to be helpful and caring in the eyes of all three characters. Iago sets up encounters between Cassio and Desedemona that he will have secretly witnessed by Othello in which he will alter speech and actions to heighten the jealousies of Othello. All three unsuspecting characters progressively believe in the "purity" of Iago as he further plays on their naivete to suit his wants to be lieutenant and his deal with Roderego to free the hand of Desedemona for the likes of Roderego. He appears to succeed in the beginning, but as he tangles the characters in his lies, he gets himself tangled as well and the truth came about; Iago was thus put into custody and forced to await certain doom. Unfortunately for Iago his ambivalence of nature, which he thought suited him so well, left him victim of his own foul play. lse displays begin with him and Roderego informing Brabantio of Desedemona's marriage to Othello, a Moor. The reader knows from the conversation between Iago and Roderego in Act I scene 1 that the two men are upset that Iago is not Lieutenant and Roderego cannot have Desedemona and they are acting out of Malice and retaliation. But, to Brabantio, their acts appear to be out of concern for the well being of Desedemona and re
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1120
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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