Othello - A Tragedy Without Meaning?
A tragedy without meaning ‘Othello’ is not, as the very genre of tragedy seeks to imitate action and life, both of which have an inherit meaning. In some ways, Shakespeare’s work can be considered didactic as in the case in classical tragedy, the hero’s falls arises as fault of a hamartia on his part, a fault which plagues humanity. In fact, throughout the work, Othello is revealed to have many more faults and weaknesses than a man of his stature should posses, providing a reason for his downfall. The work’s main protagonist, the scheming Iago, ultimately has his own reasons for his actions; actions which on surface value might appear to be inherently evil and motiveless. A third variable ...
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Iago has to be examined closer to discover his motives: of course, he is jealous of Cassio’s appointment as Othello’s lieutenant and this is an ultimate irony in itself as he later mocks Othello for his own jealousy, having succumbed to the ‘green-eyed monster’. There is also of course Iago’s blatant racial slurs and hatred towards Othello, and his paranoia regarding the supposed infidelity of his wife, ‘And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets he’s done my office’ (Oth Act 1 Sc. 3 ll. 369-370). However, the latter excuse may seem less reasonable, considering that Iago also utters later that he believes that Cassio has also slept with his wife. Iago’s attitude to the subject, contrasting with Othello’s view of sex as a unifying force, is that it is something inherently dirty and revolting, increasing his paranoia .
Iago’s main vice however is his lust for power. Ultimately, his aim is not to rise to the rank of lieutenant, but to go as far as he is able to. This point is ...
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encircling Cyprus at the time. In this case there is both a literal and metaphorical storm brewing, as Iago’s plot begins to shape in his mind.
‘The chidden billow seems to pelt the clouds;
The wind-shaked charge, with high and monstrous mane,
Seems to cast water on the burning Bear
And quench the guards of th’ever-fixed Pole.’ (Oth Act 2 Sc. 1 ll. 12-15)
The fact that Othello fails to note the power of the brewing ‘storm’ condemns him to his fate. It must be noted that Othello is a soldier, a general, by profession. In war, rules and conventions apply, but once these bonds of control are taken away, he does not know how to react or behave, considering he has lived his life as if ...
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Othello - A Tragedy Without Meaning?. (2005, August 29). Retrieved April 25, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Othello-A-Tragedy-Without-Meaning/32454
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"Othello - A Tragedy Without Meaning?." Essayworld.com. August 29, 2005. Accessed April 25, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Othello-A-Tragedy-Without-Meaning/32454.
"Othello - A Tragedy Without Meaning?." Essayworld.com. August 29, 2005. Accessed April 25, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Othello-A-Tragedy-Without-Meaning/32454.
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