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The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare's play "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice," considered one of his four great tragedies. Othello is a black general who is manipulated by his jealous ensign Iago, ultimately driving the noble Moor insane.
663 Questions
What advice does Iago give the overwhelmed Othello?
When Othello is overcome with grief after hearing rumours of his wife, Desdemona, committing adultery, Iago tells him to seek revenge. Othello is convinced that she has hurt his honour and his good name therefore following Iago's advice. Othello suggests poisoning her so he would not soil her beauty (as Othello is battling with himself because he still loves Desdemona) but Iago suggests a far more ironic way of murder. To smother her in the bedsheets in which she committed the offence.
What is the citation for Othello?
The citation for William Shakespeare's "Othello" typically follows this format in MLA style: Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by [Editor's Name], [Publisher], [Year of Publication]. For example: Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by John Doe, Penguin Classics, 2005. Adjust the editor, publisher, and year according to the specific edition you are referencing.
What morals does Othello have?
Othello is a person of high moral standards. He does not run when apprehended by Brabantio and his group, nor does he fight. He is prepared to justify his actions in marrying Desdemona before the court and he does so. Even though he is newly married, his sense of duty tells him that he must go to fight the Turks. When faced with one of his officers who disgraces himself, he demotes him even though he is a close personal friend. Doing what is right is more important than taking care of his friend Cassio.
But all this gets turned on its head when Iago finds his weak spot (which is oddly enough one of his many virtues, his humility) and twists the knife. In the upside-down world created by the fiction of Desdemona's supposed infidelity, Othello tries to act morally, and finds moral justification for his action. What Desdemona is doing is wrong, she needs to be eliminated not only to protect Othello but also to protect others, the most appropriate punishment would be to strangle her in the bed she has defiled--in this way Othello (with help from Iago) finds moral justification for his action. And when the upside-down world collapses around him and he sees Desdemona for what she really was and his actions for the crimes they were, he does not shrink. He asks for understanding, "nothing extenuate", that is, not as an excuse, because he knows the remedy for his crime, and he administers it himself.
Women in Othello are:
Desdemona- Othello's wife
Emilia- Iago's wife and Desdemona's companion
Bianca- loves Cassio
Yes, he "loved not wisely but too well." His jealousy and susceptibility to Iago's manipulation cost the lives of Roderigo, Emilia, Desdemona, and himself, the crippling of Casio, and a crisis within the Venetian government.
He was African, a great soldier, living in Venice, middle-aged, married to Desdemona.
Why is Brabantios suit against Othello balked?
Brabantio did not want Othello for a son-in-law. Despite his appearance of being nice to Othello, Brabantio is a racist man. He accused Othello of "witchcraft" and stealing his daughter because he cannot understand why Desdemona could possibly love a black man.
Furthermore, at the beginning of the play, he tells Roderigo to go away because "My daughter is not for thee". However, when he learns that Desdemona had indeed eloped, he wishes that it was Roderigo who had married Desdemona instead.
Who reveals the bitter truth to Othello that Desdemona was never unfaithful?
Lots of people try, but Emilia is the one who finally gets through to him, by explaining about the handkerchief her husband had asked her to steal. Her husband then stabs her to death and runs.
Circumstances set for Othello by Iago combine to defeat Othello?
Iago sets out to trap Othello by several means. He persuades Desdemona to plead for Cassio and persuades Othello that Desdemona pleading for Cassio proves she is in love with him. He steals the handkerchief, persuades Othello that she has given it away to Cassio, then gives it to Cassio himself. He gets lucky as Cassio gives it to Bianca and she returns it in Othello's sight. He talks to Cassio about Bianca, telling Othello who can see (but not hear) that he is talking about Desdemona. All of this circumstantial evidence bolsters the outright lies that Iago tells about Cassio admitting to having an affair with Desdemona.
Where is the climax in the play of Othello?
For some people the word "climax" has a technical sense when discussing a play. This might cause them to identify the climax with act 3 of any Shakespearean play. In a non-technical sense, the climax of the play comes when Othello smothers Desdemona. He had a chance up to that point but none after.
What was the purpose of iago's plan in Othello?
Iago has multiple plans: a plan to cozen Roderigo out of his money in order to make Iago rich, a plan to discredit Cassio so that Iago can get a promotion, a plan to have Cassio and Roderigo kill each other so that there will be nobody to implicate Iago and a plan to get Othello to discredit himself and kill Desdemona because Iago hates them, possibly because they love each other and he has never loved anyone.
What happened to Iago at the end of the story?
At the end of Othello by Shakespeare Othello kills himself, Cassio inherits everything of Othello's and is left to decide Iago's punishment. Considering the era in which this took place, Iago was most likely tortured, executed or both.
Why is Othello being summoned by duke?
The Turks are threatening Cyprus and the Duke needs his best general to take charge there.
In the book shakespeare Othello does Othello kill iago?
No. Othello did not kill Iago. He killed Desdemona (he thought he did justice). Then, the truth came out. Othello charged at Iago but was stopped by others at that scene. Then Iago ran away, and Othello killed himself; died upon a kiss on Desdemona.
No, Othello is a fictional character. Shakespeare simply wrote the play to entertain, and entertain it did. It deals with love, hate, jealousy, racism, authority, headship, murder, deceit etc.
Will desdemona and Othello's marriage be accepted today?
It is much more likely that Othello's and Desdemona's marriage would be accepted, today.
What does it mean to be cuckold in Othello?
A cuckold is a man who is deceived by his sexually unfaithful wife. Being cuckolded was a stock situation in Medieval, Renaissance, Elizabethan, and Restoration literature. Cuckold were usually portrayed as fools in comedies and worthy of mockery and condescension. In the more somber tones of a tragedy, the husband was usually portrayed as the victim of a cruel betrayal whose prestige, reputation have been destroyed through the betrayal of their wife.
Of course the genius of Shakespeare's Othello is that Othello is not actually cuckolded by the faithful Desdemona, but misled by his enemies, jealousies, and insecurities into believing he has been.
How did tragedies drift into comedies form ancient Greece?
Tragedies did not drift into comedies. The were performed at separate festivals: the tragic in the spring and the comic in the winter.
When does Othello have his epiphany?
When he hears Emilia say that she stole the handkerchief and gave it to Iago.
he won the war against turkish fleet because their ships sunk in storm.
What does The forked plague refer to in Othello?
The forked plague refers to cuckoldry, this is referring to Othello having lost his wife, Desdemona, as in she cheated on him. A cuckold is a man who has an unfaithful wife. Cuckold was linked to horns, that's why he calls it a forked plague. Plague is an illness, also here's some historical context, at the time Othello was written (1603) a deadly plague was going on in England, the bubonic plague/black death. Shakespeare linked the cheating to the feeling of being infected by the plague, it was unavoidable and the people who got it were destined to die.
Why does iago call Othello the moor?
He was an African. "Moor" was the word used for Africans in Shakespeare's day, both North Africans and subsaharan Africans. It is not clear which Shakespeare intended Othello to be, but he was certainly darker skinned than Iago or any of the Italians.
