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Title: othello is solved.

Abstract: The game of Othello is one of the world's most complex and popular games that has yet to be computationally solved. Othello has roughly ten octodecillion (10 to the 58th power) possible game records and ten octillion (10 to the 28th power) possible game positions. The challenge of solving Othello, determining the outcome of a game with no mistake made by either player, has long been a grand challenge in computer science. This paper announces a significant milestone: Othello is now solved. It is computationally proved that perfect play by both players lead to a draw. Strong Othello software has long been built using heuristically designed search techniques. Solving a game provides a solution that enables the software to play the game perfectly.

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Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Drama Criticism › Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Othello

Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Othello

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on July 25, 2020 • ( 0 )

Of all Shakespeare’s tragedies . . . Othello is the most painfully exciting and the most terrible. From the moment when the temptation of the hero begins, the reader’s heart and mind are held in a vice, experiencing the extremes of pity and fear, sympathy and repulsion, sickening hope and dreadful expectation. Evil is displayed before him, not indeed with the profusion found in King Lear, but forming, as it were, the soul of a single character, and united with an intellectual superiority so great that he watches its advance fascinated and appalled. He sees it, in itself almost irresistible, aided at every step by fortunate accidents and the innocent mistakes of its victims. He seems to breathe an atmosphere as fateful as that of King Lear , but more confined and oppressive, the darkness not of night but of a close-shut murderous room. His imagination is excited to intense activity, but it is the activity of concentration rather than dilation.

—A. C. Bradley, Shakespearean Tragedy

Between William Shakespeare’s most expansive and philosophical tragedies— Hamlet and King Lear —is Othello, his most constricted and heart-breaking play. Othello is a train wreck that the audience horrifyingly witnesses, helpless to prevent or look away. If Hamlet is a tragedy about youth, and Lear concerns old age, Othello is a family or domestic tragedy of a middle-aged man in which the fate of kingdoms and the cosmos that hangs in the balance in Hamlet and Lear contracts to the private world of a marriage’s destruction. Following his anatomizing of the painfully introspective intellectual Hamlet, Shakespeare, at the height of his ability to probe human nature and to dramatize it in action and language, treats Hamlet’s temperamental opposite—the man of action. Othello is decisive, confident, and secure in his identity, duty, and place in the world. By the end of the play, he has brought down his world around him with the relentless force that made him a great general turned inward, destroying both what he loved best in another and in himself. That such a man should fall so far and so fast gives the play an almost unbearable momentum. That such a man should unravel so completely, ushered by jealousy and hatred into a bestial worldview that cancels any claims of human virtue and self-less devotion, shocks and horrifies. Othello is generally regarded as Shakespeare’s greatest stage play, the closest he would ever come to conforming to the constrained rules of Aristotelian tragedy. The intensity  and  focus  of  Othello   is  unalleviated  by  subplots,  comic  relief,  or  any  mitigation  or  consolation  for  the  deterioration  of  the  “noble  Moor”  and  his  collapse into murder and suicide. At the center of the play’s intrigue is Shakespeare’s most sinister and formidable conceptions of evil in Iago, whose motives and the wellspring of his villainy continue to haunt audiences and critics alike. Indeed, the psychological resonances of the drama, along with its provocative racial and gender themes, have caused Othello, perhaps more than any other of Shakespeare’s plays, to reverberate the loudest with current audiences and commentators. As scholar Edward Pechter has argued, “During the past twenty-five years or so, Othello has become the Shakespearean tragedy of choice, replacing King Lear in the way Lear had earlier replaced Hamlet as the play that speaks most directly and powerfully to current interests.”

Shakespeare derived his plot from Giraldi Cinthio’s “Tale of the Moor,” in the story collection Hecatommithi (1565), reshaping Cinthio’s sensational tale of jealousy, intrigue, and murder in several key ways. In Cinthio’s story, Alfiero, the scheming ensign, lusts after the Moor’s wife, named Disdemona, and after she spurns his advances, Alfiero seeks vengeance by accusing her of adultery with Cassio,  the  Moor’s  lieutenant.  Alfiero,  like  Iago,  similarly  arouses  the  Moor’s  suspicions by stealing Disdemona’s handkerchief and planting it in Cassio’s bed-room. However, the Moor and Alfiero join forces to kill Disdemona, beating her  to  death  with  a  stocking  filled  with  sand  before  pulling  down  the  ceiling  on her dead body to conceal the crime as an accident. The Moor is eventually captured,  tortured,  and  slain  by  Disdemona’s  relatives,  while  the  ensign  dies  during torture for another crime. What is striking about Shakespeare’s alteration of Cinthio’s grisly tale of murder and villainy is the shift of emphasis to the provocation for the murder, the ennobling of Othello as a figure of great stature and dignity to underscore his self-destruction, and the complication of motive for  the  ensign’s  actions.  Cinthio’s  version  of  Iago  is  conventionally  driven  by  jealousy  of  a  superior  and  lust  for  his  wife.  Iago’s  motivation  is  anything  but  explainable in conventional terms. Dramatically, Shakespeare turns the focus of the play from the shocking crime to its causes and psychic significance, trans-forming Cinthio’s intrigue story of vile murder into one of the greatest dramatic meditations on the nature of love and its destruction.

What  makes  Othello  so  unique  structurally  (and  painful  to  witness)  is  that  it  is  a  tragedy  built  on  a  comic  foundation.  The  first  two  acts  of  the  play  enact  the  standard  pattern  of  Shakespeare’s  romantic  comedies.  The  young Venetian noblewoman, Desdemona, has eloped with the middle-aged Othello, the military commander of the armed forces of Venice. Their union is opposed by Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, and by a rival for Desdemona, Roderigo,  who  in  the  play’s  opening  scenes  are  both  provoked  against Othello  by  Iago.  Desdemona  and  Othello,  therefore,  face  the  usual  challenges of the lovers in a Shakespearean comedy who must contend with the forces of authority, custom, and circumstances allied against their union. The romantic climax comes in the trial scene of act 1, in which Othello success-fully defends himself before the Venetian senate against Brabantio’s charge that  Othello  has  beguiled  his  daughter,  “stol’n  from  me,  and  corrupted  /  By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks.” Calmly and courteously Othello recounts how, despite the differences of age, race, and background, he won Desdemona’s heart by recounting the stories of his exotic life and adventures: “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I loved her that she did pity them.” Wonder at Othello’s heroic adventures and compassion for her sympathy have brought the two opposites together—the young, inexperienced  Venetian  woman  and  the  brave,  experienced  outsider.  Desdemona finally, dramatically appears before the senate to support Othello’s account of their courtship and to balance her obligation to her father and now to her husband based on the claims of love:

My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you; you are the lord of duty; I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband; And so much duty as my mother show’d To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor, my lord.

Both Desdemona and Othello defy by their words and gestures the calumnies heaped upon them by Roderigo and Brabantio and vindicate the imperatives of the heart over parental authority and custom. As in a typical Shakespearean comedy, love, tested, triumphs over all opposition.

Vindicated by the duke of Venice and the senate, Othello, accompanied by Desdemona, takes up his military duties in the face of a threatened Turkish invasion, and the lovers are given a triumphal wedding-like procession and marriage ceremony when they disembark on Cyprus. The storm that divides the Venetian fleet also disperses the Turkish threat and clears the way for the lovers’ happy  reunion  and  peaceful  enjoyment  of  their  married  state.  First  Cassio lands to deliver the news of Othello’s marriage and, like the best man, supplies glowing praise for the groom and his bride; next Desdemona, accompanied by Iago and his wife, Emilia, enters but must await news of the fate of Othello’s ship. Finally, Othello arrives giving him the opportunity to renew his marriage vows to Desdemona:

It gives me wonder great as my content To see you here before me. O my soul’s joy, If after every tempest come such calms, May the wind blow till they have wakened death, And let the labouring barque climb hills of seas Olympus-high, and duck again as low As hell’s from heaven. If it were now to die ’Twere now to be most happy, for I fear My soul hath content so absolute That not another comfort like to this Succeeds in unknown fate.

The scene crowns love triumphant. The formerly self-sufficient Othello has now  staked  his  life  to  his  faith  in  Desdemona  and  their  union,  and  she  has  done the same. The fulfillment of the wedding night that should come at the climax of the comedy is relocated to act 2, with the aftermath of the courtship and the wedding now taking  center  stage.  Having triumphantly bested  the  social and natural forces aligned against them, having staked all to the devotion of the other, Desdemona and Othello will not be left to live happily ever after, and the tragedy will grow out of the conditions that made the comedy. Othello, unlike the other Shakespearean comedies, adds three more acts to the romantic drama, shifting from comic affirmation to tragic negation.

Iago  reviews  Othello’s  performance  as  a  lover  by  stating,  “O,  you  are  well tuned now, / But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music.” Iago will now orchestrate discord and disharmony based on a life philosophy totally opposed to the ennobling and selfless concept of love demonstrated by the newlyweds. As Iago asserts to Roderigo, “Virtue? A fig!” Self-interest is all that  matters,  and  love  is  “merely  a lust  of  the  blood  and  a  permission  of  the will.” Othello and Desdemona cannot possibly remain devoted to each other, and, as Iago concludes, “If sanctimony and a frail vow betwixt an err-ing barbarian and a super-subtle Venetian be not too hard for my wits, and all the tribe of hell, thou shalt enjoy her.” The problem of Iago’s motivation to destroy Othello and Desdemona is not that he has too few motives but too many. He offers throughout the play multiple justifi cations for his intrigue: He has been passed over in favor of Cassio; he suspects the Moor and Cassio with his wife, Emilia; he is envious of Cassio’s open nature; and he is desirous of Desdemona himself. No single motive is relied on for long, and the gap  between  cause  and  effect,  between  the  pettiness  of  Iago’s  grudges  and  the monstrousness of his behavior, prompted Samuel Taylor Coleridge in a memorable phrase to characterize Iago’s “motiveless malignity.” There is in Iago a zest for villainy and a delight in destruction, driven more by his hatred and  contempt  for  any  who  oppose  his  conception  of  jungle  law  than  by  a  conventional  naturalistic  explanation  based  on  jealousy  or  envy.  Moreover, Shakespeare, by deliberately clouding the issue of Iago’s motive, finds ever more sinister threats in such a character’s apparently bottomless and unmerited hatred and capacity for evil.

Iago will direct the remainder of the play, constructing Othello’s down-fall out of the flimsiest evidence and playing on the strengths and weaknesses of Othello’s nature and the doubts that erode Othello’s faith in Desdemona. Act 3, one of the wonders of the stage, anatomizes Othello’s psychic descent from  perfect  contentment  in  his  new  wife  to  complete  loathing,  from  a  worldview  in  which  everything  is  as  it  appears  to  one  in  which  nothing  is  as it seems. Iago leads Othello to suspect that love and devotion are shams disguising the basest of animalistic  instincts.  Misled  by  the  handkerchief,  his  love  token  to  Desdemona,  that  Iago  has  planted  in  Cassio’s  room  and  by a partially overheard conversation between Iago and Cassio, Othello, by the end of act 3, forsakes his wife and engages himself in a perverse version of the marriage ceremony of act 2 to Iago. As the pair kneels together, they exchange vows:

Iago: Witness you ever-burning lights above, You elements that clip us round about, Witness that here Iago doth give up The execution of his wit, hands, heart To wronged Othello’s service. Let him command, And to obey shall be in me remorse, What bloody business ever.

Othello: I greet thy love, Not with vain thanks, but with acceptance bounteous, And will upon the instant put thee to’t. Within these three days let me hear thee say That Cassio’s not alive.

Iago: My friend is dead. ’Tis done at your request; but let her live.

Othello: Damn her, lewd minx! O, damn her, damn her! Come, go with me apart. I will withdraw To furnish me with some swift means of death For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant.

Iago: I am your own for ever.

This scene has suggested to some critics that Iago’s true motivation for destroying the marriage of Desdemona and Othello is a repressed homosexual love for Othello. An equal case can be made that Iago here completes his role as Vice, borrowed from the medieval morality plays, sealing the Faustian bargain for Othello’s soul in this mock or black marriage scene.

The play moves relentlessly from here to catastrophe as Othello delivers justice to those he is convinced have wronged him. As he attempts to carry out  his  execution  of  Desdemona,  she  for  the  first  time  realizes  his  charges  against her and his utter delusion. Ignoring her appeals for mercy and avowals of innocence, Othello smothers her moments before Emilia arrives with the proof of  Desdemona’s  innocence  and  Iago’s  villainy.  Othello  must  now  face  the  realization  of  what  he  has  done.  He turns  to  Iago,  who  has  been  brought before him to know the reason for his actions. Iago replies: “Demand me  nothing;  what  you  know,  you  know:  /  From  this  time  forth  I  never  will  speak  word.”  By  Iago’s  exiting  the  stage,  closing  access  to  his  motives,  the  focus remains firmly on Othello, not as Iago’s victim, but as his own. His final speech mixes together the acknowledgment of what he was and what he has become, who he is and how he would like to be remembered:

I have done the state some service, and they know’t. No more of that. I pray you, in your letters, When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak Of one that loved not wisely but too well, Of one not easily jealous but, being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand, Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away Richer than all his tribe.

Consistent with his role as guardian of order in the state, Othello carries out his own execution, by analogy judging his act as a violation reflected by Venice’s savage enemy:

And say besides, that in Aleppo once, Where a malignant and a turban’d Turk Beat a Venetian and tradu’d the state, I took by th’ throat the circumcisèd dog, And smote him—thus.

Othello, likewise, has “tradu’d the state” and has changed from noble and valiant Othello to a beast, with the passion that ennobled him shown as corrosive and demeaning. He carries out his own execution for a violation that threatens social and psychic order. For the onlookers on stage, the final tableau of the dead Desdemona and Othello “poisons sight” and provokes the command to “Let it be hid.” The witnesses on stage cannot compute rationally what has occurred nor why, but the audience has been given a privileged view of the battle between good and evil worked out in the private recesses of a bedroom and a human soul.

Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Plays

Othello Oxford Lecture by Emma Smith

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English 102 Isbell Research Paper

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Research Starter, Overview: Othello

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• How to write about Othello From Bloom's Literature.
• Full Overview: Othello Citation: Hartwell, Michael J. "Othello." Shakespearean Criticism, edited by Lawrence J. Trudeau, vol. 166, Gale, 2016. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/MBQMGS393987029/GLS?u=avlr&sid=bookmark-GLS&xid=68011d3b. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024.
• Films on Demand: Othello John Kani’s Othello is a fine and masterful performance that should make every white actor think twice before blacking up for the Moor,” wrote The Guardian of this raw and powerful interpretation of the play. The production marked the first time an African actor had been cast in the title role opposite a white Desdemona before a multiracial audience in Johannesburg, South Africa. With Tony Award winner John Kani as Othello, Joanna Weinberg as Desdemona, and a contextual introduction by director Janet Suzman. (187 minutes)
• Gale Literary Criticism: Othello Follow this link to critical articles on "Othello" from Gale Literature.
• Literary Reference Center Plus: Othello Follow this link to critical articles from the Literary Reference Center Plus on "Othello".
• The document includes a detailed plot summary; character analyses; themes; style; historical context; critical overview; and literary criticism.
• Drama for Students: Othello "Othello." Drama for Students, edited by Anne Marie Hacht, vol. 20, Gale, 2005, pp. 136-165. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3420400019/GVRL?u=avl_jeff&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=19690cbe. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024.
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143 Othello Essay Topics & Examples

Most Othello essay samples analyze the plot, thesis, and characters of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. The tragedy is based on n Cinthio’s story ‘Un Capitano Moro.’

Before you start writing your Othello essay, you must have a clear understanding of who The Moor is. We hope that you already have read the plot or watched the play.

However, some students lack an idea of the object because they have not come across Shakespeare’s masterpiece or any information concerning Othello. This post will help you to ask Othello essay questions and successfully write your paper.

✨ How to Write an Othello Essay?

• 🏆 Best Othello Essay Topics & Essay Examples

👍 Good Ideas for an Essay on Othello

💡 most interesting othello topics to write about, 🎓 exceptional topics for othello essay, ❓ othello essay questions.

Before you start outlining, you should ask yourself: what or who is Othello? Your answer is significant as it expresses your interest in the subject and, therefore, motivates you to research the chosen topic.

When working on your Othello essay introduction, you should get a clear understanding of The Moor character and its origin.

Your intro should thoroughly explain the subject to your audience. Don’t forget to include a thesis which discloses the central message of your paper. Put it at the end of your intro.

The next step is planning the essay body. Here are some questions you may answer in your Othello character analysis:

• Describe Othello: Who is he? When he lives, his life, occupation, etc.
• Is Othello a good character or bad? Do you identify with Othello?
• Why is Othello famous to date? What makes him popular?
• What is his role in the play? Why is Othello character crucial to the tragedy? Would the story so attractive without Othello?
• Does the play reflect contemporary issues?
• What did you learn from Othello?

Explain the pointers above and provide a better understanding of the Othello character to your readers.

If you need more sample ideas for your Othello essay outline, check them below:

• The role of race in Shakespeare’s tragedy. At the beginning of the plot, Othello’s name is not mentioned, although everyone knows he is dark-skinned and different. Discuss in your essay, how it would impact the play if Othello were white. Argue if the character’s race is matter in the story.
• The role of loyalty. Shakespeare showed how loyalty could have both positive and negative attributes. Othello’s belief in Desdemona’s lack of allegiance caused their destiny. Use it as an example of how devotion can be dangerous if it is used for bad reasons.
• The role of Desdemona. Is she is a passive victim of Othello? Analyze how her character changes when she is not with him. Think of how victim behavior can cause even more violence.
• Relationships between characters in the play. In your essay, you can examine relationships and emotions between Othello and Desdemona, the villainy of Iago’s character, Emilia’s emotions for Iago and Othello, and love of Roderigo for Desdemona.

In your Othello essay conclusion, sum up all the issues you disclosed in the body. Avoid introducing new points. Instead, highlight the thesis statement to show your readers that your essay supports it.

After you’ve finished your essay, don’t forget to proofread it and wipe out grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.

We hope that the tips above will ease your writing an outstanding paper. Make sure to check our website for more Othello essay topics!

🏆 Best Othello Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

• The Downfall of Othello The properties of Othello are given to Cassio who also assumes position that had been held by Othello The downfall of Othello is evidenced by death of his wife, loss of property and his own […]
• Theme of Jealousy in Othello by Shakespeare The jealousy displayed by Othello and the villainous nature of Lago are some of the qualities that impress the readers of the play.
• The Relevance of “Othello” by William Shakespeare in the Current Society The paper demonstrates the relevance of Othello to the contemporary audience by highlighting the existence of the major issues Shakespeare addresses in this play.
• Othello as the Outsider In the play, Othello strives to emphasize that his blackness is insignificant impediment and highlight the advantages of his origin revealing the positive features of his character and behavior.
• The Tragedy of Othello: Critical Analysis — Othello Critical Essay The imagination of the audience is captured by the fact that the drama involves interracial marriage that was unfathomable in those days.
• The Movie Adaptation of the “Othello” by William Shakespeare In its turn, this explains the lessened plausibility of film’s action, as compared to what it is being the case with original tragedy.
• Story, Plot, and Symbolism of “Othello” Film The movie’s point of attack is Othello’s decision to overlook Iago for a promotion to the position of Lieutenant in favor of Cassio.
• Salih’s “Season of Migration to the North” and “Othello” by Shakespeare In his journey through those worst performances on English women leading a few to suicide, he did not consider the situation and emotions of women he met.
• Female Characters in Shakespeare’s “Othello”: A Feminist Critique This shows that Desdemona has completely accepted and respected her role as a woman in the society; she is an obedient wife to Othello.
• Character of Iago in “Othello” by Shakespeare Analysis It is worth mentioning here that it is this attributes that he possessed that made him successful in manipulating other characters painting him to be a strong and compelling character.
• Minor Characters’ Role in the “Othello” by William Shakespeare In his play Othello, William Shakespeare also accentuates the meaning of minor characters and their actions for the development of the tragedy in Othello’s life.
• Comparison of “Hamlet”, “King Lear” and “Othello” by Shakespeare Iago’s reports and the loss of the handkerchief appear to Othello reliable proofs of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, and under the effect of anger the protagonist is both unable and unwilling to do further investigation.
• Iago the Gardener`s Behavior in “Othello” by Shakespeare In the lead-up to the passage to be analyzed, Iago has tried to turn Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, against Othello by letting him know his daughter is “making the beast with two backs” with the Moor.
• The Life and Work of William Shakespeare: His Contribution to the Contemporary Theater In addition, the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare continue to set the standard for the study of the English language in its dramatic context in institutes of higher learning and performance training.
• Jealousy in “Othello” by W.Shakespear Othello is not perfect either and the reason he acts the way he acts is that he is jealous; not that Desdemona cannot match his ‘principles’.
• Othello’s Fall From Grace and Redemption at the End of the Play At the end of the play, Othello’s realizes that his naivety and lack of confidences in his wife’ innocence and fidelity.
• Othello and Desdemona in “Othello” by Shakespeare This essay will discuss why the relationship between Othello and Desdemona was doomed from the start and how their tragic fate relates to the topic of jealousy.
• Othello: A Tragic Hero Through the Prism of Aristotle’s Definition According to him, the prerequisite of a tragedy revolves around the plot of the play. Othello, who is the main character, is a perfect example of a tragic hero.
• Othello’s Tragedy Othello is one of the characters who have features in William Shakespeare’s tragedy titled The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. It is clear to note that the tragedy that befell Othello was because […]
• Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ Act 1 Scene 2, Lines 60-82 This passage is in the form of a dialogue between the two characters in the play. The above lines portray Othello as a victim of prejudice.
• Cultural Diversity in the Play “Othello” It is the role of men to support women in this society, and that is why Desdemona’s father goes to court immediately, he is convinced that his daughter was bewitched by Othello.
• The Tragedy of Othello by William Shakespeare: Bianca’s Innocence The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice is considered one of the most popular works of William Shakespeare. The young courtesan, Bianca, is presented in the play as the mistress of one of the […]
• Main Themes in “Othello” and “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” In fact, it appears that this passion is encouraged by the feelings of regret and shame more than by affection to Bayardo.
• Appearance in “Othello” and “A Raisin in the Sun” The paper under analysis is based on the comparison of Othello by Shakespeare and A Raising in the Sun by Hansberry through the manifesting of the theme of the racial segregation and the nature of […]
• The Heroism of Othello He is a tragic hero because of how he fits the mold, with the single difference that instead of pride, Othello is unwise in his placement of loyalties.
• Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Miller’s “The Crucible” The villains in both “Othello” and “The Crucible” are unique in their proficiency in the use of language for manipulating others and their ability to use the current setting for achieving their goals; Abigail is […]
• “Othello” by William Shakespeare: Summary and Analysis He in this way believes that Iago is an honest man and trusts him to an extent that, he leaves him with his wife and entrusts him to take care of his wife through the […]
• Symbolism in Shakespeare’s Othello and Pope’s The Rape of the Lock This paper aims to compare the aspects of symbolism in Othello and The Rape of the Lock. The lock in the poem “The Rape of the Lock” is more than just a coiled strand of […]
• Racism in Play “Othello” by William Shakespeare Since Othello is dark-skinned, the society is against his marriage to the daughter of the senator of Venice. In summary, the play Othello is captivating and presents racism as it was.
• Why “Othello” by William Shakespeare Is a Tragedy To be classified as an Aristotelian tragedy, a film or story must be complex and include a situation in which a respectable person suffers a complete reversal of fortunes due to a fatal mistake and […]
• William Shakespeare’s Othello Summary | Essay Example Othello leaves Venice in the company of his wife, Iago and Cassio and Desdemona’s attendant known as Emilia. Othello’s love for Desdemona is a major weakness that leads to his downfall.
• Social Issues in Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello” The social environment of England at the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century was characterized by great attention to social class, citizens’ jobs, and their reputation.
• The Theme of the Tragic Hero “Othello” For Othello, the doubt and suspicion growing in his mind regarding a possible relationship between Cassio and Desdemona were started with Desdemona’s father at the beginning of the play. For Othello, his greatest weakness is […]
• ”Othello” and ”Chronicle of a Death Foretold”: A Difference Between Love and Passion Consequently, I believe that differences between passion and love have a tendency to exist, as passion is the uncontrolled actions to show affection, and love is the act of the understanding of the behavior of […]
• Machiavelli and Othello’s Leadership Skills It is not that easy to control lots of people, and this is why it is better to define the steps, which will help to take everything under control and not to be kept by […]
• Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice Iago’s paranoia is tremendous to an extent that his insanity is portrayed when he deludes Othello to kill his own wife.
• Comparison of Marriage in Elizabethan Times and in “Othello” The man was believed to be the head of the family, and he had the legal right to punish his wife.
• “Le Morte Darthur” by Malory, Thomas and “Othello” by Shakespeare The mistrust grows, culminating in the assassinations of Emilia, Roderigo, and Desdemona, as well as Othello’s death. In truth, Iago’s evilness inspires Roderigo’s jealousy and Othello’s misgivings of his own innocent wife, Desdemona.
• Lago’s Hatred and Jealousy in the “Othello” by William Shakespeare Othello is a story by William Shakespeare that revolves around four characters, Othello, who is the general in the Venetian Army, Lago, who was Othello’s assistant in the same army, Desdemona, the daughter of a […]
• Racism in Shakespeare’s “Othello” The purpose of this essay is to detect and analyze various traits of racism in Shakespeare’s famous piece Othello and how it relates to the character of Othello.
• Female Character in the Shakespeare’s Othello It appears that the primary role of women in the play is for them to act as a basis on which men are evaluated.
• The Ultimate Irony: “Othello” by Shakespeare Iago, a jealous man from the beginning of the play, pretends to befriend Othello and speaks to him about the danger of jealousy.
• Dramatic Irony in the “Othello” by William Shakespeare Othello, an eloquent and physically fit person is considered as the protagonist and hero of the play; however, in spite of his elevated status, he is nonetheless an easy prey to insecurities due to his […]
• Racism in Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” The formalist analysis of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep repeats the same mistake, as it focuses on the plot devices and tropes presented in the story.
• Iago and Othello Relationships With the help of relationships between Iago and Othello, Shakespeare conveyed the idea that good and evil have to coexist for the sake of the world balance.
• Othello and Oedipus Rex Characters’ Traits The two characters had to overcome several obstacles in a manner that led many of their followers to respect and honor them, and their royal positions Othello can be considered to be a black member […]
• Shakespeare’s Tragedy “Othello” Speaking of racism as a possible motivation for Iago’s behavior, it is worth noting that it is not the primary and only source of its manifestation.
• Shakespeare’s Othello as a Subaltern Play Othello is considered a subaltern play that illustrates the conflict between the moral voice and silence of female characters and the treacherous voices of male figures.
• Mind vs. Heart in “Othello” by William Shakespeare The main idea of the William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, written in 1604, is the confrontation of the mind and the heart.
• The Character of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello The greatest evil in the play, the catalyst for the tragedy to unfold, appears to be “the Devil,” the avatar of which can be seen in Iago.
• “Othello” Through the Lens of Feminist Theory It depicts female characters in a state of submission and obedience and shows the disbalance in the distribution of power between men and women.
• Iago’s Motives in Shakespeare’s Othello Play He does not seek to seize the treasure his intention is only to deprive the possessor of the treasure of pleasure. A cynic to the depths of his brain, he sees only the flipside in […]
• Anti-Racism in Shakespeare’s Othello For Shakespeare, Brabantio’s views are representative of the racial prejudice of the society in general, rather than of his personal feelings towards the protagonist. On the other hand, Othello’s story is cohesive and believable; he […]
• Shakespeare and His View on Kingship: Macbeth, King Lear and Othello At the same time, it is beyond doubt in the basement Macbeth’s character is clean and as a soldier, he is true to his job and his king.
• Philosophy of Literature: Shakespearean Tragedy In addition, it is also an indication of the facts that human beings are always nosy and ready to participate in other people’s issues.
• Othello and Desdemona: Emotional Strangers Unaware of what is happening, Desdemona continues to show her fierce devotion to her husband which both blinds her to the truth of Othello’s murderous emotions and feeds them.
• Play Analysis: Shakespeare’s “Othello” and “Twelfth Night” Iago’s persona, which is portrayed as predatory and cynical, is crucial to the tragedy because it disturbs the plot. Shakespeare succeeds in making the play unsettling by utilizing a lot of epithets, metaphors, amplifications, repetitions, […]
• Shakespeare’s Othello: Hero or Villain Review However, it is still possible to view Othello as a hero but a tragic one. He is a tragic hero who suffered from his actions.
• The Significance of the Handkerchief to Othello The main reason for the discord is that Othello slept with his wife and justifies all the negativity toward Iago. The handkerchief is the best proof that Desdemona has entered into an intimate relationship with […]
• The Use of Dark Symbolism in “Othello” and “Paradise Lost” Thus, the use of dark imagery in Milton’s work is implemented to heighten the contrast between light and darkness, good and evil.
• Restoring Honor and Confidence in Shakespeare’s Othello The correlation of the fate of the hero with the development of society, which is the main distinguishing feature of the genre of tragedy, can take on a variety of artistic forms.
• Analysis of Acts I and II of Shakespeare’s Othello Play In lines “and what’s he then that says I play the villain,” Iago acknowledges that he seduces his victim, Cassio, by pretending to display good intent.
• Background of Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Sophocles’s “Antigone” Even though Othello is a Moor, he fights for Venice in this war and wins, thus proving his loyalty to the Christian Venice.
• Power in Stories of Oedipus and Othello What woman in that period would not want to marry a high-ranking general and acquire the power that comes with it?
• Critical Analysis of Shakespeare’s, “Othello”, Act V, Scene II Othello, a husband to Desdemona realizes later that Desdemona was a faithful and loving woman. Othello is determined to kill her however her beauty and innocent appearance restrict Othello.
• Comparison of Oedipus and Othello Cases The essay intends to look at the life of Oedipus who is the main character of the book and how the gods were responsible for his downfall after the struggle he had gone through to […]
• Exploring Diverse Perspectives on Shakespeare’s Othello: A Comprehensive Analysis He starts by briefly retelling the main events of Othello and proceeds to state that modern critics’ main concern is about the subjects of race and gender in their analyses of the play.
• “Othello” by William Shakespeare: Military Honor and Othello The higher a person’s rank, the more he is expected to honor the code and the harder it is for him to conceive of someone else breaking it.
• Shakespeare’s Othello: A Tragic Hero When Alexander the Great died, Aristotle fled to Chalcis, where he died the following year at the age of about 62 William Shakespeare was a strong adherent of Aristotle in his writings.
• Shakespearean Othello as a Tragic Figure Enraged and hurt, he is mistaken in his judgments about Desdemona, it is anger that he is moved by and not his sound mind. Actually, Othello’s anger is an outcome of his jealousy.
• Othello: The Shakespeare Story Analysis Using the three female characters of Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca, Shakespeare gives us the common view of women through the eyes of Iago and the view of the nobility through the eyes of Brabantio, Desdemona’s […]
• Speciesism in Shakespeare’s Othello and Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep In Shakespeare’s play, the motif of discrimination is explored in conjunction with Othello’s dark skin color, something that caused the “noble Moore” to be treated with suspicion by other characters throughout the play.
• “Othello”, “A Worn Path” and “Negro” Literature Comparison Although Hughes in his “Negro” discusses race as the main source for the character’s identity and attempts to accentuate the role of the black race for the whole world history, Shakespeare in Othello and Welty […]
• “Othello” a Play by W. Shakespeare Literature Analysis Consequently, Othello seeks to distance himself with the misconstrued stereotypes of a ‘Moor.’ This essay seeks to prove that the main character’s sense of identity leads to his self-destruction.
• Compare and Contrast Shakespeare’s Othello and the Blind Owl by Sedayat On the other hand, in The Blind Owl, the storyteller, a pen-case decorator, falls in love with a naive woman who is virtuous and demonic at the same time. In The Blind Owl, it is […]
• The Tragedy of Othello They include Othello, who is the lead actor; Desdemona, Othello’s wife; Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant; and Iago a junior officer in the army.
• Treatment of Women by Shakespeare and Sophocles Othello disregards the explanation that Desdemona has in regard to the accusation of being unfaithful and kills her.’She’s, like a liar, gone to burning hell, Shakespeare 28.’ After Othello killed Desdemona, he believed more in […]
• What Can Lawyers Learn From ‘Othello’? Shakespeare has employed one of the literature elements by using major characters like, Othello, a hero and the head of armies, Desdemona, Othello’s covert wife, Michael Cassio, Othello’s deputy, Lago, ranked below the lieutenant, among […]
• Humiliation of Iago (Othello) In order to identify the actual reasons for Iago’s hatred to Desdemona and Othello, the author makes use of his own approach in analyzing the play through the prism of motives, plots, themes, and character […]
• The Driving Force of Plot in Medea by Euripides, Othello by William Shakespeare, and the Epic of Gilgamesh Reading Medea by Euripides, Othello by William Shakespeare, and The Epic of Gilgamesh it becomes obvious that the driving force of plot is heroism, however, the nature of that heroism is different that may be […]
• Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello: The Words and Actions of Iago To my mind, one of the most complex, captivating, and, at the same time, the most evil characters in Shakespeare’s plays is Iago from The Tragedy of Othello.
• The Issue of Racial Prejudice The significance of Othello’s race and pigmentation work hard to expose racial prejudice in the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare is using the Moor to challenge the ideologies of race, sex and miscegenation in the Elizabethan period.
• Othello and Snow Country: Personal Opinion As aforementioned, it is hard to differentiate between love and passion as they all come in the name of love. Nevertheless, because his ‘love’ for her is based on passion, he smothers her to death; […]
• Elaborate on religious symbolism. What hell & heaven imagery is present in “Othello”? Explain how Desdemona can be compared to the Virgin Mary; how both Othello and Iago are associated with the Devil. Describe Othello’s “fall from grace.”
• Compare Desdemona and Bianca. How are the women often contrasted in the play? How does the critical contrast, Desdemona’s virtue vs. Bianca’s sexual freedom, affect men’s attitude towards the respective women? Explore how both characters are more complex than the characteristics above.
• Discuss heroism in “Othello.” Whose actions may be considered heroic? Who sincerely tries to act like a hero? Speculate on whether Iago may desire to be viewed as a heroic figure. Does Othello show heroism?
• Analyze the conflict of passion and love in “Othello.” What does Othello feel towards Desdemona? Which of the emotions prevails? Explain why his actions and words are easy to interpret as passion, while his suicide may prove that he was in love with Desdemona.
• Compare “Othello’s” Desdemona to “Hamlet’s” Ophelia. How do these female characters affect the plot of the respective plays? What influence do they and their fates have on the main Othello and Hamlet? Consider both of their tragic stories and their relationships with the main characters.
• Elaborate on Desdemona’s and Othello’s relationship. How does it change throughout the play? Explain how Othello’s capability of creating a healthy and loving relationship that we see at the beginning of “Othello” goes against prejudice.
• Explore the theme of racism in “Othello.” What characters have prejudice about Othello due to his race? Express how Othello’s speech and actions during the significant part of the play run contrary to the unreasonable expectations of his enemies.
• Consider Othello’s suicide. What leads Othello to it? Why may an audience respect it and view it as a redemption for a fallen hero? Does suicide strengthen Othello’s heroism? Elaborate on this action in terms of Othello as a tragic hero.
• Analyze various symbols from the play. Speculate on the meaning of such objects as wedding sheets from Act 4 Scene 3. What is the significance of a candle from Act 5 Scene 2? Provide a short analysis of each one with examples from the text.
• Compare Othello’s and Desdemona’s relationship with that of Iago and Emilia. Which relationship was first to be struck by jealousy? Elaborate on Iago’s control and lack of interest towards Emilia instead of Othello’s devotion to Desdemona. Has Iago ever experienced the same level of jealousy (in his love life) as Othello?
• Comment on the language of the play. What does the way Othello speaks say about him? How is the power of words highlighted in the play? Explain how Iago uses ambiguous and deceptive language to manipulate other characters.
• Comment on Desdemona’s and Emilia’s friendship. Are they close? What do they discuss, particularly in Act 4, Scene 3? Express how Emilia proved her devotion to her mistress in Act 5 Scene 2. Why did Emilia lie to Desdemona about the handkerchief a few scenes before?
• Explore animal imagery in “Othello.” Why is Othello constantly compared to animals throughout the play? Provide quotes where Iago calls him “Barbary horse” and so on and explain what it means concerning racism and prejudice.
• Compare two plays: “Othello” and “Oedipus.” What are these tragedies based on? How do “Othello” and “Oedipus” end? Explain the reasons for the downfall of the hero that happens in both plays. What characters tried to prevent such a tragic end?
• Examine Othello’s pride and honor. How are these aspects tied to his race and reputation? Mention how his uselessness during the war could’ve affected his pride and make Othello more susceptible to Iago’s manipulation. How does a thought of Desdemona’s infidelity hurt Othello’s pride?
• Compare Othello’s and Bianca’s jealous behavior. Who takes the possibility of their lover’s infidelity better? Summarize their reasons for jealousy and their actions after gaining such a suspicion. Why is it intriguing that Bianca trusts her love interest more than Othello does?
• Talk about Desdemona’s independence from her father. Why does Desdemona decide to disobey Brabantio’s will and elope with Othello? Was it common for the time? Explain how Desdemona both showed her independence and immediately became obedient to another man.
• Compare the treatment of women in “Othello” and “Oedipus.” How did Shakespeare and Sophocles describe women in their plays? What role do these characters play in the stories? Analyze how men treat and talk about women in the plays. How does it reflect the period when “Othello” and “Oedipus” were written?
• Analyze Othello’s changes throughout the play. What traits and behavior does he obtain and why? Does he become more himself by the end of the play than he was before, or it’s the opposite? Add a few examples of more animalistic behavior that Othello showed. Why did its features escalate and then disappear during Act 5 Scene 2?
• Explore the relationship between Othello and Cassio. Was their friendship strong before Iago’s web of lies? Why was it easy for Othello to believe that Cassio had an affair with Desdemona? Explain how their relationship changed throughout the play.
• Talk about murders in “Othello.” Why did Othello and Iago kill their respective wives? Why did Iago decide to kill Roderigo? Speculate on what causes murders in the play and how it’s connected to the themes of the play. Why did Cassio, whose death was planned by Iago early in “Othello,” survived
• Compare Othello and Leontes from “The Winter’s Tale.” What traits do the characters have in common? What similar issues and conflicts do they face? Elaborate on the different ways that characters chose to solve their problems.
• Analyze Othello’s character traits. What are his essential qualities? What traits are obtained (or revealed) due to Iago’s manipulations?
• Shakespeare’s influence on the Renaissance period. How does “Othello” represent this period? What common motifs for the Renaissance did Shakespeare develop in the play? Comment on the author’s contributions to the time via “Othello.”
• Compare the play with its movie adaptation. How did the director of the film modify “Othello”? Is this play cinematically adaptable? Elaborate on changes in the movie and the director’s goal (whether it was adapting the story to fit another period or making it more accurate and close to the text).
• Comment on the theme of family. Who keeps in contact with their family in “Othello”? Who has a strong emotional connection to their roots? Elaborate on the relationship between Desdemona and her father.
• Talk about Desdemona’s death. How did she die? Did she suspect that Othello may want to murder her? Analyze Desdemona’s last attempt to protect her husband, claiming that he’s innocent, and she committed suicide. Does it make her a perfect wife for that time?
• Elaborate on the minor characters. Who are the critical minor characters? What role do they play in the plot progression? Briefly explain why they are vital for the story, as minor characters help us see the action from the inside, determine the path of the tragic hero, and develop the world of “Othello.”
• Why Does Iago Convince Othello of Desdemona’s Infidelity?
• How Are Othello and Blanche Dubois Alienated in Their Societies?
• How Jealousy Leads Towards the Tragedy in “Othello”?
• Why Iago From William Shakespeare’s “Othello” Is a Well-Written Villain?
• Does Othello Meet the Standards of a Tragic Hero?
• How Does Iago Convince Othello That Desdemona and Cassio Must Die?
• What Role Does Race Plays in “Othello”?
• How Does Iago Attempt to Poison Othello Against Desdemona?
• How Do Age, Social Position, and Race Impact the Relationship Between Othello and Desdemona?
• Can Pathos and Ethos Compel “Othello” Out of Logic?
• How Are the Characters Empowered or Disempowered in “Brilliant Lies” and “Othello”?
• Why Isn’t Shakespeare’s “Othello” Called Iago?
• What Are the Qualities “Othello” Possesses Which Make It a Tragedy?
• Does Iago Cause the Tragedy of Othello and Desdemona, or Is He Merely the Catalyst?
• How Does Iago Convince Othello of Desdemona’s Infidelity?
• Why Did Othello Kill Desdemona?
• Why Does Othello Choose to Trust Iago Rather Than Desdemona?
• Does Iago Cause the Tragedy of Othello?
• What Are the Similarities Between “Macbeth” and “Othello”?
• How Far Does the Context of War and Soldiery Contribute to the Tragedy in Shakespeare’s “Othello”?
• Whose Responsibilities for Tragedy Outcome of “Othello”?
• What Are the Contextual Factors Critical to the Study of “Othello”?
• How Did Iago Manipulate Othello?
• What Role Does Incoherent Language Play in “Othello”?
• How Othello’s Personality Evolves in the Tragedy of “Othello” by William Shakespeare?
• What Does Othello’s Speech and Say Tell Us About His Character?
• Did Desdemona and Othello Experience True Love?
• Did Othello Truly Love Desdemona?
• How Does the Ending of “Othello” Relate to the Ideas and Characteristics of the Text?
• Were “Othello” and “The Merchant of Venice” Racist Plays?
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IvyPanda . (2024) '143 Othello Essay Topics & Examples'. 7 June.

IvyPanda . 2024. "143 Othello Essay Topics & Examples." June 7, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/othello-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "143 Othello Essay Topics & Examples." June 7, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/othello-essay-examples/.

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IvyPanda . "143 Othello Essay Topics & Examples." June 7, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/othello-essay-examples/.

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