Othello

=**Title of the Work**= Othello =Author= William Shakespeare =Nationality/Ethnic Background= Venetian and Turkish =Genre and Sub-genres= Tragedy =Pertinent Biographical Information= William Shakespeare was born in 1564. He was raised in a middle class family with seven siblings near the small market-town of Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1590, the young actor and writer moved to London. He became the most famous playwright of his time for his poetry and more than 38 plays, including tragedies, comedies, and history. His works caused much controversy, but he also gained large amounts of praise for what he accomplished. Much of Shakespeare's life is still a mystery today, including his date of birth, religious affiliations, professions, and education. He married Anne Hathaway, and there are records of baptism for three of their children: Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith. Shakespeare was associated with The Lord Chamberlain's Men, who bought and performed (in court) most of Shakespeare's plays. The cause of his death is unknown, but some speculate that he died from a fever after drinking too much with friends. Also, there was a large outbreak of typhus in the year 1616, the same year Shakespeare died, so it is very likely that Shakespeare was affected by this outbreak. He is buried next to Anne, who died seven years after him. =Literary Historical Period/Movement and Pertinent Background= Othello is set during the Venetian/Turkish war, between 1489 and 1571. The story of Othello has another source other than the war; an Italian prose tale written in 1565 by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio. Cinzio composed a story about a Moorish general believing that his wife was being unfaithful. Cinzio's story was very bare so Shakespeare added more supporting characters and added more details to the plot. =Major Characters, Their Relationships, Their Conflicts= Othello: A Christian Moor and a general of the Venetian army. Although Othello is a powerful general, his tendency to trust others without certain facts cause him to be easily influenced by other people's words. His tragic flaw as a hero is that he trusts too readily. Othello trusts people without questioning their motives allowing him to be manipulated by Iago. The manipulation causes Othello's downfall.

Iago: Othello's ancient and the villain of the play. Iago desires Othello's demise because Othello overlooked Iago when appointing a new lieutenant. In the play, Iago's true motives are never clear, but his passion for manipulation and destruction is clearly presented to the reader. There is a possibility that Iago hates being the servant of a Moor.

Desdemona: Othello's wife and the daughter of Brabantio who is the Venetian senator. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins without Brabantio's approval. Desdemona truly loved Othello for who he was. Some critics describe her as being too submissive of a character and that she is very weak.

Roderigo: Roderigo is obsessed with Desdemona and will do anything to win her heart over but Desdemona continues to reject him because of her love for Othello. Roderigo puts his trust in Iago who uses him for his money to get what he wants. Roderigo is seen as a weak, unintelligent character that falls for smooth-talking. In the end, Iago kills him by stabbing him in the back, literally.

Cassio: Cassio is Othello's lieutenant. He has flaws of being too "friendly" with the ladies and drinking way too heavily.

=Brief Plot Summary= =Motifs (Recurring Images, Ideas, Figures of Speech, Symbols, Colors) & Their Thematic Significance= Appearance vs Reality - Iago puts up a front in looking like a true friend to Othello. Othello is blind to the fact that Iago is acting on jealous tendencies. In other instances of this motif, Othello acts upon 'evidence' Iago tells him about, therefore Othello has not actually witnessed any of the alleged events.
 * The story begins in Venice when there is controversy over Cassio being appointed to Othello's lieutenant. It angers Iago because he wanted the position for himself.
 * Iago gains Roderigo's trust in order to use him to his advantage later on.
 * Shortly after talking to Roderigo, Iago boldly states in his soliloquy that he will make Othello jealous by attempting to make Cassio and Desdemona appear to be lovers.
 * Barbantio is upset with his daughter Desdemona for running off and marrying Othello, an African-American Moor.
 * The duke orders Othello to Cyprus in hope that Othello can help the defense against the Turks. Once on Cyprus, Roderigo's motives to break up the marriage of Othello and Desdemona are stated, and Iago quickly incorporates this motive into his own goal of bringing about Othello's demise.
 * After Cassio gets drunk at a party and starts a fight with Roderigo (a recommendation from Iago), Othello strips the lieutenant of his new title.
 * Iago plants Dedemona's handkerchief in Cassio's room as evidence of an extramarital affair.
 * This planting is the biggest piece of evidence that Iago offers to Othello when trying to create the appearance of an unfaithful Desdemona.
 * Othello begins acting on his uneasy suspicions towards Desdimona's relations with Cassio after he is presented with the handkerchief.
 * Iago's plan to have Roderigo kill Cassio backfires when Roderigo's hesitation causes him to miss Cassio. In the end Cassio kills Roderigo.
 * In the meantime, Othello is ready kill Desdemona in their bedroom as Desdemona attempts to tell her side of the story.
 * Othello proceeds to smother his wife for her unfaithful ways.
 * In the end Emilia realizes what Iago has done which leads to her demise after she tells Othello the truth.
 * After Iago's mission is uncovered by Emilia, he flees only to be apprehended by Lodovico and Montano who bring Iago back captive.
 * Othello, stricken with grief and shame, makes a speech about his legacy and kills himself as Iago is later executed.

Reputation vs Honor- Cassio is a man of honor but lacks reputation. By contrast, Iago is a man with reputation, but lacks honor. Iago seems to value his reputation in the play far more than honor, and he does many dishonorable things to further his reputation. Iago also uses his reputation as a veil to hide true intentions in this play, telling Othello lies with evidence that is circumstantial. However, because of his reputation, he is believed without question and causes the death of Desdemona in an attempt to ruin Othello.

Handkerchief - According to Desdemona, the handkerchief is a symbol of her love for Othello and Othello's love for her, as the handkerchief was a gift from him. After speaking with Iago, Othello sees the handkerchief as a symbol of Desdemona's infidelity. The reason Iago is able to use the handkerchief as more than physical evidence is due to Othello's emotional ties to the handkerchief. Othello notes that the handkerchief is a work of art and the symbol of his mother and father's fidelity.

Willow - In Act V, Desdemona sings a song that presents the image of a woman cheated on by her lover. Desdemona's mother's maid died singing the song in a similar predicament. To Desdemona, the song is a symbol of Othello's ultimate disconnection of herself from his love.

=Thematic or Significant Events= Emilia finding Desdemona's handkerchief. Emilia finding the handkerchief seems insignificant at first but when Iago takes the handkerchief from Emilia the reader becomes aware that Iago is taking something sacred to both Desdemona and Othello and turning it into evil.

Othello eavesdrops on a conversation between Iago and Cassio. Iago talks about Cassio's love, but whispers her name so that Othello thinks the two are talking about Desdemona. The conversation angers Othello and makes him even more suspicious than he already was.

Othello kills Desdemona out of suspicion. Her death is very tragic becuase it is due to lies contrived by Iago to dishonor Othello. =Thematic or Significant Quotations=

//Were I the Moor I would not be Iago. // //In following him I follow but myself; // //Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, // //But seeming so for my peculiar end. // //For when my outward action doth demonstrate // //The native act and figure of my heart // //In compliment extern, ’tis not long after // //But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve // //For daws to peck at. I am not what I am. // Iago is speaking of how he follows Othello because he believes that he can exploit and take advantage of him. He also describes how he is not showing his true self, and that if he were to do so, then he would be very vulnerable (like Othello.) He is very cryptic throughout the passage and this helps us top descry his true nature, which is one of deception and treachery.

//Haply for I am black,// //And have not those soft parts of conversation// //That chamberers have; or for I am declined// //Into the vale of years—yet that’s not much—// //She’s gone. I am abused, and my relief// //Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage,// //That we can call these delicate creatures ours// //And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad// //And live upon the vapor of a dungeon// //Than keep a corner in the thing I love// //For others’ uses. Yet ’tis the plague of great ones;// //Prerogatived are they less than the base.// //’Tis destiny unshunnable, like death.// Othello talks about how he feels that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. He was sure that she would remain faithful, but in a short amount of lines his entire outlook changes as he now feels abandoned. His imagery of "toad" and "dungeon," where he is saying he would rather be a filthy creature living in a filthy place instead of having to keep the thing he loved for others to use, shows the depth of his love and, perhaps, foreshadows what he does later in the play by killing Desdemona.

//O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the// //green-eyed monster, which doth mock The// //meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss// //Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;// //But O, what damned minutes tells he o'er Who dotes,// //yet doubts--suspects, yet strongly loves!// Iago (ironically) tells this to Othello to calm him down from the jealousy-induced rage he is currently feeling. Othello has succumbed to the feelings of suspicion that have been planted by Iago himself. Iago attempts to convince Othello to eavesdrop on a conversation between Iago and Cassio to further Othello's suspicions and jealousy.

=Major Themes= Be careful of those you trust; the people you think are on your side could be out for your demise.

Jealousy can cause a person to make rash decisions. Pride can overpower one's life and in the end the pain found in broken pride can be noticeably more powerful than happiness found in pride.

One may not be aware of their inner person. For example, Othello wouldn't have admitted he had a dark side in the beginning of the play. If one doesn't recognize the inner person, then the person can be vulnerable. Iago saw this vulnerability in Othello and used it to his advantage.

The quality of alternative race has a tendency to impact peoples' opinions. While Othello gained power despite the color of his skin, it is strongly implied that Desdemona's father opposed Othello's relationship with her because he was a black man. Because he is a black man in Venice, he is already considered an outsider who is exposed to racism.

Reputation can corrupt the honor of a man, causing him to lose sight of everything else and do horrible things to preserve or increase it.