Preview

Essay Othello Comparison

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1065 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay Othello Comparison
Deception creates an illusion that sways an individual away from the truth and propels them towards a deceptive reality in which knowledge and truth show signs of opposition. The Count of Monte Cristo, directed by Kevin Reynolds, and Othello, written by William Shakespeare contain similarities showing capability between both stories. Appearance vs. Reality is unmistakably a common theme within both works that is evidently a result of deception, jealousy and revenge. Both works use deception in an attempt to lure each central character into submission; eventually redirecting their original thoughts and beliefs into something more sinister. Through the alteration of truth, the antagonist of both works, who are portrayed as odious individuals to their audience, are able to deteriorate the empirical views of both protagonists. The protagonists, Othello and Edmund, are deceived through concealment and begin to experience a deceptive reality that fails to align with the truth. Othello, during the play, falls victim to the lies of his antagonist; Iago, who, through persuasion, entices Othello; ultimately allowing his internal scepticism, with respects to Desdemona, to manifest. "Othello: I do not think but Desdemona's honest. Iago: Long live she so, and long live you to think so!” (3. Iii. 227-228) The above quote, extracted from Othello shows how Iago uses specific laconic comments and statements in order to indirectly (through the use of equivocation) shatter Othello's original belief that Desdemona is a trustworthy and loyal wife. Notably, Iago says to Othello "...long live you to think so!" which evidently shows an attempt on Iago's behalf, to deliberately assert a fallacious innuendo." Othello: O! Now, for ever Farewell the tranquil mind; farewell content!" (3.iii. 337-338) With attention to the quote above, it is apparent that the ambiguous comment made by Iago pertaining to Desdemona’s lack of loyalty towards Othello has begun to construct infelicity

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    To make Othello question Desdemona’s love for him Iago uses rhetorical questions. When Othello says “…than answer my waked wrath!” Iago comes back with “Is’t come to this my lord.” Later he goes as far as to say “Are you a man? Have you a soul or sense?” This puts the idea of Desdemona having an affair with Cassio in his head, this also serves to make Othello question much of what he held true. Othello believed that Iago was an honest man. Iago acts very sympathetically towards Othello and in doing this he creates the illusion that he knows what he is talking about. This leads Othello to sense that Iago knows more than what he is sharing. Iago’s questioning ways lead Othello into thinking the worse about Desdemona and Cassio, Iago gains exactly what he wanted, manipulation.…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Shakespeare’s Othello, A play about a group of military men and their families including their wife’s and their friends and family who are all connected to each other and the jealousy one has (Iago) of the Most important character (Othello) to tear Othello and his wife Desdemona apart in the hope to gain power with it .Shakespeare in this play uses trust/honesty to show the fault in humanity to believe in what they are told without proof that it is true. Shakespeare shows this trust and honesty through the interaction and relationships between Othello and Iago, Iago and Cassio, and the interaction between Brabantio and Iago/ Rodriego. This is not only shown as a hidden trust between two characters but also with the use of the word trust and honesty within the text.…

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay Othello Versus O

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Although the movie “O” is a production based on Shakespeare’s “Othello”, several differences exist between the two such as women’s social status, Iago’s personality change, and the type of language employed by the characters. Desi plays a strong woman who won't let any man put her down. She stands up to Odin several times during the movie, showing that twentieth century women have higher status in society than they did in Shakespeare's time. In the movie, Desi assertively says, “If you want to be with me don’t ever talk like that to me again, ever!” Desdemona seems much more compliant to her husband's demands, even when she knows that she is going to die. Rather than run, she goes to her bedchamber and gets ready for bed, perhaps suspecting that it will be her last night alive. At the beginning of the play she declares just how loyal she is to Othello by saying “to you [father], I am bound for life and education; I am hitherto your daughter: but here's my husband, and so much duty as my mother showed to you, preferring you before her father, so much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my Lord”(Hall,). Desdemona knows her place in society and that is that she should be loyal to her husband or else she has been an unworthy wife. Iago’s character changes drastically in the movie compared to Shakespeare’s play. He would be considered the perfect villain in the play. He never seems to get fazed when he destroys Othello and Desdemona's relationship, when he makes Othello go crazy or when he kills Rodrigo: “ My medicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught”(Hall, 124). There are two major motives that drive Iago to destroy Othello’s life. The first being his hatred for Othello for not promoting him. His second motive is his desire for importance in society and Othello is a human being that is blocking his pathway to glory. His character in “O”, Hugo, is a little bit different. He is trying…

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In my opinion on the movie O and that it related to the play Othello because there were many differences but all the end it did seem like an Othello ending. Like for example in the play they used swords and knives in the movie used guns. Plus, there was a war going on in the play but in O it was just a basketball. But both stories are still similar because both Odin and Othello both have anger and jealously. This movie was good because it did show Othello in a different way, but the characters were still the same, but the timeline and setting was different.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Comparing Othello

    • 512 Words
    • 3 Pages

    When I began watching the two clips in the play Othello, Act III scene 3 which was the handkerchief scene, I started watching the BBC Version of the play, and personally it caught me a bit off guard because although I read the play, the acting out portion of the play was very outdated in many ways such as; the costuming on characters, it was a British film Broadcasting compared to a Castle Rock Entertainment piece with 21st century characters and clothing. Does the display of the play’s scene such as characters age, style of living wither it was modern day or present day, color of film affect the viewer’s perception of the play? I believe it becomes difficult to follow along with what is going on in a particular scene because of its disadvantages such as the lighting of each scene, how the music collaborates with what is going on in the scene, the date and year the film was recorded. The style of clothing chosen for the characters in both scene A and scene B differ dramatically. I want to be engaged in what it is that I am watching and I feel as if the more up to date the film is then the better chances of my focus and attention to be on that play more than the other.…

    • 512 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although Emilia is not the protagonist of the play, her role is very important in Othello. Through her conversations with Desdemona and Iago, we develop a finer understanding of their characters. She plays as a catalyst when stealing Desdemona's handkerchief, and exploits Iago's villainy.…

    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Othello Essay

    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Emilia and Desdemona are both confined within a patriarchal power structure, and although their responses to this dynamic are different, they both ultimately die because of it. Emilia and Desdemona reside within a patriarchal society. Emilia and Desdemona both react differently toward their husbands’ actions. Both Desdemona and Emilia die as a direct result of their husbands’ authority over them.…

    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Othello Essay

    • 1525 Words
    • 7 Pages

    According to Aristotle – a Classical biologist and philosopher – he believed that Catharsis draws out pity and fear in all tragedies. Many of the readers drew themselves to feel clarification, purification, and purgation, which were caused, by passion and reason. His theory plays out in most tragedies especially in Othello. Shakespeare captured many different themes in this play – one of them being passion and reason. The balance of reason against passion caused this theme to centralize the renaissance period defined by ideas. In Othello, the theme of balancing passion and reason is portrayed deeply throughout the play. Shakespeare’s philosophical position in balancing between reason and passion throughout Othello tells the readers that there is an imperfect balance between the two because almost everyone who was rational in the beginning turned out to be irrational and unreasonable. Too much passion can cause one to lose control. The play, gives readers the idea that passion and reason caused many characters to fall into irrationality. Passionate feelings and reasonable thoughts can only lead such characters so far. In this play, readers will find that there are multiple examples of how reason and passion contributes to the moral of the story (should not let one’s feelings get to another person to such an extent that leads them to drastic actions such as plotting against others and killing).…

    • 1525 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In William Shakespeare’s play Othello “Honest Iago” (1.3.295) is perhaps the most interesting character in the play. Throughout the play he manipulates pretty much every character in order to somehow get ahead or to use them later to further execute his plan in destroying Othello. That plan comes to rise because he believes that Othello for many reasons has diminished his reputation. This is why the main motive behind all his actions is that reputation he has tried so hard to keep.…

    • 571 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    either. So it is largely by luck that the little evidence we have, such as the…

    • 265 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Othello Essay Example

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s Othello tells a story of the tragic downfall of a man through jealousy and mistrust, influenced by the manipulative actions of another. Due to innumerable changes within society over time, it is inevitable that a wide range of critical interpretations and readings of the text will emerge.…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Othello thesis

    • 25038 Words
    • 101 Pages

    Jealousy, once consumed, will take over the mind and body, and not only hurt the people around that individual, but destroy that individual. In Othello, we see the protagonist fall guilty to jealousy, even though he has said that he doesn’t let his feelings get the better of him. Roderigo, because of love, gets jealous and ends up losing all his money. Iago, the villain in this play, falls prey to jealousy because of his pettiness from not getting a promotion and having certain suspicions that may or may not be true. In William Shakespeare’s “Othello”, Iago states, “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on”(3.3.170-172). This quote talks about how Othello doesn’t want to know any rumors that Iago has, but this teases Othello. Othello claims it will not bother him, so Iago tells him and Othello becomes upset. The jealousy…

    • 25038 Words
    • 101 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    William Shakespeare is considered to be among the greatest playwrights that have ever lived. He has written dozens and dozens of brilliant plays, most of those plays have been made into movies. One such play that has been made into a movie is “Othello.” The play “Othello” is one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies. It is about a black general in the Italian army, Othello, and what happened between him and his wife, Desdemona. The main villain in this play is Iago; who is a soldier under Othello’s command. Iago tells Othello numerous lies about Desdemona and Othello’s friend, and former right-hand man, Cassio. Shakespeare covers quite a few of the major issues that are still facing society today. These themes such as ethnicity, betrayal, and love are what make this play one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies.…

    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Corrupting Honesty

    • 1604 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Othello’s confidence wavers as Iago poisons his mind with the acts of Desdemona. Iago sets his scheme into motion by inciting uncertainty of Desdemona’s loyalty. Iago brings forth Desdemona's capabilities of deceptions because “she did deceive her father, marrying you / And when she seemed to shake and fear your looks, / She loved them most,” (III.iii.238-240). Iago calmly describes Desdemona as not being an innocent lady that obeys, but rather someone who can deceive others. Desdemona fearing his looks foreshadows her death, when she fears of Othello killing her. Shakespeare juxtaposes fear and love as a contrast between emotion and conveys an appearance versus reality motif, and he reveals the possibilities of honest people becoming deceitful in nature. Iago furthers Othello’s doubt of Desdemona by telling him to “be wise. Yet we see nothing done. / She may be honest yet,” (III.iii.491-492). Positioning Iago into a neutral state, however he is also striking doubt into Othello’s mind. The diction of yet foreshadows the change in Othello’s perception of Desdemona as a pure woman. He doubts her pleads after listening to Iago’s opinions, contradicting Iago when says to be wise. Othello allows jealousy to overwhelm his judgement, losing control of his actions. Iago manipulates people according to his scheme, and he poisons Othello’s…

    • 1604 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Both soliloquies which occur in Act I Scene III are given different approaches in the way they are delivered by Shakespeare’s selected language, style and content. I will distinguish how Shakespeare does this to bring out both Iago’s and Othello’s traits out.…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics