Othello Notes - 2305 Words

Othello Notes: Assessment Objectives: AO1: A consistently fluent, precise writing, using critical terminology to present a coherent and detailed argument in which the question is well understood and answered. AO2: Well developed, analytical and consistently detailed discussion of effects of language, form and structure and ways in which it affects the audience. AO3: Well informed and detailed discussion of different readings of the text by various audiences, as well as different critical approaches. AO4: Well detailed and consistently developed understanding of the significance of context of the text. Critical Approaches: A C Bradley (1904): Othello’s nature is all of one piece. His trust where he trust is absolute.†¦show more content†¦Feudalism was giving way to capitalism; there were attacks on the Crown. Aristotle’s Poetics: Othello follows the classical approach to tragedy set out in Aristotle’s Poetics. The play imitates actions which excite pity and fear. The character between two extremes that of a man who is not eminently (respectfully) good and just, yet some error or frailty (conditions of being wear or delicate). He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous-a personage like Oedipus of the Greek Myth, or other illustrious men of such families. A well-constructed plot should therefore be single in its issue, rather than double as some maintain. The change of fortune should be not from bad to good, but reversely, from good to bad. It should come about as the result not of vice, but of some great error or frailty in character either such as we described, or better rather than worse. Iago’s plot is Iago’s character in action: Iago is a being who hates good simply because it is good, and loves evil purely for itself. His action is not prompted by any plain motive like revenge, jealousy or ambition. It springs from a â€Å"motiveless malignity† or a disinterested delight in the pain of others. Iago is a perfect examples of how evil naturally arises within the human nature. As Ecclesiastes says â€Å"the hearts of the children or men are full of evil.† The organic way â€Å"I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear† in which Iago’s plots consume the other characters andShow MoreRelatedBradley vs Leavis, Notes on Othello766 Words   |  4 PagesOthello The Bradley view ( Coleridge) †¢ Othello’s description of himself as, â€Å"one not easily jealous, but, being wrought, / Perplexed in extreme,† is perfectly just. His tragedy lies in this – that his whole nature was indisposed to jealousy, and yet was such that he was unusually open to deception, and, if once wrought to passion, likely to act with little reflection, with no delay, and in the most decisive manner conceivable. †¢ But up to this point, where Iago is dismissed (III,iii,238)Read MoreMusical Characterization For Othello s Othello997 Words   |  4 Pages Musical Characterization for Othello In Verdi’s Othello, the music is used by Verdi to characterize each character in the opera. It is the music who describes the audience the personality traits of each character. Moreover, music accompanies every scene in the opera. In many cases, we can know what is happening or what the character is feeling through the music the orchestra is playing. This is an innovative way to characterize the characters in an opera used by Verdi that do not fit into theRead MoreOthello s Influence On The World Of Opera1295 Words   |  6 PagesVerdi’s Othello has had a profound influence on the world of opera, and considered by many critics to be his best work. Othello has been performed throughout the world, debuting in over 25 countries within the first fifty years of its creation (Stanford). It has been performed all over the globe by world-renowned operettists, in theatres such as the Lincoln Center in New York, the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, and the Bolshoi in Russia. Othel lo is about a general who is led to believe his wife isRead MoreOthello’s Dramatic Flaw in Shakespeares Othello Essay1347 Words   |  6 PagesThe play â€Å"Othello† by William Shakespeare was written in 1604 during the Elizabeth era. Othello is one of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s dramas. 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This racism is directed toward Othello, a brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian army. Nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at one point in the play. Even Emilia sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. The character that most commonly makes racist remarks in Othello is IagoRead MoreJealousy and Race in Othello 1430 Words   |  6 PagesOthello is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies; originally written as a play and performed to an Elizabethan audience. Othello and many of Shakespeare’s other plays have been performed to various audiences since, and have been adapted into Opera, Ballet, Film and television productions. Othello has survived the centuries to this day and age; and continues to captivate and remain relevant to a modern audience; Othello certainly is a t imeless classic work of art. â€Å"The object of tragic imitation is menRead More Iago: Suffering Through Evil1471 Words   |  6 PagesThe soldier’s jealousy converges with his personal injustice to direct his passion of hate towards the Moor. Iago accuses Othello of having relations with his wife, and that Othello has not given him the correct rank that he has earned after years of service at Othello’s side. Iago had devoted his intelligence and efficiency to good and, from that he gained nothing. Othello gave the lieutenant ship to Cassio and thus turned Iago’s jealousy towards Cassio as well. After this, he changes his courseRead MoreEssay on Jealousy in Shakespeares Othello649 Words   |  3 PagesJealousy in Othello The tragedy of Othello is the story of jealousy. It is Othellos public insecurity that makes him jealous of Cassio and allows him to believe that Cassio has slept with Desdemona. Also, it is Iagos jealousy of Othello that drives him to destroy both Othello and Desdemona. What is fascinating about Shakespeares Othello is the way in which jealousy between the major characters is sexualized. Perhaps what makes Othello so disturbing is how quickly this sexualized jealousy