Similarities Between Othello And Animal Farm

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In Shakespeare’s Othello and George Orwell’s Animal Farm, characters ability to manipulate others with ease is the flaw in societies structure, consequently, leading both works into tragic outcomes. This is done by blurring the perception of appearance versus reality, limitlessly committing to one’s desires, and taking advantage of others flaws. Throughout both novels, the villains mislead the other characters by forcing them to misinterpret what they see. This in result, allows the villain to gain obstructive power. In the play Othello, Iago manipulates the others by creating a scene within a scene. He sets up characters, by controlling what they see and feeding them lies. In the opening scene, while Iago is talking to Rodrigo, he reveals it would be weak to allow his external actions show what he is thinking inside. As he describes; "When my outward action doth demonstrate/ the native act and figure of my heart/ In complement 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" (Shakespeare 1.1.67-71). His character …show more content…

They are unable to read and write which allows the pigs to get away with what they do. Covering up unethical new laws, squealer proclaims, "Tactics, comrades, tactics!" (…) The animals were not certain what the word meant, but Squealer spoke so persuasively, and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without further questions” (Orwell, 39). Pigs are generally known as smarter animals and use this advantage to cover up their actions, as well as, create an image of authority. The pigs are even able to make murder seem necessary by simply changing the commandments. When Muriel reads the commandments, “It ran: ‘No animal shall kill any other animal without cause. Somehow or other the last two words slipped out of the animals’ memory”