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Comparison Of Myth And Beliefs In Shakespeare's Othello

764 Words4 Pages

Myths and Beliefs in Othello William Shakespeare is the most famous playwright and sonneteer from his time. One of his most popular pieces of work is Othello, a play centered on love, jealousy, and betrayal. Through this, Shakespeare was able to create the themes of death and corruption, appearance vs. reality, chaos vs. order, and racism vs. prejudice. Character motivation and the human mind are also examined throughout the course of this play. It is set during the Elizabethan Era, a time period from 1558 to 1603. It is known as the golden age, marked by the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. During this time, there was discontent between the Muslims and the Spaniards. The play was written following the exile of Muslims in Spain. One of the few main characters in the play is a Muslim, whose job is to make peace between Venice and the Turks. Many beliefs of Elizabethan England and Venice are seen throughout Othello. They are all myths that lead to the eventual tragedy within Shakespeare’s play. …show more content…

Knowledge of it had been going on for generations. White people who practiced it were seen as healers and invaluable parts to their communities. This didn’t apply to African Americans though. They were accused not only of getting their powers from the Devil, but to also be working for him. This belief can be seen in Othello, when a black moor falls in love and marries a white princess. Her father, Brabantio, finds out and immediately accuses the man of practicing witchcraft and putting a spell on his daughter. He thinks there is no way she fell for him without the use of magic. Even though Othello is highly regarded and respected by those around him, he is accused of being the Devil and practicing witchcraft because of his skin

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Regardless of their invalidity, however, simply the belief that these divisions are warranted is enough to render them truth, having a lasting impact of the health of a society and the individuals within it. In his work Othello, Shakespeare explores this concept—focusing on the city of Venice and the prejudices against the Moor. By the end of the

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Othello Archetype

1008 Words | 5 Pages

Written in 1603 by William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice tells the story of Othello, an esteemed foreign general, who after marrying Desdemona, the beautiful daughter of a Venetian senator, is manipulated into extreme paranoia by Iago, a spiteful ensign. Having been led to think that Desdemona has committed adultery, Othello murders Desdemona, and upon realizing his deception by Iago, subsequently commits suicide. Though the plot itself is relatively simple, the subjects addressed throughout the writing constitute a story of utmost complexity and depth. At the heart of Othello is the titular character himself, a man torn between tenderness, hate, trust and jealousy. As a major player in his own tragic downfall, Othello fits multiple key aspects of the tragic hero archetype: he is essentially a virtuous person that nevertheless possesses a critical flaw, a flaw that ultimately culminates in his consumption by the worst aspects of his

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Shakespeare's Othello: The Manipulator In Fiction

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The Manipulator in Fiction Every good story has a character which uses manipulation to get their way hiding in the shadows. The manipulator character archetype is used as a type of antagonist in storytelling. These characters are known for making other do whatever they wish for, either by using their words or their actions.

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Controversy In William Shakespeare's Othello

1833 Words | 8 Pages

William Shakespeare is arguably one of the best playwrights in recent history, and it shows with how popular Shakespeare still is in modern times. During his life, April 1564 - April 1616, Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and five long narrative poems. There is no doubt that William was linguistic, but there is doubt that his works are actually his own. Controversy over who wrote Shakespeare’s plays, or if Shakespeare was even a real person, is a white hot topic that is widely debated even to this day, and probably will be for years to follow. William Shakespeare, also dubbed the national poet of England and the “Bard of Avon”, lived an extensive life.

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959 Words | 4 Pages

”Elizabethans viewed people with customs different from their own with fear and apprehension, depicting them as savage and uncivilized”, the people from Venice viewed people from foreign places as savage and uncivilized. “Negros likewise lead a beastly kind of life, being utterly destitute of the use of reason, of dexterity of wit, and of all arts”, the Venetians saw the Moors as beast and were afraid of them because they believed the Moor most violent people. Shakespeare presents Othello as a well respected military person with prowess but throughout the play he changes to the Moor that Venetians expect to see and he creates the dichotomy because not everyone is like the stereotypes say but he at the end Othello changes to the Moor that he is believed to be. Shakespeare shows that no matter how different

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The tragedy of Othello written by William Shakespeare presents the main character Othello as a respectable, honorable, and dignified man. However, because of his insecurities and good nature he is easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his alleged friends. Shakespeare is known for his exceptional ability to compose plays full of deceit, revenge, and jealousy. Jealousy is an underlying theme throughout the tragedy and has been represented by many of the main characters, such as Iago, Roderigo, and Othello. The topic of jealousy will ultimately lead to the demise of many characters throughout the tragedy.

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Race And Difference In Shakespeare's Othello

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The role of race and difference that’s in Shakespeare’s portrayal of Othello is significant. Throughout the play, Othello is often referred to as “the moor,” which highlights his blackness and his status as an outsider in Venetian society. Since he is considered as an outsider he is viewed with suspicion and distrust. The play also highlights the fact that Othello is a military General, which is a position that is typically reserved for white men. With all of the distrust and mistrust falling on Othello’s back, it leads to him being insecure and hard on himself in the play.

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1134 Words | 5 Pages

Othello is a story of a man with a tragic flaw who is brought to ruins and has an inability to cope with the unfavorable circumstances at hand. These things bring extreme sorrow on the character Othello and help to make this play a tragedy. The following paragraphs will show how each of these circumstances are met throughout the play. To understand the ways that this play is in fact a tragedy, a deeper insight into the play is needed. Othello is a play that was written by William Shakespeare around 1603.

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700 Words | 3 Pages

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856 Words | 4 Pages

Othello believes that once he kills her his love for her will not die but by killing her she will not be able to hurt anyone anymore. This is also Othello justifying his actions as

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1340 Words | 6 Pages

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The common aim of playwrights of any time or location is to capture and hold the attention of their audience; this is what Shakespeare has clearly done. The tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, is one of Shakespeare 's most renowned plays. Through construction of intriguing characters, exploration of universal themes, use of comic relief and a well-written script featuring a compelling plot, Shakespeare ensured the tragedy of Othello would hold the interest of the audience; despite being over four centuries old. It possesses so many conditions that can be accentuated to hit nerves with both a Shakespearean and modern audience. The entire plot of Othello is very much like the attitudes and methods of our modern day society.

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