Examples Of Power In Othello

Power In the play “The Tragedy of Othello; Moor of Venis” by William Shakespeare is a play that shows how a person who loves can change to a person who is filled with hate and jealousy. Othello an African American who is a general who falls in love and marries Desdemona who is white and is wealthy because of her father Brabantio. Brabantio however, is against the mirage of Desdemona and Othello and rages at Othello and accuses him of stealing her. In this play the Author shows how power can be defined and redefined throughout the play. Power however, does not come in brute strength. Power in this plays comes in gender, rank, and intelligence. Othello is an African American who is a general thus has the power to command armies. However,

A male had more power over woman at this time. A woman’s role was to just please her husband and obey them. Iago is such a man who believes a woman must listen and obey their husband. Iago talks about his scheme and how he will set his plan in motion with his wife and he says, “My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress I’ll set her on. . .” (II.iii.338-340). By stating his plan, he assumes his wife would do as he pleases because that’s what a wife to him is a person who should follow what her husband says. Iago believes women have no power because he states, “Come on, come on! You are pictures out of doors, bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchens. Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds.” (II.i.108-112). At this time, many men thought the same thing when it came to women. Being a woman was already being

By being so intelligence one can do everything without doing anything. Iago a man who is not rich does not have a rank name who is married with a woman who probably he does not love has the most power though may not seem like it. Iago has his ways with words. He is a smooth talker who gets other people to do his bidding while they are getting their hands dirty he keeps his clean. Iago is the most intelligent person in the play because he was able to manipulate people by talking about the truth and yet lying at the same time. According to a literary article “An ontological transgression: Iago as representation in its pure form” by Agnes Matuska states “From one point of view Iago is a villain, while from another he is doing nothing but what is necessary for all play and theatre: he is creating a world. And to make him even more intriguing, he is willing to comment on his machinations” ( par 3). Iago is being whoever he must be to get his plan going either to be Othello’s friend to giving Cassio advises and to being Roderigo partner in crime. Iago manipulated Othello a person who is a general rank level to believe his wife was cheating on him thus he ended up