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Othello Power Analysis

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Power is often the root at which conflicts begin. As those on the bottom attempt to gain power and those at the top of the power dynamic attempt to consistently degrade those below them to prevent them from gaining influence. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the surprise, seemingly societally transcendent, ability for Othello to gain power and Othello to be able to marry Desdemona, is immediately followed by those in power trying to relieve Othello of his role in society, leading Othello to even attempt to exert his own power. The powerful men of Othello attempt to destroy and subjugate the lives of others to prevent them from advancing and maintaining power. A crucial part of power is gaining power which is shown in the novel by a diverse …show more content…

By Iago’s own admission “I play the villain” (Shakespeare, 1310), and his internal feelings of evil are well founded as shown through his destruction of the lives of nearly everyone in the play, but he has his reasoning. Iago has grown up as a privileged white Christian male in a society that favors white Christian males and, notably, has the favor of at least three senators who would have been quite influential in Venetian society (Kiernan, Print). The catalyst for all this is the admission of Cassio to the position of second in command, which Iago had too been vying for. Iago believes this is taken from him by a Black, possibly Muslim, man, Othello. Thereby allowing Iago to use what influence and power he has retained to ruin Othello’s life and power dynamic. He relies completely on what he believes to be his merit (through status) rather than loyalty, which Othello favors. Another proprietor of power is Othello, who is more unexpected than the other characters to wield it. “I fetch my life and being from men of royal siege, and my demerits may speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune as this that I have reached” (Shakespeare,1280). As he is a non-European character he has had to have undeniable levels of experience to be appointed to his position, yet even then he is

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Power can be displayed in various different ways, whether it be physical force, manipulation, coercion or persuasion, it has an inevitable effect on the environment facing it. The nature of power influences people who have too much authority to become overly conceited, resulting in failure driven by manipulation and neglect. This phenomenon is vividly portrayed in Hamlet by William Shakespeare and The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. In both narratives, characters demonstrate an excessive abuse of power, ultimately leading to failure for themselves and those around them. The power they are given is a valid proof of Abraham Lincoln’s quote, “Nearly all men can withstand adversity; but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

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Power can quickly change a person. In Edgar Allan Poe’s “Cask of the Amontillado” the narrator has power over an intoxicated Fortunato as he leads him down it to the depths of his family vaults. The narrator has power over Fortunato and it ends up changing the narrator to be a different man from whom Fortunato knows. Power has also has changed characters for the worse in the Percy Jackson books written by Rick Riordan included but not limited to Kronos, Luke, and Ethan. They prove that people can be obsessed with the control, respect, and chance for revenge that power gives them.

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As Abraham Lincoln once said "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man 's character, give him power." B. Power has the potential to corrupt. It is also always changing and some people are better at acquiring and keeping it than others. II. When a person finds themselves in a position of power two things can happen.

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Although some power can be good, such as the power of love, it can always be corrupted. Throughout this entire play, Shakespeare is able to make his point that power is more dangerous than it is useful; and it is often the source of many

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Modern time is similar to Shakespeare’s time in some way. Whatever Iago did was because of jealousy. He can’t see anyone else be on the higher position than he is, so when Cassio got promoted instead of him, which than lead to anger and jealously. He did whatever he can to ruin the reputation of Othello and Cassio in the society so people would hate them. Jealously was the problem back in Shakespeare’s time and still is a problem in modern world too.

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Today, the issue of the corruptive nature of power is an important one, as seen in our current presidential election. This issue is also present in the book Macbeth by William Shakespeare. We chose to do a children's picture book in order to illustrate the theme of the destruction nature of power, using specific characters and parts of scenes. With focus on the main character, Macbeth, and minor characters such as Lady Macbeth, Banquo, and Duncan, it allows us to devote most of the book to the characters that affected and were affected by power the most. We actually included every scene within the play in a condensed format so that we could keep all of the negative aspects of power while still keeping it accessible to children.

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In today's world, many people have other do not. At the same time, some people also desire power over others. In Shakespeare play, A Midsummer Night´s Dream, there are many characters who have power and others who do not. They tend to ruin their relationships with other characters. For example, Oberon, Theseus, and Egeus.

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In the beginning of the play, when Iago talks to Roderigo, he explains that he is jealous of Othello, the Moor, gets a higher position than him and choose Cassio as his lieutenant rather than him. Again

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Power is conveyed in all places and corners of the world. The characteristics of this theme includes control, domination, and a plethora of other traits. This theme can occur in an everyday basis. Not only in plays. For example, dictators have a major influence in his or hers country.

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Just as in Sophocles' timeless Antigone, in Othello, hubris proves again to be a great man's hamartia. Similar to King Creon's tragic fall, Othello's blind killing of his soulmate, Desdemona, displays that pride can only lead in one's implosion. No ending is as quintessentially Shakespearian as watching a once loyal subordinate become disparaged to the point of blind fury by his formal idol. The fatal concoction of hubris and the desire to excel can land in disaster, and the ends rarely justify the means.

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Iago is the mastermind behind all of the mayhem in this play, and it all starts in act one when Othello made Michael Cassio the lieutenant over him. This left Iago flabbergasted saying Cassio "never set a squadron in the field" (I.i.22) and he sarcastically says " And I-God bless the mark! His Moorship 's ancient" (I.i.33). Iago was more qualified than Cassio, in experience and also, as Iago thinks, ability.

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Intro Othello is a play by William Shakespeare about jealousy, race, manipulation, and hate among many other themes written between 1600 and 1605 between the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and the beginning of King James I reign. Fundamentally, it is a play about the danger of favourites- Othello, the play’s tragic hero, original favourite is his lieutenant but over the course of the play Iago is able to convince Othello that Cassio, his lieutenant, is having an affair with Othello’s wife Desdemona and Iago becomes Othello’s favourite. In the courts of both Elizabeth and James, the monarchs had favourites like Iago. But in Othello, Iago turns out to be untrustworthy.

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Shakespeare’s ability to illustrate the battle between good and evil is arguably one of his best skills as a writer. Incorporating the art of the morality play, he shows the battle of these two forces for a man’s soul. But the beauty of his writing comes to light in how he shows this process. In both Macbeth and Othello, Shakespeare portrays evil as corrupting, while the source of evil differs.

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Manipulation of the African Race in Othello In William Shakespeare’s Othello, racism is a principal theme that drives the plot of the entire play. An outlier in Venice, Othello the moor or African, is targeted by his ensign Iago because Cassio who seems to be unqualified, was promoted to a lieutenant before he was. Iago is driven by envy and jealousy and creates a confusing and elaborate plan to deprive Cassio of his position. Iago also shares these envious motives with Roderigo, a man lusting over Othello’s wife.

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