Although Othello is usually a very even-tempered man, as can be seen when he refuses to let Iago persuade him to get angry at Roderigo, (I, ii, 6), an exteriour opposing force characterized by Iago, perpetuates the tragedy of the play by provoking the interiour opposing force, or the hamartia of the protagonist. We are all only human and are fallible - or as some would refer to it we endure 'original sin.' Othello was the general of the army of Venice. Othello becomes so enraged with the thought and even the sight of her that in Act 4, Scene 1 he calls her "devil" and strikes her in public. Shakespeare understood human relationships very well, which makes this tragedy particularly poignant. Othello allowed his passions to rule over reason, and for that he paid, to him, the ultimate sacrifice. Iago says this to describe to Brabantio what his mixed would look like. At the start of the play, he appears confident that, "My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly." Near the beginning of the play, Shakespeare's clever demonstration of dramatic irony allows the reader to realize Othello's tragic flaw in the fact that he hands his full trust over to a man who is "Janus-faced" and dishonest. What is a tragedy? A character torn apart by both inner turmoil and despair, gifted with intelligence but haunted by his own thoughts and perceptions of his world flaw Othello tragic "Good news: you can turn to other's writing help. If he had not been so insecure then he would have been able to dismiss Iago's words, and he would have been able to say to himself that our love is so strong and pure that she would never be able to hurt me this way. Analysis. Othello allowed his passions to rule over reason, and for hat he paid, to him, the ultimate sacrifice. I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. He did not ask for Ago to put those negative thoughts into his head, and he certainly did not plan to kill his wife. Heros, as courageous as they may seem, are just like any other person and go through flaws throughout their lifetime regardless of the extent of their situation. Iago tells Othello, "Look to your wife; observe her with Cassio; She did deceive her father marrying you. Othellos tragic flaw can be viewed as jealously which ultimately leads to his downfall. Clearly, Othello is guilty of misplaced trust--he believes a man whom he didn't feel was fit for the lieutenancy over his wife, and as you note, many factors contribute to the tragedy of the play. Once Iago inflames Othellos jealousy and gets the darker aspects of Othellos nature into action, there is nothing Othello can do to stop it, since he cannot even admit that he has these darker traits. He did not ask for Iago not to like him and therefore to set him up. If Othello's fatal flat was jealousy, then it could be said that Desdemona's was generosity. Iago is deliberately plotting for Othellos downfall. Othello, by choice, now adapts to the cannibalistic and jealous nature which is inflicted by the Machiavellian character, Iago. Othellos tragic flaw is that he trusts others opinions more than his own perceptions and Shakespeare develops this flaw by using convincing persuasive appeals and strong syntax throughout. Concludes that othello's downfall was due to his own weaknesses. To what extent do you agree that Othello is responsible for his own tragic downfall? Roderigo's love for Desdemona was transformed into hate towards any man that he thought was loved by her. To What Extent Is Othello Responsible For His Own Downfall? Ago takes no time in manipulating this flaw and transforms a one time soldier and righteous individual into a degrading and shameless wife murderer. Iago absolutely hates Othello. The manipulations by Ago upon Othello that allowed qualities common to humanity to reface, play a large part in the build up to the act of murder. Iago thinks Othello slept with his wife. Retrieved from, https://graduateway.com/to-what-extent-is-othello-responsible-for-his-own-downfall/, You can get a custom paper by one of our expert writers, I am thane of Cawdor. Discuss the relationship between love and hate in this tragedy. What reason does Iago give for his hatred of Othello? Iago knows his plan will work because of Othello's trustworthy nature. He did not ask for Iago to put those negative thoughts into his head, and he certainly did not plan to kill his wife. Is Macbeth responsible for his own downfall, Macbeth is responsible for his own downfall, Was King Louis XVI Partially Responsible For His Own Downfall. Cassio is handsome, charming, and charismatic; as Iago notes when . She knew whom she was marrying, and she chose Othello of her own free will. "Does Othello create his own downfall? Desdemona was not blind. Ago knows his plan will work because of Othello trustworthy nature. Desdemona projecting love towards her husband chose Othello. In actuality the only evidence that Othello has to prove her infidelity is the handkerchief that Iago places in Cassio's house, and of course the words of Iago, whom he believes he can trust. Latest answer posted April 07, 2021 at 11:18:50 AM. He is a product of a prejudiced society, a society which uses him for his military prowess and exotic culture but then stereotypes him as animalistic, lustful, jealous, and violent. However, in reality, there was no reason for him to believe this, and that is where Othello is truly flawed. Once Iago inflames Othello's jealousy and gets the darker aspects of Othello's nature into action, there is nothing Othello can do to stop it, since he cannot even admit that he has these darker traits. Othello's guilt is eventually the killer. Othello's ignorance to notice and appreciate people's flaws is another bad attribute which leads to his downfall. If she wanted to marry someone white she would have. WriteWork.com. A tragedy Is the story of an Individual whose downfall Is brought about by specific defects in his character, tragic flaws. Othello did not single-handedly cause his downfall, but was pushed and aided by a reputably "good" and "honest" Iago. Othello: A Level York Notes Although Othello was naive and wrong to put his trust in Ago without the presence of any real evidence, he did so partly because of his low self-esteem. For example, he killed King Duncan because he wanted to be the king of Scotland. In the play Othello, William Shakespeare uses the literary device characterization in sequence to convey that Othellos tragic flaw is the main reason that brings Othello to his downfall --- death. As the play progresses, we watch it's vicious influence on the protagonist with compassion and horror. A tragedy is the story of an individual whose downfall is brought about by specific defects in his character, tragic flaws. The causes of the tragedy of Othello are Othellos gullibility to Iago, jealousy of Desdemonas affair, and male pride. If she wanted to marry someone white she would have. However, Othellos passionate love he has for his white ewe quickly turns in passionate hatred after having the seed of jealousy planted in him by Honest Iago. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Later in that scene he proceeds to smother her to death. Othello was one of very few black men in Venice and Desdemona was a very young and very beautiful white woman. Web. The green-eyed monster, which was hidden behind the facade of a man who is of a free and honest nature, is revealed nearing the climax of the tragic play. One main point of this play could be that though it may appear that a person is solely responsible for his own demise, there is usually someone behind them, appearing to be helping, but actually aiding their own downfall. match. Jump the queue with a membership plan, get unlimited samples and plagiarism results immediately! Othello trusted Desdemona implicitly my life upon her faith- showing the audience the extent to which her faithfulness rules his life and his trust. Every conflict in the play is incited by an attack on reputation. He did not ask for Iago to put those negative thoughts into his head, and he certainly did not plan to kill his wife. Emilia steals the handkerchief to get back some form of reputation with her husband. If he had not been so Insecure then he would have been able to dismiss Sagos words, and he would have been able to say to himself that our love Is so strong and pure that she would never be able to hurt me this way. ", Latest answer posted November 27, 2020 at 10:36:09 AM. Mr Rinkevics is known for his tough line on Russia and strong support for Ukraine. Lago, who may be considered as the villain of the play, is in a way responsible for all the tragic deaths in the play. Othello's downfall comes about due to a combination of the influence of Iago and the fatal character flaws of the otherwise virtuous Othello. Thus we are introduced to one of Othello's fatal flaws, his insecurity. This was a view of honor and of strength. This is what makes Othello easily susceptible to Iagos schemes. Latest answer posted December 03, 2020 at 4:29:02 PM. Get Help With Your Essay If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! Combined with Iagos manipulation, Othello may never have stood a chance of preventing his own tragic ending. The Moor than proclaims that he loved not wisely but too well. This statement is indeed indicative of him making the wrong choice to allow his emotions overthrow him which utterly leads to his downfall. Every tragic hero bears some responsibility for the tragedy that befalls them - as we all do. He, himself allowed his naivety and jealous emotions to take over him which leads to him killing his fair maiden, Desdemona, that of which he realizes was a murder which [he] thought a sacrifice.. During the revelation of his monstrous act, Othello cries out O fool, fool, fool! this is indicative of his realization of his own cannibalistic actions which led to him creating a monstrous act, that of which is the murder of Desdemona. Log in here. We'll occasionally send you account related and promo emails. The users without accounts have to wait due to a large waiting list and high demand. Othello doesnt show himself to be a jealous person at the beginning but through Iagos manipulation, we see the emotion work at full force. And their reputations. Put Othello's weakness and Iago's evil cunning together and tragedy follows. Many critics in England, Shakespeare's birthplace, tend towards this view. To What Extent Is Othello Responsible For His Own Downfall? But i think Macbeth is more responsibe because he had, In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus is responsible for the tragedy of his downfall. However, the Othello is too late to realize what hes done, and consequently this results in many lives lost, including his own. Supplemental understanding of the topic including revealing main issues described in the particular theme; Pharapreising and interpretation due to major educational standards released by a particular educational institution as well as tailored to your educational institution if different; Correct writing styles (it is advised to use correct citations). Finally, Cassio knew his weakness for alcohol and drinks anyway, losing control and allowing the first major step in Iago's plot to go forward. To What Extent Is Othello Responsible For His Own Downfall? Iago's reputation was damaged. Iago knew Othello loved her so much he would do anything for her, and if he could destroy that love in some way his plan would work. Whenever he thinks of Cassio or his wife, an image of the two making love to each other in Othellos bed appears. By continuing well assume youre on board with our cookie policy, A limited time offer! Othellos jealousy stems from his insecurity and feelings of inferiority. To answer this daunting question, one must consider the three most unfortunate characters: Othello, Desdamona and Roderigo and analyse their downfall which eventually lead to their deaths. The manipulations by Iago upon Othello that allowed qualities common to humanity to surface, play a large part in the build up to the act of murder. It is this flaw, according to Aristotle, that brings about the tragic figure's downfall. Students looking for free, top-notch essay and term paper samples on various topics. Shakespeare portrays Othello as the general without faults, perfect. Othello allows Ago to make him suspicious about Adhesions intentions in wanting to help Cassia to get his position back. However it was Othello insecurity that caused his downfall. Get a custom sample essay written according to your requirements urgent 3h delivery guaranteed. If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair (Act 1, Scene 3, Page 6). Killing her seems to be the answer to keeping her from doing the same to him again. This made it easier for him to believe that Desdemona could possibly want someone else, someone easier on the eyes. Emilia refers to Othello as a blacker devil and Iago claims that Othello is an old black ram, the devil, and a Barbary horse. Othello was very aware of his colour and it being a flaw in the society in which he lived. As a result of, Othello or The Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare is a tragedy of race. Shakespeares usage of the common human characteristics illustrates the accurate depiction in creating each characters own downfall. Real human nature has both human creativity and limitations, the imperfections in a persons characteristics sometimes will perform negatively but in some cases, it wont harm the whole characters image. By clicking Check Writers Offers, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. Latest answer posted December 03, 2020 at 4:29:02 PM. However it was Othello's insecurity that caused his downfall. Throughout the play Othello is reminded of his inferiority due to his blackness. These include Banquo who was invented by a historian friend of Shakespeare's, to represent the source of Stuart royalty. He argues that not to affect many proposed matches of her own clime, complexion, and degree, Where to we see in all things nature tendsFoh! Furthermore, Othello has no real reason to suspect that his loyal ensign would scheme against him. It is evident, therefore, that Othello faults and virtues, all that makes him human, played a large part in the demise of Desman and himself yet without Ago, there would have been no tragedy to speak of. "For his part, he looked at the issue of net migration and introduced the toughest ever action to reduce migration by removing the right for most international students to bring family members. This idea is showing through three main characters of the play, Othello, Iago, and Desdemona; Othellos ruling passion leading to his jealousy which blinds his logic and gentle nature, Iagos cruelty in order accomplishes his intelligence which gives him a weapon of language to manipulate people with his ruling passion, Desdemona and her sweet kindness motivates her ruling passion for helping Cassio without noticing her husband's transformation which later caused her own death. How about getting a customized one? In fact he becomes so enraged with her that in Act 5, Scene 2 he states, "Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men." Later, resulting in the uprising of jealousy and darkness of Othellos character. Even Emilia, who doesnt trust her own husband, sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. Othello does bear the brunt for the responsibility of Desdemonas death- after all, it was he himself who committed the murderous deed! Human as the main body stream of the society, their spiritual world is extremely complex and rich, these varieties of human nature shape us unique and distinct from each other. Is Othello Responsible for His Own Downfall Book Analysis As a brave soldier from Africa and recently instated supreme commander of the Venetian army, Shakespeare still allows Othello to succumb to the subtle racism that surrounds him. In what sense might it be said that Othello is | Chegg.com How Is Othello Responsible For His Own Downfall - bartleby How do the terms pride, racial bigotry and jealousy cause the tragedy in othello? However, Othello carries out with the plan for murder for which he believes is a fine reason to end Desdemonas once previous life to preserve her innocence. Othello, once confident and well respected with a good reputatation is out of his depth in fancy society when he tries to become part of it by blood. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. These black stereotypes show up in the play and lead to the problem with trying to produce, In the beginning of the play, Shakespeare illustrates Othello as a benevolent military noble who shares an intellectual love with his young wife, Desdemona, that is of utmost purity and innocence. Iago does this because he knows that Desdemona is one of Othellos only weak spots. The deaths of those whom are innocent have a blindness to see the deceitfulness in others. Othello failed to recognize the strength of this love when Iago started to put the negative thoughts of infidelity into his head. Ukraine war latest: Kyiv makes cluster bombs pledge; Wagner fighters Othello expresses his inadequacy in speech; he compares himself to Cassio and finds that he comes up short, he feels as if he is an outsider to Venetian society, he is not experienced with women. Othello, WA 99344 509-488-5686. Iago absolutely hates Othello. Best educational portal - worldwide students help. Who plants the seeds of evil in Macbeth and who is responsible for his downfall? He constantly uses derogatory terms to describe to Brabantio To corrupt Othello and Desdemonas relations. Othello's downfall comes about due to a combination of the influence of Iago and the fatal character flaws of the otherwise virtuous Othello. Othello is constantly aware of how different he is from everyone around him no matter how much they respect him and Iago was able to use this insecurity to his advantage and bring Othello to his downfall. Shakespeare's Othello is Solely Responsible for his Downfall Iago knows that Othello ignores flaws in people like Cassio, which is part of his motivation in getting Cassio drunk, and involved in an argument. Cassio Character Analysis in Othello | SparkNotes It was this historian friend, Rapheal Holinshed, who, "A View From The Bridge" is set in the late 1940's in Down Town, New York. Give us your email address and well send this sample there. I have lost myreputation. he was easily manipulated, trusting the wrong people, and obsessed with desdemona. Othello falls into Iagos plan as soon as his fatal flaw of jealousy comes into play. So as far that goes, Othello bears some responsibilty for his own downfall, and of course for the murder as there is no justification for that. Desdemona had previously stated I do perceive here a divided dutybut here is my husband.so much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord, Desdemona shows her loyalty to Othello. Your. However it was Othellos insecurity that caused his downfall. Iago will pretend to serve him, but in reality he is only loyal to himself. He Judges people by their exterior behavior but really does not know anything about their ulterior motives. So, he believes Iago, as a soldier believes in his men. Ago knows of Othello fault and states The Moor is of a free and open nature/ That thinks men honest that seem to be so/And will as tenderly be led and codes of honor thoroughly. That being said . Despite his elevated status, Othello harbours insecurities of his physical discrepancies such as his obvious foreign origins and age, making him feel estranged from the Venetian 'white' society and portray him as the outsider. This statement shows that Iago is jealous of Othello because he won the love of Desdemona and is cause for insecurities on his part. A tragedy is the story of an individual whose downfall is brought about by specific defects in his character, tragic flaws. He places his trust in Iago without realizing that his so-called friend is actually mistreating him. Have not found what you were looking for? Whenever he thinks of Cassia or his wife, an image of the two making love to each other in Othello bed appears. Only the users having paid subscription get the unlimited number of samples immediately. He is a character of high stature who is destroyed by his surroundings, his own actions, and his fate. Expert Answers Susan Smith | Certified Educator Share No, Othello does not create his own downfall. My Way to Become more Responsible and Mature, My Own Account of Spiritual Experience while Considering the Philosophies Peddled by Emerson, James, and Huxley, and Caillois, How The Various Struggles Workers and Labor Movements Benefited Los Angeless Own Labor Organizations, Everyone Wants To Be Special, A Hero Of Their Own History, Everyone Is Entitled to Their Own Opinion. he would rather believe iago . When Othello dismisses Cassio as his lieutenant, Desdemona, sensing the injustice assures Cassio she will do all that she can to, INTRODUCTION: - Desdemona had previously stated "I do perceive here a divided dutybut here is my husband.so much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord", Desdemona shows her loyalty to Othello. In Othello, act 3, how does Iago make Othello jealous? 2023. Your Answer Is Very Helpful For UsThank You A Lot! Elizabethan England and Italy were patriarchal cultures of honor, where the male name and reputation were prided above all. Once Ago comes up tit a plan for revenge it does not take very long for him to set it into motion. WriteWork contributors, "To What Extent Is Othello Responsible For His Own Downfall?," WriteWork.com, https://www.writework.com/essay/extent-othello-responsible-his-own-downfall (accessed July 09, 2023). carpediem1015 03/29/2014 To what extent is Othello responsible for his own downfall? Tragedy is mostly seen in characters pure and innocent. Iago absolutely hates Othello. He judges people by their exterior behaviour but really does not know anything about their ulterior motives. The emotions of the characters changed from the start of Act 1, the end of Act 1, and continued as the story of Othello progressed. Using Jealousy as a weapon is what prompts Ago to plot the ultimate downfall of Othello. Iago knows that Othello is insecure in his relationship with Desdemona because of the difference in their race, age, and social class, and he uses that insecurity against the general. However, when Beatrice's cousins, Marco and Rodolfo, seek refuge, To what extent is Macbeth responsible for his actions?Whose Fault Is It?In the play Macbeth, Macbeths actions are cold blooded and are done out of ambition and greed. Othello was one of very few black men in Venice and Desdemona was a very young and very beautiful white woman. Another of Othello's tragic flaws, which contribute to his downfall, is his open and trusting nature. - Othello giving Cassio a promotion critic: "Othello is responsible for his own downfall" - Elliot "Othello is strangely open to deception" - ? Desman had previously stated l do perceive here a divided duty But here is my husband. After witnessing Iago's conspiracy with Roderigo at the ruination of Othello in the previous act, the reader immediately sees Iago's villainess, however in innocence, Othello is blinded to it and by it. Get your custom essay on, Othello is incharge of his own downfall , Get to Know The Price Estimate For Your Paper, "You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy". Jealousy is the most corrupting and destructive of emotions and is demonstrated throughout this drama by the protagonist, Othello. He started to believe Iago right away, and he seemed to forget how much Desdemona had already proved her love for him. Othellos guilt is eventually the killer. Othello becomes so enraged with the thought and even the sight of her that in Act 4, Scene 1 he calls her devil and strikes her in public.
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