There is one main theme in Shakespeare’s play Othello, and that is revenge. In this play, Shakespeare shows that he believes all revenge is improper, and he displays this through his character Iago. Throughout the play, Iago completes copious events to seek personal revenge. It is very clear to see throughout the plot that Shakespeare implores the reader to acknowledge Iago as a character who completely embodies improper revenge. Iago not only attempts to seek out his own personal revenge, but he manipulates several other characters in order to help him reach his own goal.
My chosen monologue is spoken by Juliet to her nurse and can be found at Act 3, Scene 2 lines 97 – 127. In this scene, on hearing the news that Romeo killed her cousin, Tybalt, Juliet is initially angry, but her love for him resurfaces and Romeo’s banishment overshadows Tybalt’s death. There are a lot of conflicting stresses in the first few lines; opposites with contrasting arguments to show Juliet's opposed states of mind. Juliet feels conflicted because her love for Romeo clashes with her love and sense of duty to her family. She asks why Romeo killed her cousin, calling him a villain, but realises Tybalt’s death is less significant and she grants Romeo the license to kill her cousin when she realises that her cousin would have killed Romeo had he not been killed instead.
Furthermore the word "dexterity" shows how quickly and skilfully Gertrude has remarried, not even pausing to remorse her decreased husband. From this the audience can infer a women who is manipulative and cunning; as if she already had a plan to remain the ruling queen. The exaggeration shows how distraught and disgusted Hamlet is about the marriage and with his mother. Also, this illustrates how much Gertrude has fallen in her son’s eyes due to her treacherous deeds. For Shylock, Shakespeare uses language choice to channel all his anger towards his daughter, Jessica, who eloped with a Christian, leaving Shylock “ducat-less”, demonstrated by the quote "Four score ducats at a sitting!
In saying this, Oedipus is saying that he vows to find the murderer of Laïos, and hopes that their life is accursed. However, this is an example of irony because the audience knows that Oedipus is himself the murderer. This is also an ironic statement because Oedipus’ life is already wretched and will continue to get worse. This statement shows use of verbal irony in the play. Another example of verbal irony comes when Oedipus first begins his address to his people.
Adultery, murder, and coveting are three of the ten commandments Abby chose to go against and commit. In the beginning Abigail announces her and John Proctor's affair, which is the real reason Elizabeth fired her. Abigail and John had an affair while Elizabeth became sick after giving birth. Abigail said Elizabeth fired her because she would not be her slave. On the contrary Elizabeth knew John had been fancying Abby on the side, while she was ill. "'Abby, i may think of you softly from time to time, but I will cut my hand off before i'll ever reach for you again.
For example when he convinces Cassio to drink even though Cassio doesn’t want to, when he convinces Emilia to steal the handkerchief from Desdemona even though she doesn’t want to. • When Brabantio goes to the Duke to tell about Othello having “stolen” his daughter we see how he feels as though he is in control of the situation and he appears to be powerful when the he tells the Duke what happened and the Duke replies “Whoe’er he be that in this foul proceeding hath thus beguiled your daughter of herself and you of her, the bloody book of law you shall yourself read in the bitter letter after your own sense, yea, though our proper son stood in your action” However, once the Duke hears that its Othello, Brabantio loses all the power that he appeared to have in this scene. • The Duke is in a position of power as he calls the shots as to what happens with Othello. He is able to protect Othello from Brabantios accusations because he is in a position of authority. • In Act 2 Scene 3, after the brawl has happened between Cassio, Roderigo and Montano, Iago is put in a position of power when he is asked to speak about what happened to cause this brawl, he pretends as though it hurts him to tell of what Cassio did but in reality we know that he is lying and is manipulating Othello.
Brabantio calls Othello a "foul thief" (1.2.62), and says that his daughter is "stolen from me and corrupted" (1.3.61). Another example is when Othello and Desdemona go to consummate their marriage and Othello make the metaphor of "Come, my dear love/ The purchase made, /the fruits are to ensue/That profit’s yet to come ’tween me and you./Good night." (2:3:9-13). In Othello's quote he is basically saying that now that their wedding is over they should go consummate their marriage or "complete their purchase" as the quote suggests. In Elizabethan
Bassanio chooses the right casket and he wins the right to marry Portia. Antonio’s ships get wrecked at sea so he is broke and cannot pay the three thousand ducats back to Shylock, so he must lose a pound of his flesh. Portia, Bassanio’s new wife, tells Bassanio to go to Venice and save his friend. Whilst this has gone on Shylocks daughter, Jessica has run away with Antonio’s friend Lorenzo and has taken all of Shylocks money with her. Shylock is very angry and is looking for revenge, so he decides that he doesn’t want Antonio’s money anymore, he wants to take his flesh.
They both display the Machiavellian trait of whoever holds the power holds the right to control and both the sisters exert this fairly ruthlessly. In Act 4 Scene 4 Regan regrets her decision to spare the blind Gloucester’s life: “It was great ignorance, Gloucester’s eyes being out, to let him live” suggesting her indifferent attitude to what Gloucester calls a “horrid act”. Goneril also suggests a demonic personality through her treatment of her husband Albany calling him “milk-livered” when he questions her wish to kill her own father. He retorts fittingly by saying “see thyself, devil”, implying Goneril has changed vastly from the woman he married and the only explanation could be possession by the devil to justify her evil. Similarly, Goneril is insulted by her father when he calls her “[a] marble-hearted fiend” and a “sea-monster” however although Goneril’s later actions of agreeing to her father’s murder is inexcusable, Lear’s accusations in Act 1 Scene 4 show Lear’s own struggle with female dominance cause him to be unfair to her.
The famous psycho-analyst Sigmund Freud suggested that a reason for Hamlet’s procrastination resides in Oedipal Complex. That is to say, Claudius has acted out Hamlet’s subconscious desire to kill his father and marry his mother. This is an extremely worrying aspect to the Danish prince’s character and it is very important to his relationship with his mother. • Gertrude is characterised as flippant and careless – “seeming virtuous queen”. Hamlet reveals his disgust towards her marriage to his uncle, describing it as morally offensive, “incestuous” and he admonishes his mother’s weaknesses, saying “frailty thy name is woman”.