Aos Conflict In Shakespeare's Othello

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Conflict may be experienced by individuals as result of the provocation of others, their environment or may be chosen for selfish purposes. Such conflict always leaves an impact upon individuals, societies or even the larger world. This impact may result in significant changes such as political struggles for racial freedom and equality, or may yield only severe consequences such as death. The latter is true for the Shakespearean play Othello. Here Othello blindly allows others to distort his values, thus allowing conflict to instigate death. On the other hand, Iago willingly chooses the path of conflict in an attempt to attain power. Margo Lanagan’s short story Singing My Sister Down and ‘The Clod and the Pebble’ from William Blake’s Songs of Experience, also develop my understanding about conflict, namely the way in which others may initiate our struggles. The individual’s choice to instigate conflict is explored in both Othello and Singing My Sister Down. Iago, inspired by jealousy chooses to initiate conflict as a method of achieving power. Declaring to be “no worse in place”, Iago presents an argument to his worth, versus Othello’s choice of Cassio as Lieutenant. With the rhetorical question “and what was he?”, Iago offers his forceful argument, going on to label Cassio as “mere prattle without practice”. The plosive ‘p’ emphasizes Iago’s distaste for Othello in choosing a “bookish theoric”. Evoking erroneous empathy, Iago questions whether he “in any just terms (is) affined to love the moor”. So, ambitious and envious Iago determines to “hate the moor” and to “follow him to serve my term upon him”. He is not one for “love and duty”, demonstrating instead his duality in order to achieve his “peculiar end”. Throughout the play, Iago manages to live up to his declaration, “I am not what I am”, covering his evil intentions in a façade of righteousness, loyalty
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