The causes of tragedy are generally articles that evoke what is known as pathos from an audience - for them to sympathize with the certain losses that a character may experience. There are numerous emotions associated with pathos and thus, numerous causes to tragedy. The concept of tragedy can be seen clearly in the Shakespearean play Othello, in which the great and noble character of general Othello misplaces his natural fairness and composure to become a jealous, suspicious and easily deceived fool at the hands of his lieutenant. Othello begins on a dark street well into the night, with conspirators Iago and Roderigo plotting their revenge against “the Moor”. Here they use derogatory language such as “thick lips” and “Barbary horse” to highlight the hatred of his race.
When Benedick says he does not like the dish, he is being disrespectful not only to Beatrice but to the people of the time. He also states that no woman will be let in to his perfectness until the woman is perfect herself. Benedick loves teasing people but will not accept the fact that people tease him. Shakespeare illustrates benedick in more detail which allows the audience to understand what type of character
Hamlet can be seen as a Shakespearian tragedy in this respect, as it is very much the flaw in his indecisiveness that causes his lack of action to drive the play, perhaps shown best in Act 3, Scene 3 where he decides to not kill a defenceless Claudius, despite spending much of the play finding evidence of this guilt, and just before immediately murdering a man who he thought was Claudius. Macbeth, on the other hand, is much more in line with Greek tragedies, as it isn’t his ambition that acts as his flaw (established early in the play that in moderate amounts it is a positive trait, shown by his high station in the battle against Norway, which also shows his loyalty), but the acts he commits as a result, such as the killing of Duncan or following the Witches directly bring about his downfall. Another significant difference in Shakespearian and Greek
It could be that he has damaged himself so that he is unable to feel empathy for others - or that the evil is innate. Macbeth displays some very evil characteristics - selfishness, coldness, obsession and cold-blooded murder. Shakespeare explores the degree to which he alone is responsible, and how far others contribute to Macbeth is perhaps Shakespeare's greatest exploration of the problem of evil. Evil is positioned both within and without. The witches are objective figures but Macbeth's first utterance in act 1, scene 3 suggests that he shares a similar thought with the witches.
In act I of Othello - Iago, began his plan to make Othello lose faith in his wife. Roderigo is like Iago’s purse, because Roderigo likes Desdemona and wants to know more about her so he gives him whatever he needs because he fears that Iago has not been telling him enough about Desdemona. Roderigo finally realises that Iago has no loyalty to anyone, and that he is only out to benefit himself. He is the outsider in this situation. Cassio is simply a handsome, virile man and this makes Othello jealous.
Is Othello Naïve In the dramatic stories of William Shakespeare each of the heroes has a flaw. This flaw contributes to the hero’s downfall. In Othello, Othello has certain traits that make him naïve. Iago is able to use these traits against him and create a false image for Othello. This image and story that Iago creates helps bring Othello down.
The theme of deception in Shakespeare’s plays The typical themes of Shakespeare’s works, especially his plays, often reflect popular moods, problematic occurrences and typical traits of human nature from his time which are relevant even today. One such theme is deception. The idea of deception in Shakespeare’s plays has many different faces. In one instance, it is accidental, as in The Comedy of Errors. In another instance, it is used as defense against greater harm, as in Othello.
Othello is usually regarded as the greatest tragedies among Shakespeare’s tragedies (Shakespeare and Honigmann 1). Iago has a unique place in the drama as a dramatic character placed on a pedestal of human incarnation of evil. The first glance at Iago’s character speaks of pure evil, but as he progresses into play the villain comes out as as amoral rather than immoral. Iago exhibits villainy tactics deeply embedded in his characterization. Iago’s soliloquies award the audience with a distinct perspective into the episodes of the plot (Shakespeare and Honigmann 31).
This deception is confirmed when Othello says ‘I know Iago, thy honesty, and love doth mince this matter, making it light to Cassio.’ Othello is suggesting that Iago may not tell the whole truth as he wants to protect Cassio. This is ironic as Iago is actually wanting to do the opposite, and his deception has worked better than he expected. This highlights a weakness in Othello which is that he feels like an outcast because of his race, and he is easily deceived as he is too trustworthy and this is what leads to his eventual downfall. Act 3 Scene 3 is possibly the
One of the main factor which push Othello to his death is his gullibility. Iago is an evil character who is not afraid of hurting other people to obtain what he wants. He is a really good manipulator and is clever at what he does. But Othello still had the choice to trust him or not. Iago is using old methods to make Othello believe he had, by himself, the first thought that Desdemona and Cassio were having an affair, Act III Scene 3 Othello “Was not that Cassio parted from my wife?” Iago “Cassio, my lord?...