In his play Othello, Shakespeare uses the plot, characters, and ultimate destructive ending to all to show the reader his opinion that all revenge is improper. Shakespeare first set a plot in which Iago could cause chaos without being suspected and get his revenge. Everything started with Iago not receiving an incredible promotion. Iago was a choice to be promoted to lieutenant but Othello chose Cassio over him for the job. Iago became furious since he believed he would make a better lieutenant than Cassio.
Hamlet’s slaying of Polonius only leads Hamlet to believe that it was a heaven-sent tool of vengeance to punish Polonius’s sins and to stain his own soul with blood. Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony exposes the deeper meaning and function of Hamlet’s actions. Hamlet denounces Ophelia in order to break all emotional connections with her, although this gets him no closer to revenge with Claudius. Hamlet expresses the same prejudice and hate in his outburst towards Ophelia that he does when he is thinking aloud to himself. Hamlet’s ingenious scheme to write a play in order to trigger a guilty reaction from Claudius is not typical of a madman.
Roderigo’s jealousy also starts from the very beginning of the play. He has paid Iago to steer Desdemona’s feeling towards Roderigo. He begins to become disgruntled when he has seen no progress. Because of his obsession with Desdemona he allows Iago to manipulate him. He falls victim to Iago's plot as he allows his jealousy to obstruct his view of reality.
Hamlet assumes these actions from the actor because these are the actions that Hamlet would use to express his feelings. Hamlet then feels that he is not courageous enough to bravely kill Claudius and all he can do is mope. He puts himself at the peak of frustration since he has not accomplished anything yet and begins to doubt his ability to for revenge and calls himself a coward. He says he should have killed Claudius a long time ago. He then comes up with a plan to have the actors put on a play that is similar to the Murder of King Hamlet.
187-8.) This pretense of madness Shakespeare borrowed from the earlier versions of the story. The fact that he has made it appear like real madness to many critics today only goes to show the wideness of his knowledge and the greatness of his dramatic skill. In the play the only persons who regard Hamlet as really mad are the king and his henchmen, and even these are troubled with many doubts. Polonius is the first to declare him mad, and he thinks it is because Ophelia has repelled his love.
Pia Brinkschulte February 20, 2012 ELA 30S Mr. Grynol Othello In Shakespeare’s Othello, the main antagonists Iago, starts off from being simply jealous, to turning revengeful and obsessive, making perversive decisions for his need of power and control. Critic A.C. Bradley suggests that this longing to satisfy power is Iago’s main motivation and driving force for his acts and behaviour throughout the play. The chief reason for Iago’s vindictiveness is that Othello chose Cassio over Iago to make him his Lieutenant. Iago feels rejected and despised, he is very bitter towards Othello who downgraded his service and experience in favour of the arithmetic skills that Cassio has. Because Iago’s career path is blocked by a mere lack of paper qualification he first begins to start developing feelings of revenge on Cassio who stole his job.
There is no doubt in « Othello » as to the role Shakespeare has given Iago, he is the villain, masterful at deceit he generates most evil in the play. The clever soldier, his incredible acting allows him to be two or three completely different people. During most of the Act the audience finds itself constantly trying to find a motive for Iago’s actions but finds none that can justify what he is about to do. What does seem to come back again and again is his view on women which he sees as sex rapacious and a danger to his machiavellian plans. Scene 1 offers us a good preview as to what Iago is going to do for the rest of the Act and ultimately the rest of the play.
There isn’t a shred of the Othello from Act one left by the tragic ending of the play as highlighted by Lodovico “thou Othello, that wert once so good.” The mere possibility of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness and the question of her fidelity are unbearable for ‘valiant’ Othello, he would rather “the general camp, Pioners and all, had tasted her sweet body” than to have doubts floating in his mind. These suspicions planted by Iago eventually corrupt his mind and blind his sense of reason that leads to his tragic downfall;
Othello and Desdemona In the play, The Tragedy of Othello, Shakespeare really tests our conception as to what love is, and where it can or can't exist. Judging from the relationship between Desdemona and Othello, the play seems to say that marriage based on an innocent romantic love or profane love is bound to fail. Shakespeare is pessimistic about the existence and survival of a true type of love. There is a common thread of betrayal and deceit among his female characters, especially. Othello and Desdemona, as portrayed in the play, are the two greatest innocents there ever were.
The main representation of madness is within the character of the protagonist, King Lear. Through him, Shakespeare shows us true insanity and how it waxes and wanes due to outside influences such as love and rejection. At the commencement of the play, Shakespeare presents the seeds of madness through Lear’s vain demands for appreciation. Lear states that he was ready to express his “darker purpose” (I, i, ln36) when he begins to divide up his kingdom. From an outsider to the drama’s perspective, is obvious that the ‘darker purpose’ is related to Lear’s mad insecurities, which go