Shakespeare�s Moor: The Sources and Representations One theme consistently reemployed throughout Shakespeare�s plays is that of the Other. The Other is usually characterized as a character that is somehow separated, stigmatized, or noted as being different from the mainstream ideal. For the Elizabethan England of Shakespeare�s time, it may have been a self-defensive maneuver against the encroachment of something which threatened too close to home (Bartels 450). Bryant lists several methods used to employ this convention of the Other: race such as that of Shylock and Aaron, nationality as in Iachimo, bastardy such as the characters Don John and Edmund, social status such as that belonging to Iago, and deformity, for example, Richard III (35). Not every Other is characterized as evil, but nonetheless depicted as being somehow different or separated from society. Characters such as Malvolio, Faulconbridge, Macbeth, and Othello are of this subdivision. One sect of Otherness is that of race. During this time, England seems at first glance to be separated culturally from any area of the Ottoman Empire. However, this assumption proves to be false.

There are four characters in Shakespeare�s plays, Caliban, Othello, the Prince of Morocco, and Aaron, who are of distinctly African, or Moorish heritage. Whether these persons were of Negro, Berber, Spanish, or Arab descent is definitely in question. The use of the term Moor also is of importance. This word is used to describe Aaron and Othello, but not to describe Caliban or the Prince of Morocco, both who come from areas classically referred to as being Moorish. The origin of the word Moor comes from the word mauri. Mauri refers to the Berbers who lived in the Roman province of Mauritania, in North Africa (Everett 104). However, the English language expanded upon this word, making it more generalized and ambiguous, coming up with further descriptions such as blackamoor, a word which denotes darker skin color. Whether the term Moor had a definition of white or black, of pagan or Muslim religion, or area of origin seems to be interchangeable when one notes the differences between Shakespeare�s four characters. Sources of the Elizabethan image of the Moor most likely came from sources such as classical descriptions, actual encounters, travel narratives, and literary conventions (Bartels 433).

Why is the Moor prevalent during Shakespeare�s time? What was the importance of or the sources for this new Other in English literature? Shakespeare uses the Moor as being characterized in several ways and used for varied dramatic purposes. In order to have a full understanding of the Moorish character in Shakespeare�s works, one must look to history�s relations and depictions of the Moor and how it influenced Shakespeare. Moors were characterized in Elizabethan England as being alternately or even simultaneously noble or monstrous, civil or savage. Being a different race meant, primarily, being an Other, non-English, as well as non-Christian (Braxton 8). The term Moor, as I have noted before, was fairly vague in definition. Bartels points out that in common usage, the word was used many times interchangeably with �similarly ambiguous terms as �African,� �Ethiopian,� �Negro,� and even �Indian�� (434). The convention of Christian art to represent Satan or other devils as being black or dark-skinned also lent another connotation to the reader, viewer, or performer of Shakespeare�s plays.

The Moor�s increasing visibility in print most likely paralleled an increasing visibility in actual English society and/or knowledge (Bartels 434). There are three possible branches that most likely gave birth to the confused Elizabethan image of who and what a Moor was. This would be the Spanish Morisco, the North African Berber/Arab, and the Negro. The advent of Islam�s revelation and spread throughout the area of North Africa took place in the seventh and eighth centuries C.E. The invaders were of Arabic origin, having dark skin and hair. The previous inhabitants of the Maghrib, or Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lybia, and so on towards Egypt, were the Berbers. The Berbers are a people who had inhabited this area for so long that few truly know their origin. There are references to them going back as far as Homer�s lotus-eaters. The Arabs and Berbers subsequently went out into Spain in the eighth century C.E. With these invasions came along not only Berber, Negro, and Arab blood, but the religion of Islam, pre-Islamic culture, and intermarriage.

Barbara Everett�s article ��Spanish� Othello: The Making of Shakespeare�s Moor� points out that although some of the invaders into Spain were Arab, the majority were of the Berber ethnicity (104). Another fact is noted that throughout north Africa, Berbers (from whence the terms Barbary and Barbarian sprung) are characterized less by race than by linguistic family. Berbers range in color from very dark with Negro facial features to very Caucasian with blond hair and blue eyes. From the eleventh century through the fifteenth century, the Christians reconquered Spain, with the year 1492 not only marking the discovery of the Americas and the expulsion f the Jews by Ferdinand and Isabella, but the final part of Spain, otherwise known as Granada, being reclaimed. With the reclaiming of Spain came a need for the Orthodoxy of Catholic Christianity. Pope Paul IV�s reference to �that breed of Moors and Jews, those dregs of the earth,� shows how the threat of the reconquest of Spain by the Berbers caused a great widespread fear and racism.

In the Cronica Sarracina, King Roderigo�s sins are the cause of the Arab invasion to take over Spain (Burshatin 103). As a result of these fears, many Moors inhabiting Spain adopted a more European culture, with many embracing Christianity, at least at surface level, becoming what were later termed Moriscos (Braxton 7). With politics of the late 1500s and early 1600s, not much had changed in terms of enmity. Israel Burshatin states that the Moors in North Africa were seen as �deadly bretherin� of the Ottoman Turks, and it was not difficult to expand this feeling to the Spanish Moriscos (99). Racial strife between the Moriscos and the Catholic population characterized the last decades of the 1500s (Everett 105). In 1609, this hatred and fear culminated into the expulsion of some 300,000 Moriscos by Phillip III (Burshatin 98; Everett 105).

The story told in Genesis 21 verses 8-10 of Abraham�s expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael paralleled what Spain saw in itself. Queen Margarita was seen as Sarah and Phillip III as Abraham casting out the �illegitimate� Morisco Ishmaelites (Muslims), and retaining the legitimate child, or Catholic Spain (Burshatin 113-14). International trade and politics of the Elizabethan era also lent a hand in Shakespeare�s depiction of the Moor. Although the Spanish interpretation of the Arab/Berber/Negro was most likely a factor in the Elizabethan image, extensive trading contracts and international diplomacy had a fair hand in offsetting the negative stereotype while at the same time perpetuating it. Both England and what we will call Morocco had a great anti-Catholic, anti-Spanish sentiment that bound their relationship further (D�Amico 7). Although Africa was considered a continent of infidels and pagans by many, the political danger of an invasion by Catholic Spain prompted England to forgo the stigma of trading in munitions with Morocco.

The Moor in English Renaissance Drama by Jack D�Amico chronicles the international trading carried on in North Africa and the Ivory and Gold Coasts further south. Continuous trade was believed to have begun in the mid sixteenth century (D�Amico 8). Blacks from Africa were also first present in England during this time. Although mostly documented as slaves, before the triangular slave trade became institutionalized, there were also many free blacks who came and went throughout Europe (Jones 15). During trading expeditions, many times English merchant traders would forcibly kidnap native peoples from the African continent and take them back to England. They were oftentimes taught English, and were later used as interpreters during further voyages to the same lands (D�Amico 10). This displays how the people of the African continent were viewed as being socially inferior by the white, Christian Englishman. These �Moors� who were now living in England were probably put on display to some extent as a kind of curiosity, and therefore, were most likely visible enough to lend an idea to the general English mind.

Trading continued with such countries as Morocco and Guinea for such items as gold, dates, gum arabic, horses, ivory, and sugar in exchange for English cloth. However, politics began to have a greater focal shift towards North Africa as well. Relations between Spain and England were rapidly deteriorating in the 1570s, and England�s fear of invasion increased (D�Amico 16). England found itself having a greater need for saltpeter, a dear military supply. English traders discovered that Morocco had a surplus of saltpeter as well as a need for iron bullets and other munitions. Against the protests of the Portuguese and Spanish, England went ahead with the trade of these items, with Queen Elizabeth stating that Morocco had its own leaders (i.e. not the Portuguese or Spanish) (17). In 1577, Mohammed El-Mesloukh, otherwise known as �the Black King� through his mother�s side, was overthrown by his uncle on his father�s side Abd El-Malik (D�Amico 16).

Trading merchants and English diplomats noted not only the differences of the lighter complexion of Malik, but also noted how he was �versed in the Old and New Testaments.� This view lent to the Elizabethan picture of a Moor as having lighter, or orientalized skin (20). Perhaps the greatest event to take place as an influence on Elizabethan England�s view of North Africa was in 1578 at the Battle of Alcazar. This battle drew the attention of all Europe not only because of the victory of the Moroccans, but by the fact that three kings died during this time (D�Amico 18). This battle �marked the end of Portuguese influence... and the eventual annexation by Spain� (21). El-Malik, who was believed to be poisoned during the battle, was succeeded by his brother Ahmed El-Mansour (meaning victorious) (20). El-Mansour�s position as king was unstable at best in the beginning, and he received political pressure from two areas of the world: the Spanish and the Ottoman Turks, two nations that just happened to be enemies at the time.

Equally inconvenient for Mansour was the fact that Spain possessed Moulay ech-Cheikh, the Christianized son of El-Mesloukh, who was otherwise known as �Don Philip of Africa� (D�Amico 21). The Turks also had their own pretender to the Moroccan throne, Mansour�s nephew Moulay Ismael, the son of El-Malik. With pressure from Spain in the North and from the Ottomans from the East, El-Mansour was forced into making an alliance with Spain in the form of a �mutual pact against the Turks� (22). England continued to be a factor in Moroccan history. Without the past Portuguese influence, Spain was an even greater threat than before: Whatever else may have happened, though trade and diplomacy could not wash the Moor white, they might make him look better than a Spaniard (22). Trade became institutionalized with the formation of The Barbary Company by Queen Elizabeth. In addition, an embassy of Moroccans were received by Elizabeth in 1600. The development of a bi-characterization of the Moor arose.

those merchants not belonging to The Barbary Company who preferred old, unregulated trade tended to characterize the Moor as being unpredictable and devious. These same characteristics were reversed by others, showing the Moor as being good business men or shrewd. Islam was characterized as being either, �too incontestably different or too appealingly the same� by world leaders (Bartels 439). Also along with a Moroccan envoy to England in 1600, there were two decrees issued by Elizabeth in 1599 and 1601, expelling Moors from Africa as well as Spanish Moriscos from the boundaries of England (Braxton 4). History plays its own part in how the Moor came into the spotlight of the Elizabethan era. Another source, perhaps closer to Shakespeare, was that of the literature of the period. Moors appear not only as subject matter in writings during this time, but as authors as well.

Two nooks that may have influenced people�s views of Africa were Hakluyt�s Principal Navigations, written in 1589, and John Leo Africanus� A Geographical Historie of Africa, which was widely read in Europe in the latter half of the 1500s and translated into English by John Pory in 1600 (Bartels 435). Hakaluyt�s work is characterized by descriptions of his personal travels through various areas of Africa. In regards to the idea of the Moor, he refers to their place of habitation as the �hither part of Africa which is now called Barbarie� (Bartels 439). The North African is further described as being orientalized and more �civilized� than the remainder of the continent. Unfortunately, Hakaluyt also makes the usual cross-terming by intertwining the word Moor with that of African, Negro, and �Ethiope� (438). The story of John Leo Africanus is not only of an author, but of a Spanish Morisco.

Born �Al-Hassan Ibn Mohammed Al-Wezaz Al-Fasi� in Granada, he traveled extensively throughout Africa and wrote a book about his experiences and observations (Bartels 437). Hailed as one of the least bigoted authors upon the subject of Africa, it is noted that his Geographical Historie is sans Anthropophagi (man-eaters) and �men whose heads / Do grow beneath their shoulders� (Bartels 436; Othello 146-7). Later one, Al-Fasi converted to Catholicism, making him an official Morisco, and was later renamed John Leo at his baptism by Pope Leo X, and later Africanus after his writings (Bartels 437). Such narratives from �experts� on Africa and political events led to works centering around the North Africa or Barbary area. Christopher Marlowe�s Tamburlaine the Great Part I depicts the character Bajazeth a �dread lord of Afric� with companions �great kings of Barbary� (D�Amico 45).

Robert Greene�s Orlando Furioso, written in 1594 depicts exotic rulers of distant lands such as the Soldan of Egypt and Mandricard, the king of Mexico (42). Peele�s The Battle of Alcazar, written one year after the actual event took place, depicts what seems consistent with English literature�s Moor: a dichotomy of bipolar opposites with the ruler Muly Hamet depicted as a �cruel blackamoor� and his uncle Abdil Melec as an orientalized dignified �white� Moor (Bartels 434). These dual images of the noble versus evil in terms of Moors goes on to reveal a series of further bipolar opposites: lighter versus darker, affluent versus ignorant, powerful versus weak, and outsider versus insider. Although the Moor is used by Shakespeare to depict that of the Other in society, there are varying degrees of Otherness. The character can be accepted within the society to a certain point or rejected completely due to other factors. Aside from these characteristics, it is also fascinating to note a similarity between all four of Shakespeare�s Moors: their sexuality and/or sexual relations with white European women.

Using the theory of bipolar opposites, I propose to contrast the characters of Othello, Caliban, Aaron, and the Prince of Morocco. Firstly, I will address the Moors who are not specifically pointed out as being Moors: the Prince of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice and Caliban from The Tempest. Both of these characters are Others due to their births. Caliban�s mother, Sycorax, was from Argier, otherwise known as Algiers in North Africa (Tempest 408). His mother is further characterized as being blue-eyed, and therefore it follows that she is most likely of Berber descent. The Prince of Morocco is another character who is not specifically referred to as a Moor by Shakespeare. He is given a country of origin in his very title, setting him apart as Other by his non-European and non-Venetian background. From what we know of history in this paper, he was most likely one of those �tawny� orientalized Moors that was romanticized into the exotic. His Otherness is due not only to his country, because every suitor Portia has except Bassanio is foreign, but his skin color.

He asks that Portia not judge him by his complexion, and goes on to describe it as the �livery� of the sun. The word livery denotes an outfit worn by a servant, offsetting Morocco�s noble blood which he proclaims ready to shed at a moment�s notice. The similarities between the Prince and Caliban then seem to diverge for a moment. Caliban is depicted as a deformed lowly servant of illegitimate birth (Tempest 461). Morocco is a man who plays an important role in Western society by mediating tensions between Europe and the Ottoman Empire (D�Amico 162). He has his own power, and is of noble birth aside from his coloring. In addition, the Prince of Morocco is shown as being noble on the inside, whereas Caliban is a monstrous schemer seeking to gain power, or at least a better master than Prospero. Prospero claims Caliban as being �a devil, a born devil, on whose nature / Nurture can never stick� (Tempest 450).

Portia, although she pokes jokes at all her foreign suitors says to Morocco that �yourself, renowned Prince, then stood as fair / As any comer I have looked on yet / For my affection� (Merchant 60). However, the Prince remains an outsider by the fact of his boasts of military conquests, scimitars, and nationality. The test of the caskets further lends to a sense of Otherness even if Morocco is not a true outsider. Only an insider of Venetian society could truly understand the double meanings of the written messages as well as the types of metals upon which they are inscribed. D�Amico points out that cultural relativism plays a part, showing Morocco�s trust that the words on the caskets are literal in meaning (173). When addressing the subject of Caliban, his part in society is non-existent in a sense because before the advent of the tempest, his society and world consisted of only three people. Being in such an artificial situation is painfully obvious by his switching of allegiance from Prospero, a nobleman, to that of Stephano, a drunken butler. This shows he is not versed in the social classes.

Although Caliban and the Prince of Morocco both play minor parts in Shakespeare�s plays, their Otherness is clearly defined by their ethnic backgrounds. Otherness also bleeds over with the Moor in main characters as well. Both Othello and Aaron are considered to be major characters in the plays Othello and Titus Andronicus. Even though each man is portrayed as being blackamoors, their treatment by Shakespeare also reflects several dichotomies. In reference to ethnicity and race, both Othello and Aaron are portrayed as being referred to as Moors. Although neither are named as being African or Negro, Othello�s �thick lips� and black skin are pointed out on several occasions (Othello 5). Aaron is also characterized as being a �blackamoor,� �raven-colored,� and possessing woolly hair (Titus 63). However, when reading Othello closely, I came upon two situations that lead to some speculation about Othello�s origins that would logically follow a doubt about Aaron as well. At the beginning of the play we have two characters, Iago and Roderigo, talking about how much they hate the Moor Othello.

Barbara Everett points out two interesting facts: the names of these men are Spanish in origin, not Italian as one would expect in Venice, and, more specifically, the name Iago is a shortened version of the Spanish name Santiago. Saint James of Spain, also known as �St. James the Moor-killer� assisted in the eleventh century Battle of Clavijo, which turned the tides in the Moorish-Spanish struggle for land control (103). In Spanish, Santiago is how one would say Saint James (104). Isn�t it convenient that Othello�s villainous enemy happens to be the namesake of a man noted for the slaughter of Spanish Moors? In addition, with this Spanish aspect inserted into the picture, could Othello be a Morisco? Furthermore, Aaron�s nationality or country of origin is vague in part because of the fact that the play Titus Andronicus is staged in ancient Rome, not at the turn of the seventeenth century like the other three plays. Othello and Aaron diverge in numerous ways. Othello is a definite Other due to his skin color, but is more of an insider than his Caucasian enemy Iago.

This is displayed in Iago�s assertion that in following Othello, he is following himself (Bartels 451). In addition, D�Amico states Brabantio, Desdemona�s father, doesn�t see Othello as any kind of threat or �someone to guard against� until after his daughters subsequent elopement (164). Aaron in Titus Andronicus is definitely an Other who can also be categorized as an outsider. Bartels notes that while �Aaron has the freedom and ability to manipulate and maneuver close to the court circle, he is still an underling servant with no possible avenue for advancement� (449). In act five, scene one, Aaron recognizes the fact that his complexion is a hindrance to societal acceptance, �thou mightest have been an emperor,� when speaking to his illegitimate blackamoor son by Tamora, queen of the Goths (Titus 111). Another separation between Othello�s Moor and Aaron is that of power in their environment. Othello serves a function within society whereas Aaron must manipulate in order to get anywhere. In Titus Andronicus, black is a threat and white is beloved.

This shows through in Tamora�s duplicitous dealings regarding her white son and her black son. At the opening of the play, we find Tamora pleading for the life of her white son to Titus Andronicus, but to no avail; he is murdered. Later on in the play when she gives birth to her son sired by Aaron, and the infant�s complexion uncovers Tamora�s infidelity with her slave, she orders Aaron to commit infanticide on his own son. The result is the opposite, however, and as far as we know, Aaron�s offspring is the only son who lives (Bartels 446). Lastly, one characterization that all four characters seem to share is that of the Moorish sexuality. All four men are portrayed as sexually aggressive in one form or another. Christian tradition at this time had the notion that Africans were descendants of Ham, the son of Noah who was cursed for gazing upon the naked body of his father (D�Amico 64). Also, the identification of Islam with polygamy and legal concubinage gave an image of a Moor who was �frequently represented as sexually unrestrained� (63-65).

Miscegenation and miscegenist desires were a common theme emerging in literature, for example, Aphra Behn�s Oroonoko. Although not portrayed specifically as a societal threat by Shakespeare, sexuality and the Moor were undivided in his plays. Othello, the �old black ram� is characterized as preoccupied with �making the beast with two backs� with the �white ewe� Desdemona (Bartels 448). In addition, Iago also mentions that he has heard a rumor that Othello is �tupping� his own wife. Aaron is the �raven colored lover� of Queen Tamora (443). The Prince of Morocco is a suitor to Portia; a man whose skin color has drawn �the best regarded virgins of our clime,� making the Prince not just sexual, but boastful as well (Merchant 59). Finally, in The Tempest, Prospero addresses Caliban: �I have us�d thee, / ...with human care, ... / till thou didst seek to violate / The honour of my child� (411).

Even Caliban, the lowliest Moor portrayed by Shakespeare�s plays, is involved with cross-racial desire. So many contradictory aspects surround the Elizabethan image of the Moor. The varied historical references point to differences in ethnic origin, religion, temperament, and savagery give forth two opposing sides to the tale of the Moor. Always an Other, Shakespeare uses the ideas of the Moor to create effective reflections of Elizabethan society�s ethnocentric view of other cultures. Ranging from the Morisco to the Negro, these widely diversified images still do not wipe out the fact that, good or evil, Othello, Caliban, the Prince of Morocco, and Aaron all lose in the end. Works Cited Bartels, Emily C. �Making More of the Moor: Aaron, Othello, and Renaissance Refashionings of Race.� Shakespeare Quarterly. 41.4 (1990): 433-452. Barthelemy, Anthony. Black Face, Maligned Race: The Representation of Blacks in English Drama from Shakespeare to Southerne. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1987. Braxton, Phyllis Natalie.

�Othello: The Moor and the Metaphor.� South Atlantic Review. 55.4 (1990): 1-17. Bryant, J.A. Jr. �Aaron and the Pattern of Shakespeare�s Villains.� Renaissance Papers. (1984): 29-36. Burshatin, Israel. �The Moor in Text: Metaphor, Emblem, and Silence.� Critical Inquiry. 12.1 (1985): 98-118. D�Amico, Jack. The Moor in English Renaissance Drama. Tampa: University of South Florida Press, 1991. Everett, Barbara. � �Spanish� Othello: The Making of Shakespeare�s Moor.� Shakespeare Survey. 35 (1982): 101-112. Jones, Eldred. The Elizabethan Image of Africa. Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 1971. Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Ed. Kenneth Myrick. New York: Signet, 1965. ---. Othello. Ed. David Bevington.

New York: Bantam Books, 1988. ---. The Tempest. Ed. Charles W. Eliot. New York: P.F. Collier & Sons, 1969. ---. Titus Andronicus. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Signet, 1964. SparkNotes: Othello: Character List Character List Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Othello - The play’s protagonist and hero. A Christian Moor and general of the armies of Venice, Othello is an eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by all those around him. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race. He possesses a “free and open nature,” which his ensign Iago uses to twist his love for his wife, Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive jealousy (I.iii.381). Read an in-depth analysis of Othello. Desdemona - The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabanzio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins.

While in many ways stereotypically pure and meek, Desdemona is also determined and self-possessed. She is equally capable of defending her marriage, jesting bawdily with Iago, and responding with dignity to Othello’s incomprehensible jealousy. Read an in-depth analysis of Desdemona. Iago - Othello’s ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer), and the villain of the play. Iago is twenty-eight years old. While his ostensible reason for desiring Othello’s demise is that he has been passed over for promotion to lieutenant, Iago’s motivations are never very clearly expressed and seem to originate in an obsessive, almost aesthetic delight in manipulation and destruction. Read an in-depth analysis of Iago. Michael Cassio - Othello’s lieutenant. Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier, whose high position is much resented by Iago. Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is extremely ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl on Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant. Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and friendship with Desdemona to play on Othello’s insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity.

Emilia - Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband. Roderigo - A jealous suitor of Desdemona. Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is convinced that if he gives Iago all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona’s hand. Repeatedly frustrated as Othello marries Desdemona and then takes her to Cyprus, Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio after Iago points out that Cassio is another potential rival for Desdemona. Bianca - A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Bianca’s favorite customer is Cassio, who teases her with promises of marriage. Brabanzio - Desdemona’s father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian senator. As a friend of Othello, Brabanzio feels betrayed when the general marries his daughter in secret. Duke of Venice - The official authority in Venice, the duke has great respect for Othello as a public and military servant.

His primary role within the play is to reconcile Othello and Brabanzio in Act I, scene iii, and then to send Othello to Cyprus. Montano - The governor of Cyprus before Othello. We see him first in Act II, as he recounts the status of the war and awaits the Venetian ships. Lodovico - One of Brabanzio’s kinsmen, Lodovico acts as a messenger from Venice to Cyprus. He arrives in Cyprus in Act IV with letters announcing that Othello has been replaced by Cassio as governor. Graziano - Brabanzio’s kinsman who accompanies Lodovico to Cyprus. Amidst the chaos of the final scene, Graziano mentions that Desdemona’s father has died. Clown - Othello’s servant. Although the clown appears only in two short scenes, his appearances reflect and distort the action and words of the main plots: his puns on the word “lie” in Act III, scene iv, for example, anticipate Othello’s confusion of two meanings of that word in Act IV, scene i.

In Shakespeares play Othello the Moor of Venice, Shakespeare cleverly uses the character known as Iago to personify realistic evil. - GCSE English - Marked by Teachers.com In Shakespeares play Othello the Moor of Venice, Shakespeare cleverly uses the character known as Iago to personify realistic evil. Extracts from this document... Introduction Hayden Kallas Mr. Beckers Honors English Literature February 25th 2012 In Shakespeare's play Othello the Moor of Venice, Shakespeare cleverly uses the character known as Iago to personify realistic evil. Shakespeare accomplishes this perfect personification of evil by bestowing Iago with the traits that lead to a state of amoralism and generalized evilness. The real difference with Shakespeare's writing is that the character Iago is not simply evil to the point that it is unrealistic but rather he has believable qualities that make him that way. One such trait is how manipulative Iago is. Another is his lack of moral boundaries. Then there is how incredibly clever and deceptive Iago is. Although not a trait, Iago's inherent evilness cannot help but be built upon by his allowing himself to become overtaken and obsessed with jealousy.

Another reason that Iago is a great personification of evil is because he so closely resembles historical and other literary figures that are generally considered to be evil as well. The first and foremost quality of Iago that makes him so amoral would have to be his manipulative actions. Iago is manipulative from the very beginning of the story starting with Act 1 scene 1in which he relates to Desdemona's father what has been going on with Desdemona's love life. ...read more. Middle their overall state of being, he is unbothered by stealing, and he does not shy away from the ultimate amoral action of killing a innocent human being. Although not a quality, Iago demonstrates jealousy which as everyone has been taught can only lead to amoral actions. Iago is jealous of 3 main things; he is jealous because he thinks he has been cuckold by Othello, he is jealous of the pure love between Othello and Desdemona, and he is jealous of Cassio for obtaining the position that Iago believed that he was much more qualified for.

In act 1 scene 3 Iago justifies his plotting against Othello by saying that " it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets 'has done my office." What Iago is saying is that he has heard a rumor that his own wife was cheating on him with Othello. Because of this, Iago feels insecure and jealous so he enacts revenge against Othello. The second time Iago falls prey to jealousy is when he decides to take down Desdemona and Othello's relationship. Iago's own relationship is obviously a little bit shaky because he is willing to believe that his wife was cheating on him. Because his relationship is not satisfactory, he is jealous of fresh unvarnished love. This is partially what leads him to plot the downfall of Othello's relationship. Then there is the jealousy of Cassio. ...read more. Conclusion The main attribute that warrants their comparison is that they both are clever in the sense that they know how to get what they want and they have no moral boundaries to prevent them from trying to achieve it. Hitler was also very manipulative. Hitler manipulated the German Workers party into adopting his own personal motives and thus created the Nazi party.

He did this by convincing them that it was in their own best interests to adopt those beliefs. A similar situation occurs in Othello when Iago convinces Roderigo that it he will get what he wants (Desdemona) if he acts in the way that Iago advises him to. Both Hitler and Satan are both generally considered evil, and because Iago so closely resembles them he must be evil as well. In summary, Iago is a personification of evil because of his qualities and the similarities between him and other evil characters. Iago is manipulative of all those around him. He has no moral boundaries to control his behavior. His jealousy causes him to act evilly. Iago is clever which by itself would not be bad, but is made so because he uses it for wrong. Finally Iago is considered evil because he shares the qualities of two of the most evil figures known. For these reasons it is concluded that Shakespeare has succeeded in creating a memorably evil character. ...read more. The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Othello section. Found what you're looking for?

Start learning 29% faster today 150,000+ documents available Othello, the Moor of Venice Essay - 681 Words The Moor of Venice the Skeleton of Shakespeare s Othello Essay ...The plot and story of Shakespeare’s Othello are taken nearly entirely from Giraldi Cinthio’s tale of The Moor of Venice, a novel that many consider to have been rescued from complete irrelevance solely by its connection to the highly acclaimed Shakespearean play. Proponents of simplicity and a focus on linear plotlines may argue that Cinthio’s novel is the “better” work, but the majority of theatre and literature enthusiasts value the detailed... 1916 Words | 5 Pages The Moor of Venice Essay ...The Moor of Venice Abhimanyu Prathap Group 4.2 Roll No. 86 English (Hons) Year 1 The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story Un Capitano Moro by Cinthio.

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It can be said that his motives are based solely on his insecurities due to the fact his goal in the play was to ruin Othello’s life. He does this by using psychological manipulation on Othello’s thoughts and makes him believe that Cassio and Desdemona are fond of each other.... 1303 Words | 4 Pages Othello by William Shakespeare Essay ...William Shakespeare’ Othello is an impressive work that is mainly dominated by the theme of jealously following love. These elements are bound together to create a tragedy so devastating it compels both the characters and audience. From the very start of the play the conversation between Roderigo and Iago during Othello and Desdemona’s elopement should make it clear to the audience that the play’s central themes would involve pure... 656 Words | 2 Pages Othello by William Shakespeare Essay ...Othello Extended Response – Othello written by William Shakespeare is one of the most famous plays ever written. Shakespeare’s use of language to convey deeper meanings in lines that appear to be quite superficial or simple. A deep analysis of Othello reveals the play is essentially about power.

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1239 Words | 4 Pages Othello by William Shakespeare | Analysis of Literary Work Analysis of Literary Work by: William Shakespeare A. PLAYWRIGHT BIOGRAPHY William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616)was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith.

Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later known as the King’s Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare’s private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613.His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime.

In 1623, John Heminges and Henry Condell, two friends and fellow actors of Shakespeare, published the First Folio, a collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare’s. It was prefaced with a poem by Ben Jonson, in which Shakespeare is hailed, presciently, as not of an age, but for all time. Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the 19th century. The Romantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare’s genius, and the Victorians worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence that George Bernard Shaw called “bardolatry”.In the 20th century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular today and are constantly studied, performed, and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world. B.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy byWilliam Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story Un Capitano Moro (“A Moorish Captain”) by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565. The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army; his new wife, Desdemona; his lieutenant, Cassio; and his trusted ensign, Iago. Because of its varied and current themes of racism, love, jealousy and betrayal, Othello is still often performed in professional and community theatres alike and has been the basis for numerous operatic, film and literary adaptations. Othello is an adaptation of the Italian writer Cinthio’s tale “Un Capitano Moro” (“A Moorish Captain”) from his Gli Hecatommithi (1565), a collection of one hundred tales in the style of Boccaccio’s Decameron.

No English translation of Cinthio was available in Shakespeare’s lifetime, and verbal echoes in Othello are closer to the Italian original than to Gabriel Chappuy’s 1584 French translation. Cinthio’s tale may have been based on an actual incident occurring in Venice about 1508.It also resembles an incident described in the earlier tale of “The Three Apples”, one of the stories narrated in the One Thousand and One Nights.Desdemona is the only named character in Cinthio’s tale, with his few other characters identified only as “the Moor” (Othello), “the squadron leader” (Cassio), “the ensign” (Iago), and “the ensign’s wife” (Emilia). Cinthio drew a moral (which he placed in the mouth of Desdemona) that European women are unwise to marry the temperamental males of other nations. C. TYPE The type of Othelloplay is implied in tragedy because the people are tested by great suffering and must face decisions of ultimate consequence (Dinurriyah. 2013: 70)..

· The tragedy can show from Iago’s character who always tells some lies and set against each other character even he gives bad suggestion, especially to Othello. OTHELLO : Get me some poison, Iago.—I’ll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unprovide my mind again;– this night, Iago. IAGO : Do it not with poison: strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated. OTHELLO: Good, good: the justice of it pleases: very good. (IV.i.84) · The Tragedy also shows from Iago kills the innocent persons even he kill his wife. RODERIGO : O, help me here! CASSIO : That’s one of them. IAGO : O murderous slave! O villain! [Stabs Roderigo] (V.i.104) —– IAGO : Villainous whore! EMILIA : She give it Cassio! No, alas, I found it, and i dis give’t my husband. IAGO : By heaven, I do not, I do not, gentlemen.—O murderous coxcomb! What should such a fool. Do with so good a wife?

[Iago stabs Emilia, and then runs out] · The most tragic happen when Othello has been killed his wife, then he got the truth story by Emilia that his wife is not guilty. EMILIA : O thou dull Moor! That handkerchief thou speak’st of, I found by fortune and give my husband: For often with a solemn earnestness,– More than, indeed, belong’d to such a trifle,– He begge’d of me to steal it. (V.ii.118) · The end of the play is also tragedy because Othello decide to kills himself. OTHELLO : I kiss’d thee ere I kill’d thee:– no way but this, [Falling upon Desdemona] Killing myself, to die upon a kiss. (V.ii.123) D. ELEMENTS 1) DIALOGUE Othello drama was written by William Shakespeare uses the conversation among the characters that is modelled like on real life. The purpose is to bring character to life by revealing their personalities and by showing what they are thinking and feeling as they react to other character. RODERIGO : Tush!

never tell me; I take it much unkindly That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this. IAGO : ‘Sblood, but you will not hear me: If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me. RODERIGO : Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy hate. (act. 1 scene 1) In Othello drama also use monologue. The monologue is often used by Iago. IAGO :Thus do I ever make my fool my purse: For I mine own gain’d knowledge should profane, If I would time expend with such a snipe. But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor: And it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sheets He has done my office: I know not if’t be true; But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety. He holds me well; The better shall my purpose work on him. Cassio’s a proper man: let me see now: To get his place and to plume up my will In double knavery–How, how?

Let’s see:– After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear That he is too familiar with his wife. He hath a person and a smooth dispose To be suspected, framed to make women false. The Moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, And will as tenderly be led by the nose As asses are. I have’t. It is engender’d. Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light. (act. 1 scene 3) 2) STYLE 1. Shakespeare’s use of diction is mainly that he is very clear in the emotions and the plans of characters. He lays out what a character’s plan is before he acts it out. He also has a tendency to retell the recent happenings. This way it is easy to figure out what has happened or what is going to happen even if you happen to miss it at the time in which it happens. He also frequently tells what person’s motives are behind their actions.

A perfect example of this are Iago’s expository speeches; where he dictates what he plans to do, what course of action he plans to take and why.IAGO: “… I’ll tell you what you shall do. Our general’s wife is now the general; … importune her help to put you in your place again: …” (II.iii.46) The effect of this type of diction is that the reader has a clearer and comprehensive understanding of what exactly is going on. 2. He uses imagery several times in the describing of various people as animals or in terms of comparing things. The most use of imagery concerns Othello and his various travels or especially his jealousy. This use of imagery is effective because in addition to having merely an idea of what is going on the reader can have a mental picture as well. These strong bouts of imagery are beneficial to the whole because they give strong pictures in which the general action of the work can be amplified.

Some such examples of these vivid images are when Othello is telling about the stories with the “men whose heads grow beneath their shoulders”.(Shakespeare 1622) Another form of imagery is when Iago has made Othello truly believe that Desdemona has committed adultery with Cassio after showing him her handkerchief. When Othello enters his ecstasy Iago offers a commentary that is full of imagery ”the lethargy must have his quiet ”.(Shakespeare 1622) This use of imagery gives the reader the amplified picture of the scene that is happening. The imagery is beneficial to the mental picture that the reader has while reading. RODERIGO Tush! Never tell me. I take it much unkindly That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this. IAGO If I do not. Three great ones of the city (In personal suit to make me his lieutenant) Off-capped to him, and by the faith of man I know my price, I am worth no worse a place.

But he (as loving his own pride and purposes) Evades them with a bombast circumstance Horribly stuffed with epithets of war, And in conclusion Nonsuits my mediators. For “Certes,” says he, “I have already chose my officer.” And what was he? One Michael Cassio, a Florentine (A fellow almost damned in a fair wife) That never set a squadron in the field, Nor the division of a battle knows More than a spinster—unless the bookish theoric, 3. SYMBOL Desdemona’s Handkerchief:faith and fidelity Othello’s mother used the handkerchief to keep his father faithful to her, so he wants to use it to keep Desdemona faithful to him. It was woven by a 200 year old prophet, using silk from sacred worms and die extracted from the hearts of mummified virgins. This shows how cherished the handkerchief is. Willow Song: feelings of alienation and isolation As she prepares for bed Desdemona sings a song about a woman who is betrayed by her lover.

She was taught the song by her mother’s maid, Barbary, who suffered a misfortune similar to that of the woman in the song; she even died singing “Willow.” The song suggests that both men and women are unfaithful to one another. To Desdemona, the song seems to represent a resigned acceptance of her alienation from Othello’s affections, and singing it leads her to question Emilia about the nature and practice of infidelity. Candle:Desdemona’s fragile life Othello blows out the candle just before he strangles Desdemona. As Othello is standing over her bed he says “put out the light, then put out the light” as he blows out the candle, and then strangles her. the flame on the candle represents her youth; how she was young and vibrant. Setting of place: • Starts in Verona. Act 2 and beyond are in Cyprus. • “Third Gentleman: The ship is here put in, a Veronesa. Michael Cassio, Liutenant to the Warlike moor Othello, is come on shore.

The moor himself at sea and is in full commission here for Cyprus.” (Act 2, scene 1, page 2) • What they are really saying: The ship sailing into the harbor is from Verona. Michael Cassio, Lieutenant of the moor Othello has arrived on shore. The moor himself is still at sea. He’s been commissioned to come here to Cyprus. Setting of time: • early 1600s • “The play we call Othello was printed in two different versions in the first quarter of the 17th century. In 1622 appeared the tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. • It was written by William Shakespeare and performed at the Globe and at the Black-Friars, by His Majesties Servants. (An Introduction to This Text, page XLV) · Othello: gullible, prideful, jealous Othello : I gave her such a one; ‘twas my first gift. Iago : I know not that; but such a hankerchief –/ I am sure it was your wive’s – did I today/ See Cassio wipe his beard with.

Othello : If’t be that – Iago : If it be that, or any that was hers,/ It speaks against her with the other proofs. Othello : O, that the slave had forty thousand lives! One is too poor, too weak for my revenge. Now do I see ‘tis true. Look here, Iago, All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven ‘Tis gone. Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell! Yield up, O love, they crown and hearted throne To tyrannous hate! Swell, bosom, with thy fraught, For ‘tis of aspics’ tongues!” (Act 3, Scene 3) Indirect Characterization: Othello’s words show how easily he is convinced · Iago: conniving, devious, condescending, evil “Iago : Thus do I ever make my fool my purse. For I mine own gained knowledge should profane If I would time expend with such a snipe But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets ‘Has done my office.

I know not if ‘t be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety. He holds me well. the better shall my purpose work on him. Cassio’s a proper man. Let me see now: To get his place and to plume up my will In double knavery – How? how? – Let’s see. After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear That he is too familiar with his wife. He hath a person and a smooth dispose To be suspected, framed to make women false The Moor is of a free and open nature That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, And will as tenderly be led by th’ nose As asses are. I have ‘t. It is engendered. Hell and night Must bring forth this monstrous birth to the world’s light.” (Act 1, Scene 3) Indirect Characterization: Iago’s words reveal his manipulative plan, and his likewise nature · Desdemona: chaste, devoted, caring, affectionate “Desdemona : My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty. To you I am bound for life and education.

My life and education both do learn me How to respect you. You are the lord of duty. I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband. And so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess/ Due to the Moor my lord.” (Act 1, Scene 3) Indirect Characterization: Desdemona stands up to her father and swears her loyalty to her husband. · Cassio: loyal, honorable, compassionate “Iago: Well, happiness to their sheets! Come, lieutenant, I have a stoup of wine; and here without are a brace of Cyprus gallants that would fain have a measure to the health of black Othello. Cassio: Not tonight, good Iago. I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking. I could well wish courtesy would invent some other custom of entertainment. Iago: O, they are our friends! But one cup; I’ll drink for you. Cassio: I have drunk but one cup tonight, and that was craftily qualified too, and behold what innovation it makes here.

I am unfortunate in the infirmity and dare not task my weakness with any more.” (Act 2, Scene 3) Indirect Characterization: Casssio denies Iago’s offer of a drink, showing that he feels compelled to stay sober for his watch. 6. PLOT The drama of Othello – The Moor of Venice include as natural plot because chronological sequence of the events arrangement where actions continuously take place as an end result of the previous action. We can analysis the plot of Othello based on the framework of plot. · Exposition: The Othello play begins in the midst of argument between Roderigo and Iago on a street in Venice. Roderigo is a rich man who wants Desdemona and he has been paying Iago to help him to get Desdemona. But, Iago explains to Roderigo that Desdemona has secret married by Othello, the moor of venice. Iago has plan to complaining about Othello to Brabantio, Desdemona’s father.

The following quotation of Iago’s complaint to Brabantio: IAGO: “I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.”(I.i.9) Brabantio with his officers decide to find Desdemona, but Iago leaves Roderigo and Brabantio to Othello’s lodgings firstly to hide the Iago’s hatred to Othello.Iago tells to Othello that Brabantio wants pressure him to divorce Desdemona. Suddenly, Cassiocomes with an urgent message from duke that Othello’s help is needed in the matter of imminent Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The following dialog quotation of the statement above:CASSIO: “Something from Cyprus, as I may divine:………Are at the duke’s already: you have been hotly call”d for;” (I.ii.13) Brabantio, his officers and Roderigo arrive in Othello lodgings; he interrupts the duke’s military meeting and accuses Othello of stealing his daughter by witchcraft.Othello explains that he wooed Desdemona not by witchcraft but by his adventures in travel and war.

Desdemona confirms Othello’s explanation and insist to accompany her husband on his trip to Cyprus. The following of Desdemona’s request: DESDEMONA: “… A moth of pease, and he go to the war, … by his dear absence. Let me go with him”. (I.iii.23) In Cyprus, Othello announces a party to celebrate victory over the Turks and his new marriage. In that party, Iago persuades Cassio to get drunk and sends Roderigo to start a fight with him. Cassio stabs Montano, the governor of Cyprus. Because of that the alarms ring, Othello arrive and Iago tells of what happened, pretending to not want to incriminate Cassio. Cassio gets the sack from Othello’s service. Iago encourages Cassio to persuade Desdemona to plead his case to Othello. The following quotation of Iago persuades Cassio: IAGO: “… I’ll tell you what you shall do.

Our general’s wife is now the general; … importune her help to put you in your place again: …” (II.iii.46) · Complication: Desdemona informs Cassio that she will do whatever it takes to get him reinstated. Othello enters the room and Cassio exits. Desdemona’s entreaties to Othello to reinstate Cassio as lieutenant add to Othello’s almost immediate conviction that his wife is unfaithful. In the supper, Desdemona finds Othello feeling unwell. She offers him her handkerchief but she drops to the floor. Emilia picks it up and gives to Iago, which he put the handkerchief in Cassio’s room as evidence of his affair with Desdemona. When Othello demands visual evidence that his wife is unfaithful, Iago claims to have seen Cassio wiping his beard with Desdemona’s handkerchief.

The following of Iago claims: IAGO: “… I am sure it was your wife’s – did I today see Cassio wipe his beard with.” (III.iii.66) In the evening, Othello demands the handkerchief of Desdemona, but she tells she does not have it and attempts to change the subject by continuing her suit on Cassio behalf. This conductive Othello into a further rage and storm it but Desdemona believes Othello is upset by a political matter. The following of statement above: DESDEMONA: … pray you, let Cassio be receiv’d again. OTHELLO: fetch me the handkerchief… DESDEMONA: … you’ll never meet a more sufficient man. OTHELLO: the handkerchief!” (III.iv.71-72). · Climax: Iago continuous tells that Cassio has told him about sleeping with Desdemona. Othello becomes so consumed by jealousy that he falls into a trance. After Othello awakes, Iago tells him of the meeting he has planned with Cassio to observe the two as they discuss Cassio’s affair Desdemona.

He asks Othello to hide nearby and watch Cassio’s expression. Actually, Iago speaks Cassio’s affair with Bianca, a prostitute not Desdemona. Othello sees Cassio laughing and confirm Othello’s suspicions. Othello determines to poison Desdemona, but Iago convinces him that strangling her in his bed. The following of Othello’s suspicions: OTHELLO: (Aside) so, so, so, so:theylaught that win. (IV.i.77) Lodovico comes to Othello and gives a letter calling Othello back to Venice, Desdemona is happy and Othello strikes her. On that night, Othello accuses Desdemona of being a whore but she denies it. Desdemona goes to bed and suspecting that she will never wake up.

The following quotation of Desdemona and Emilia dialogue that she will die: DESDEMONA: “… If I do die before thee, pr’ythee, shroud me in one of those same sheets.” (IV.iii.98) · Falling Action: Iago accuses Roderigo that everything is going as planned; in order to prevent Desdemona and Othello from leaving, Roderigo must kill Cassio. Then, he will get a chance to his love. Iago instructs Roderigo to ambush Cassio. Roderigo stabs Cassio but is unable to harm him. Cassio stabs Roderigo and Iago stabs Casso and run away. Lodovico and Graziano enter to see the commotion. Then, Iago enters and pretend rage as he discover Cassio’s assailant Roderigo. Immediately, Iago stab and kill Roderigo. The following quotation that Iago kills Roderigo: IAGO: “O murderous slave! O villain! [Stabs Roderigo].”(V.i.104) Meanwhile, Othello is preparing to kill his wife in their bedchamber.

Desdemona wakes and attempt to plead but Othello smothers her until Desdemona died. Emilia enters and Othello tells that he has killed Desdemona which Iago brought to his attention. Emilia realizes what Iago has done and tells him the truth about the handkerchief. Othello crushed and tries to kill Iago, but Iago kills Emilia and run away. The following quotation of Iago stabs and kills his wife:EMILIA: “O murderous coxcomb! What should such a fool. Do with so good a wife? [Iago stabs Emilia and then runs out].” (V.ii.118) · Resolution: Iago caught by Lodovico and Montano. Then, Othello wounds Iago and disarmed. Lodovico tells Othello that he must back to Venice. Othello makes a speech and kills himself with a sword. The speech is continuous by Lodovico that he gives Othello’s house and goods to Graziano and orders that Iago be executed.

The following quotation of Othello’s speech: OTHELLO: “I kiss’d thee ere I kill’d thee:– no way but this, [Falling upon Desdemona] Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.” (V.ii.123) 7. THEME There are several themes that use by Othello drama, they are jealousy, race and hate · Jealousy, the play is a study of how jealousy can be fueled by mere circumstantial evidence and can destroy lives. IAGO :O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on; (3.3.15) · Race, Othello is one of the first black heroes in English literature. A military general, he has risen to a position of power and influence. At the same time, however, his status as a black-skinned foreigner in Venice marks him as an outside and exposes him to some pretty overt racism. IAGO :Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe.

Arise, arise; Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you. Arise I say! (1.1.9) · Hate, the play’s villain is motivated by a hatred that seems to elude any reasonable definition. IAGO :Though I do hate him as I do hell’s pains Yet for necessity of present life, I must show out a flag and sign of love, Which is indeed but sign. (1.1.152-155) Share this:

Question: Which Shakespeare character is known as The Moor of Venice?
Answer: Othello