Essay on Act One Of Othello - 2439 Words

What Is Shakespeare’s Achievement In Act I Of Othello? Shakespeare’s own personal aim was not to write a social and political reflection of his era, as many contemporary readers believe, it was; purely and simply, to entertain his audience. This does not mean that there can be no social and political reflections within Othello, it means that the reflections are there, not for the sake of social and political commentary, but for the sake of entertainment and pleasure. Aristotle explained in â€Å"Poetics† that the audience’s pleasure consists not merely in observing the play, but criticizing, evaluating and making comparisons. These activities produce pleasure, thus it is not a mindless pleasure. There must be intellectual and emotional†¦show more content†¦Othello is described by Iago as being pompous and immodest, Iago is only serving Othello to â€Å"serve [his] turn upon him†, this immediately shows the self-serving nature of Iago. We are quickly shown that Iago is bitter and twisted that he has no t gained the rank of Othello’s lieutenant, thus his estimation of Othello is not fully believed or accredited by the audience. Furthermore Iago goes on to admit to his own deceptive nature by explaining he is not what he seems to be, he explains â€Å"I am not what I am†. In the first scene Iago launches into a speech of how he despises â€Å"knee-crooking knave† who serves his master for nothing but â€Å"provender† (bed and board). He then explains how he admires the servant who wears a â€Å"visage of duty† while serving no one but himself. These servants â€Å"have lined their coats† and then when they have used their master for money they â€Å"Do themselves homage†. Iago, once more, confesses to being one of these self serving and deceptive men. By showing Iago’s true colours, Shakespeare is casting Iago’s view of Othello in a very low estimation. Shakespeare’s initial portrayal of Roderigo, is of a rather dim and naà ¯ve man. Firstly, he has paid a clearly dishonest self serving man, Iago, to promote a match between him and Desdemona, to her father, Brabantio. Secondly, nearly all Roderigo’s conversation consists of subservient comments towards the manipulative Iago. He is constantly agreeing andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Act One of Othello by William Shakespeare Essay1474 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Act One of Othello by William Shakespeare Act 1 is an exceptionally indicative passage of writing in which Shakespeare attempts to divulge the coarse essence of Iagos nature to the audience. Indeed, by the conclusion of line 66 the audience not only understands - in broad terms - Iagos motives and grievances, but also something of the manner in which he intends to consummate Read MoreAct One Scene 3 of William Shakespeares Othello Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesAct One Scene 3 of William Shakespeares Othello Referring to the passage in page 155, I have analysed several points in conjunction to background knowledge, in attempt to answer the task set above. Initially, I feel that it is very important to relate to the character of Iago. As a character, Iago has the potential to be a man of extreme power but he does not have the tool that we refer to as money. All that he has is ambition; and he remains malcontent until he attainsRead MoreCharles Thao. Mrs. Koth. 4Th Hour. 4/6/17. William Shakespeare’S,717 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s, Othello, a character named Iago said â€Å"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy: It is a green-eyed monster.† In present day, this quote would mean the word jealousy. Shakespeare is believed to be warning people people that jealousy widely effective and could cause havoc. In The Tragedy of Othello, by William Shakespeare, the feeling of jealousy can make people change their feelings towards something and make them pursue what they want. The first act of Othello is already into actionRead MoreOthellos Tragic Flaws746 Words   |  3 PagesShakespeare’s plays often had the downfall of a hero in it. In the play Othello: the tragic hero, Othello who is a larger than life character has earned a high rank in life as well as the military. He is a much respected man even though he is black. And has married a white woman named Desdemona. But when he makes the decision to make Casio Lieutenant instead of Iago, Iago makes a plan to destroy Othello’s life completely. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is not being faithful and is cheating on him withRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Othello1294 Words   |  6 PagesIn Shakespeare’s play Othello, tragedy unfolds on the account of one man’s actions, Iago. He is a twenty eight year old military veteran from Venice. His personality consists of being obsessive, manipulative, relentless, and bold. From the beginning he expressed his hatred toward s the Moor, or North African named Othello. Othello is a highly respected general and is also married to the pure Desdemona. The marriage between Othello and Desdemona is destroyed due to Iago’s actions and lies. His actionsRead MoreDifference of Othellos Behaviour in Act One and Act Two981 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish Literature - Othello How is Othello’s behaviour in Act Two different from his behaviour in Act One? How do you account for this change? What consequences do you think it will have? In Act One, Othello appeared to be in control of his emotions. When Brabantio confronts Othello, accusing him of stealing and raping his daughter Desdemona by means of witchcraft, Othello is calm and tells his men to stop the fighting. Although he is being accused of kidnapping and raping Desdemona, in whichRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare923 Words   |  4 PagesA noticeable theme throughout Othello is that looks are not always what they appear to be. We see this right from the start and all the way to the end. The characters take what they hear and interpret and mold it so that what they see automatically fits into the mental mold they have already created, therefore confirming their suspicions. Iago makes use of a deadly weapon, his words, to mislead characters into misinterpreting what they see. The characters in Othello are unable to recognize the hiddenRead MoreChenjie Chai. Ms. Milliner. Cuny Ela Period 2. 1/19/2016.1397 Words   |  6 Pages Essay Shakespeare s famous play of love turned bad by unfounded jealousy. His Othello also tells a sad story. The story begins in Venice with Iago, a soldier under Othello s command arguing with a wealthy Venetian, Roderigo. Roderigo has paid Iago a considerable sum of money to spy on Othello for him, since he wishes to take Othello s girlfriend, Desdemona as his own. The story to this as the main line, there have been many tragic things. In the storyRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1012 Words   |  5 PagesTo reach Desdemona specifically is unforeseeable for Iago considering that Othello is better than him. It is consequently that Iago chooses to adventure Othello. In the event that Iago can turn Othello against his own particular wife he will have vanquished his restriction. Act III Scene III, is vital in light of the fact that it is the point in the play where Iago starts to build up his control of Othello. Cassio feels that it is important to look for the assistance of Desdem ona keeping in mindRead MoreEmpathy Is The Absence Of Empathy1207 Words   |  5 PagesIn Shakespeares’Othello, there are a number of apparent cases where the characters, one in specific, portrays the lack of empathy and remorse, manipulation, pathological lying and impassivity. With the evidence gathered, I am urged to believe that the lack of empathy not only affects the individual, but it also extends and directly affects others in a society. The lack of empathy gets any early start in Othello. Act I Scene I opens with Roderigo and Iago having a slight argument. Rodergio lusts after