The Two Settings of Othello - 1184 Words

Effects of the Environment in Othello In The Tragedy of Othello, an epic tale of love and revenge, Shakespeare introduces major themes of jealousy and self-preservation. Shakespeare uses sharp contrast of settings to convey and amplify feelings brought on by the characters’ actions. The civilized city of Venice and the cut off island of Cyprus bring out the differences in personalities among the main characters, leading them to act as different as the two settings. Venice keeps these characters more dignified in their actions with the overwhelming feeling of the council/public watching. However, Cyprus is much more secluded, giving the characters the chance to show their true colors. Desdemona is introduced as an adventurous and†¦show more content†¦Iago informs Roderigo of Desdemona’s alleged affair and instructs him to â€Å"knock out his brains. (Shakespeare, 1080)† Being in Cyprus, Iago was changed from being powerless to the most powerful. Iago wa s able to manipulate everyone close to him by using the power Othello gave him. Out of all three characters, Othello is the one that changed the most. Othello began as a well-respected general of the Venetian forces and ends as a murderer. While in Venice, Othello is the man the council looks to for military leadership. Othello is not the most powerful man in Venice; he is forced to go where the council feels is necessary. This can be seen in the play when he is instructed to report to Cyprus for military duties. Othello is also a man of trust. He puts all his trust in ‘Honest’ Iago to keep his wife safe in times of war. Othello tells the council, â€Å"So please your grace, my ancient; A man he is of honesty and trust. To his conveyance I assign my wife, With what else needful your good grace shall think, To be sent after me. (Shakespeare, 1018)† But while in Cyprus, Othello is the most powerful man because he is the commanding officer. However, this power has m ade him loose trust in almost everyone around him and led to his insanity. Othello begins changing from a confident and secure man to a self-doubting individual. He shows this by doubting the faithfulness in his marriage. Even though Iago plants the seed ofShow MoreRelatedComparison between Othello and Skin1414 Words   |  6 Pagestexts Othello and Skin. To what extent are the differences between the two texts treatment of this theme due to their different historical and cultural contexts? Othello and Skin are both excellent examples of how the outsider is topic in which society is intrigued by. Both Sandra and Othello are both victims of their time and geographical setting, as well as being considered different due to their race and achievements. Although there are a great number of common themes through both Othello andRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Othello The Moor Of Venice Essay1743 Words   |  7 Pages ‘Without setting, characters are simply there, in a vacuum, with no reason to act and most importantly, no reason to care.’ The setting gives place for a narrative to begin and evolve from, without a strong setting some texts may be difficult to interpret without extra contextual and historical knowledge of the time period of which it was written. Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice written 1603 was set in Italy, in the Venetian Republic . This setting was gaining popularityRead MoreThemes of Blame and Justice in Othello Essay979 Words   |  4 PagesThe Play Othello first performed in 1604 written by Shakespeare was a play that portrayed the problems faced in society regarding blame and justice. He showed this by using the setting of Venice where almost everyone was rich, living in houses based in the most powerful part of Italy. Shakespeare used race which tied into the setting as the main character, a black man living in a white society. H e used gender to portray labels and to show how different sexes were treated. Shakespeare is showing usRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Othello, By William Shakespeare1040 Words   |  5 Pagesthemes and ideas lead to greater understanding, appreciation and insight of both the old and the new. The texts Othello, William Shakespeare (1600) and Othello, Geoffrey Sax (2001), ring true for this statement. Despite the differing contexts and ages, the universal themes of racism and betrayal bring new meaning to each of the texts. The primary meaning from the juxtaposition of the two is that of the human condition, and how the problems faced in the 17th century are faced in modern times. The overarchingRead MoreRacial Integrity Act Of 1924 And Mildred Loving1479 Words   |  6 Pagesthe only thing that matters. In the play, Othello by William Shakespeare, the book Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, and the article, â€Å"The Meaning Of Serena Williams† by Claudia Rankine, race is a major topic, and it is continuously argued in different ways. The status quo of race is challenged in these written pieces through the use of multiple literary techniques. These texts utilize the devices of minor character impact, difference in setting, and thematic structure to demonstrate theRead MoreThe Secret River By Kate Grenville And William Shakespeare1467 Words   |  6 Pageswritten by Kate Grenville in 2006. William Shakespeare’s play Othello was written in 1603 and set in Venice. Kate Grenville and William Shakespeare used compositional features to express both similar and different ideas of difference and power. They have cohesive ideas of power such as the use of structure and symbolism to convey power however, differ in their structure. They both expressed race through the context of the novel, setting, narrative perspective and imagery. However, 17th century englishRead MoreAnalysis Of Othello And Trifles 1106 Words   |  5 Pagesglance or giving a slight ear to the two plays â€Å"Trifles† and â€Å"Othello† the differences can be very noticeable. â€Å"Othello† was written by a man William Shakespeare and â€Å"Trifles† by a women Susan Glaspell. While Glaspell authored her play in the twentieth century, Shakespeare on the other hand penned his play in the seventeenth century. â€Å"Trifles† theme dealt with isolation whereas jealousy was the theme in â€Å"Othello†. When taking a closer look and compare the two the use of verbal irony, situationalRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1218 Words   |  5 PagesIn a historical time period where emphasis was shifting from rel igion to race and ethnicity, key indicators of differences that perpetuated into racial prejudice and racial ideologies are evident in Othello by William Shakespeare. Although racism was not fully formed at this moment in history, Othello can be interpreted as a representation and an exploration of this shift in ideology. In the past, before this change toward racial differences, religion was the major segretory factor in signifyingRead MoreEssay on A Comparison of Othello and the Movie O1548 Words   |  7 PagesA Comparison of Othello and the Movie O When Shakespeare composed the tragedy Othello televisions were not. Along with no televisions, life in the late 1500s had many different qualities than it does today. This time period had no war on drugs and no high school shootings. Peer pressure was not an issue. The audiences of Othello in the 1500s did not face the circumstances that we, American high school students, face today. With these significant differences in daily life, come the attemptsRead MoreMedea and Othello1559 Words   |  7 PagesTwo tragedies from two different time period, Medea and Othello show similarities and differences in their characters, story plots and settings. Euripedes’ Medea written in the classical period and Shakespeare’s Othello written in the romantic era, the two tragedies shows different feel of what tragedies are. First of all, the most obvious difference between these two play is how Medea shows unities (time, place and action) whilst Othello has none. It’s clearly shown in the first scene, as soon