Abstract
This paper argues that "Othello" is a play filled with sharply contrasted oppositional forces that are often in the form of deep-seated human emotions. Through an exploration of Venice and Cypress, the two main symbolic locations of the play, the paper considers how characters reinforce the play's themes. For example, the writer notes that the play's move from Venice to Cypress is a move from order and rationality to lawlessness and chaos. The writer discusses that it is in Cypress that Iago's poison takes hold, where he is able to bend Othello's rational mind to feed on jealousy and revenge. The writer concludes that the two major geographic settings in the play, Venice and Cypress, are symbolically reinforced by the principle characters and events, which occur in these two locations.

From the Paper
"Othello is fraught with sharply contrasted oppositional forces; dichotomies, often in the form of deep-seated human emotions, abound. Themes explored in Othello include the contrast between surface manner - polished social forms - and inner nature, which is portrayed as a dangerous force waiting just beneath the veneer of social convention. The most obvious example of this is Iago's practiced exterior of a plain and honest soldier, a dutiful follower of Othello, and Iago's inner self - a diabolical inner man bent on chaos, destruction, and revenge. But virtually all of the play's major characters share a dangerous inner life - all but Desdemona and Michael Cassio. Even calm, rational Othello is driven to near madness as the Serpent jealousy takes hold of him. Such oppositional forces are central to an understanding of the play. The forces of fear and chaos are prominent themes, threatening to sweep away the calm and stability of the city of Venice, a city - at least in the play - ruled and maintained by order, rationality, and law."

Tags:Shakespeare, Othello, Iago, the Moor, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo

Abstract
No play of Shakespeare's intersects with the pertinant issues of our time more frequently than Othello. Indeed, the play's themes of prejudice and racism strike home with modern readers. Bearing this in mind, this paper argues that Othello establishes a binary opposition between the Christian and Heathen worlds as established in the play. It looks at how this black and white world view allows Iago to attempt to paint Othello in the darkest possible light, by playing upon Othello's origins, race, and cultural background to discredit and destroy him.

From the Paper
"Othello, like other works of fiction, establishes symbolic locations or a symbolic geography. As Alvin Kernan notes, "every play, or work or art, creates its own particular image of space and time, its own symbolic world" (lvx). Othello is dominated by three main spaces: Venice, city of order and rationality; Cypress, a wild outpost on the edges of Venetian rule, continually threatened by the Turks; and the outer world, a vague space of chaos, fear, and irrationality. This third space is inhabited by the Turks, the "general enemy" (1.3.48), along with a host of monstrous forces. The Turks share the outer world of the play with wild, perverse forces: "cannibals that each other eat" (142), and grotesque images of men "whose heads grow beneath their shoulders" (143-44). Simply stated, in the world created by the geography of the play, Venice is a Christian stronghold, a city ruled by law and reason. "

Tags:Desdemona, Iago, Brabantio

Abstract
This paper attempts to establish the character Othello in Shakespeare's Othello as a classic tragic hero as defined by Aristotle. The paper gives the various theories of Aristotle as found in his 'Poetics' related to tragedy and tragic hero.

Tags:othello, tragic, hero

Abstract
This paper analyzes the role of Iago in Shakespeare's "Othello". The author examines the character's behavior throughout the play and looks at the way his character influences events in the play.

From the Paper
"In act 3, scene 3 of Shakespeare's Othello, Iago has begun his attack on fortress Othello by planting the seeds of jealousy in his head, and by acting as nothing more than the caring friend who seems to be genuinely worried about Othello. He works up Othello to the point where Othello is interested in his thoughts, and then when asked as to what he is holding from him, Iago says "Utter my thoughts" Why, say they are vile and false? (3.3.159-60). By this he seems to Othello as a friend who is holding back information from him, someone who is worried about Othello's well being."

Tags:iago, othello, shakespeare, evil, revenge, twist, tragedy

Abstract
This paper examines Shakespeare's villain Iago in "Othello". The paper portrays Iago's different persona which are projected so skillfully, the central ones being of the villain and the arch-hypocrite. The paper illustrates the apparent identity crisis as Iago, who is supposedly the arch-villain of the play, spends a great deal of his time masquerading around as the honest, truthful, helping friend. The writer points out that Iago constructs his identity and his actions around the way others see him, which ultimately reveals his own insecurity about both his masculinity, and more importantly, his identity.

From the Paper
"Shakespeare's main character, Othello, is the first to announce Iago's honesty, "my Ancient./A man he is of honesty and trust" (1.3. 281-82). Considering the fact that Othello and Iago have served together in various military campaigns, it tends to put "honesty" into the context of the "soldier persona." That is, Iago's reputation for truthfulness relies heavily on his blunt speaking as a soldier, moreover, that sort of tough realism that spills over into cynicism. In favor of this military complex creating Iago's "honesty," Michael Cassio points out, "He speaks home, madam; you may relish him more in the soldier than in the scholar" (2.1. 162-163). Cassio is implying that Iago's very mannerisms stem from his militaristic nature, not his scholarly views. He is not alone with this judgment, many of the other characters hold the same convictions against Iago. Montano demands of Iago to tell the truth in his report of Cassio's drunken behavior to Othello, warning that if "Thou dost deliver more or less than truth,/thou art no soldier" (2.3. 213-14). Iago himself uses these expectations to his own benefit, for when Othello forewarns that he will damn him if he is lying, Iago offers to resign his post, vaguely protesting: God buy you: take mine office. O wretched fool, That lovist to make thine honesty a vice! O monsterous world! Take note, take note, O world! To be direct and honest is not safe. (3.3. 373-76) Here, Iago insists that it is his vary nature to be honest, and that such exploitations of his so called "soldier persona," with its license both to speak bluntly and unmask underhanded dealings, is in fact an attack on his very values and virtues."

Tags:betrayal, desdemona, envy, honest, jealousy, murder, psychopath, sociopath, villain, cassio

Abstract
This paper shows that, despite Shakespeare's genius in his play, "Othello", it becomes virtually unmistakable that the author is presenting a cautionary tale of love and desire. The paper argues that, through his creations, their plight, and various techniques, Shakespeare conveys his sentiments about women, forewarning the reader about the perils of devotion, passion, and the danger of being wholly embroiled by these emotions.

From the Paper
"Iago's right hand fop, Roderigo, exhibits those same embroiled emotions which bind him to that "viscous cycle" of the play, making him a prime example of the fate due to characters consumed by passion. His desires, however, are more single-minded as Othello's and easily established, for this reason his tragic star will burn the brightest and shortest. First note on Roderigo: He is no better than Iago, he is a lackey and a villain, a fool. "Natural law for Iago, as for Edmund of King Lear, is Hobbesian a matter of animal appetites promoted by cleverness, with the strongest and the shrewdest winning out" (Snyder 27). This is also true with Roderigo."

Tags:Desdemona, Roderigo

Abstract
The author of this paper traces the subject of love through many Shakespeare works. Sonnets and plays are examined. The author then puts an emphasis on Othello and includes lavish quotes from the play in an attempt to describe love's role in the action and characters.

From the Paper
"Other than in Romeo and Juliet, which is a romantic tragedy, love plays a part in Othello more than in any of Shakespeare's other tragedies. Othello and Desdemona are presumed to be in love. Roderigo chases after the love of Desdemona. Iago is jealous of the love between Othello and Desdemona and Iago's plots are all based on proving to Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are in love. Although love clearly plays a large role in the play, it is debatable whether this love is true love. This is especially true for the love between Othello and Desdemona. In order to determine what Shakespeare intended their love to be perceived as, it is possible to look at how Shakespeare has defined true love in other works. According to his definition, clearly Othello's love for Desdemona is not true love, however; Desdemona's love for Othello, is indeed true love that remains unbroken throughout the play."

Tags:love, othello, shakespeare, sonnets, true

Abstract
This paper discusses Othello's soliloquy from William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice". This soliloquy is critical for framing the dramatic center of the play. Using the play as the primary text and beginning with a brief summary of what has happened up to this point, the paper presents a discussion of the critical third scene soliloquy of Othello. An analysis of the characters of both Othello and Iago follows logically into an explanation of Artistotle's catharsis, the emotional roots of the play.

From the Paper
"We find that Iago, who has been scheming from the first Act of the work, turns his full powers upon Othello. From line thirty-four and following, we see Iago directly attack Othello's emotions, both to suggest that Cassio is up to no good with Othello's wife, and that she herself is succumbing to his charms as seducer. "Ha! I like not that!" Iago proclaims when he and Othello come upon Desdemona and Cassio speaking together (III.iii.34). The timing of events is very important in Act III. Iago anticipates and manipulates the other characters so skillfully that they seem to be acting simultaneously of their own free will and as Iago's puppets."

Tags:moor, venice, iago

Abstract
This essay exemplifies how tragedy through deceit and corruption occurred in both Shakespearean plays, "Othello" and "Hamlet". The arguments prove the contributions of the protagonists, antagonists, and the innocent characters to the evil and corruption, which creates a tragedy in both plays.

From the Paper
"Lies, deceit, and false appearances are everywhere in one's life and these negative aspects of people contribute to sorrow, pain, and tragedy. In all of Shakespeare's tragic plays, the protagonist dies, along with many other characters due to a problematic theme occurring in the plot. This is obvious in both Hamlet and Othello. In Hamlet, Claudius kills his brother, Old Hamlet, so he can become King. Old Hamlet's son discovers his secret and attempts to avenge his father's death, which he does at the end of the play when he kills Claudius along with others, and dies himself. In Othello, Iago, the Moor's assistant sabotages Cassio, the first lieutenant in order to get his job. When this works, he attempts to split Othello, the Moor of Venice and his wife using jealousy and murder, and gets killed when is discovered for his scheming. Both plays touch upon common human problems and desires such as greed, jealousy, and revenge."

Tags:comparison, contrast, desdemona, evil, iago, jealousy, moor, murder, ophelia, othello, revenge, shakespeare, venice

Abstract
This essay compares and contrasts the behaviors and actions of Hamlet and Othello. In particular, the two characters' handling of love, grief and revenge are examined.

From the Paper
"Chance, coincidence, and circumstance influence the actions one takes when dealing with highly emotional situations. Everyone has their own way of dealing with these emotional situations, but the actions one chooses to carry out portray an image of the character they have become. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Othello, Hamlet and Othello, respectively, are similar in ways of handling their emotional states, but are very unalike in some aspects also. Hamlet and Othello's handling of love, grief, and revenge can be compared and contrasted in their respective plays. The love of their women, the grief of their losses, and the revenge that consumed them, have different, yet similar approaches by Hamlet and Othello."

Tags:comparative, essay, comparison, contrast, desdemona, evil, iago, jealousy, moor, murder, ophelia, othello, revenge, shakespeare, venice