Othello Essay

Othello Essay
My understanding of William Shakespeare’s Othello has been developed through dramatic techniques. I believe that Othello is a metaphor for the human condition that portrays the intricate balance of human strengths and weaknesses amidst good and evil in society. This understanding has been enhanced through considering alternate perspectives to my own including the perspective of A.C Bradley and the two film productions of Othello directed by Orson Welles (1952) and Oliver Park (1995). Furthermore, the universality of the text allows it to be broken down and viewed from various perspectives and contexts while still maintaining meaning when considered as a whole thus contributing to its textual integrity. Othello is a metaphor for the human condition that portrays the intricate balance of human strengths and weaknesses amidst good and evil in society.

Othello is a Shakespearean tragedy which portrays the notion of the incompatibility of military heroism and love; the danger of isolation. I personally think that Othello conveys the intricate balance of human strengths and weaknesses amidst good and evil in society. In my opinion, Othello is a cultural and a racial outsider who is a bold, strong, courageous, gullible and foolish. Throughout the play Othello represents the strengths and weaknesses in society. Possibly the most heinous villain in Shakespeare, Iago is fascinating for his most terrible characteristic: his utter lack of convincing motivation for his actions. Iago is often funny, especially in his scenes with the foolish Roderigo, which serve as a showcase of Iago’s manipulative –abilities. It is Iago’s talent for understanding and manipulating the desires of those around him that makes him both a powerful, evil and a compelling figure. I think that Iago represents those in society who desire power and vengeance. Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much criticism has given her credit for. Desdemona is at times a...