Essays On Play

Through extensive critical study of William Shakespeare’s play Othello, taking into account the countless productions of the play over the years, which reaffirms its status as an enduring valued text, it becomes distinctly evident that part of its ability to continually engage readers is drawn from its treatment of themes universal to the human experience […]

My idea of a traditional villain is someone guilty or capable of a crime or wickedness, this suggestion shall be used in my evaluation of the characters in each text to decide whether the characters have been presented as convincing villains and if they fit the description of ‘the villain’, as someone who is evil […]

The villains in Othello, We Need To Talk About Kevin, and Rebecca draw readers in with their mysterious motives. Rather than spelling out their true intentions, the authors provide hints, allowing readers to interpret the characters’ motivations. Othello, a romantic tragedy written in 1603, was adapted by Shakespeare from an Italian writer named Giambattisa Cinzio […]

Act IV is a crucial scene in the play Othello. It is the first time that we see Othello himself physically and mentally damaged from the constant manipulation by Iago, as he first suffers a mental breakdown and then goes on to strike Desdemona. These actions could be considered not just surprising but also, in […]

While the focus of Shakespeare’s Othello is often on the domestic conflict of Othello and Desdemona, these events are purposefully fixed in specific geographic locations: Venice and Cyprus. Shakespeare creates a comparison of Venice with Cyprus that permeates the play, and the influence that geography has on the play can be vital to understanding why […]

Jealousy is an overwhelming, intense and all consuming emotion which can sometimes be irrational. It can lead to the manipulation of the person, and take the form of an obsession and can be very powerful. In Shakespeare’s Othello, jealousy and manipulation can be presented in various forms which seem to be having devastating effects on […]

Othello is a character whom from the start, we do not see any flaws within, or within Desdemona’s and his marriage. However, the name ‘Iago’ is synonymous with villainy and evil. He is without much doubt on of Shakespeare’s most popular antagonists, but the question remains as to what actually motivates Iago to betray Othello […]

Tragedy is constantly evolving, with differing key aspects defining how tragedians have constructed their plays. Stoppard believed tragedy should be defined as: “Wheels [that] have been set in motion and they have their own pace, to which we are . . . condemned. Each move is dictated by the previous one – that is the […]

The play ‘Othello’ has derived from opposites and opposition, and many contradictions contained in the play are embodied in the tragic hero, this basic plot alone could have well been presented as a catastrophe and so it is almost certain that Othello could be seen as inevitable because this plot later on spirals out of […]

Deception is a reoccurring theme throughout the play which touches all protagonists at various levels. The plot is based on the dishonesty and delusion of the characters. It is difficult for the audience to judge who is deceiving whom. the audience Often becomes part of the trickery and remains unaware that they themselves are being […]

In Shakespeare’s Othello, the men are frequently seen as coxcombs. The minor male characters are presented in an exaggerated fashion, appearing almost as caricatures of vain foolish men who do not truly know themselves. Roderigo claims to see Desdemona as “full of most blest condition”, yet he is willing to plot and scheme to obtain […]

‘Iago’s soliloquies are the key to our understanding to both his motives and his methods’. How far do you agree with this? In your answer you should discuss the methods he employs and the motives he offers. Try also to demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which Shakespeare uses the soliloquies to present a […]

The opening statement is “It is the cause, it is the cause” This shows that Othello believes strangling his own wife for being deceitful is justified. He believes that Desdemona deserves what is about to happen to her.However, the audience are plagued with the knowledge that it is not justified and she is innocent. Yet […]

The ‘stereotypes’ that this question addresses are initially supported quite well when the female characters are first introduced in the play, however when the play develops we see complexities to the female characters emerge, thus the ‘stereotype’ that each of the character has been assigned does not fit comfortably with the presentation Shakespeare gives us […]

In the play Othello, there is a noticeable disparity between the male and female characters. While the strong and influential male characters dominate the narrative, the female characters, namely Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca, are portrayed primarily in relation to men. In contrast, the male characters have well-defined professional roles within the story. This has led […]

The behavior and characteristics of the male protagonists carries more significance to the details, plot, and language of the play than any other characters, male or female. It is the issues of masculinity and the connotations that come with masculinity that form the basis of this play. Without Shakespeare’s male characters portraying some kind of […]

Othello is a tragic play based on a foreign yet eloquent man being manipulated into changing his perceptions of others. One of the most noticeable changes in the play is the apparent transformation of Othello’s character; from a “noble Moor” to a “blacker devil”. Shakespeare presents this change through a number of means, such as […]

Iago’s speech in Act 2 Scene 3, after he offers advice to Cassio about how to retain his military position as part of his cunning plan, serves as an insight into many of Iago’s personality traits. Shakespeare portrays through the speech, Iago’s lack of moral scruples, his delusional state of mind and his powers of […]

Honour is defined as the evaluation of a person’s social status as judged by that individual’s community. To be put simply, Margaret Visser observes that in an honour-based society “a person is what he or she is in the eyes of other people. ” To argue whether Othello’s murder of Desdemona was indeed intended to […]

Othello has always been seen as a play that has love as its primary focus. Indeed, almost every main character, not just Othello and Desdemona, is somehow involved in a love affair. Not everyone treats love the same way, however. In a play that has so many strikingly different characters, it is thus natural for […]

Within Shakespeare’s Othello, there are only three female characters: Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. Interpreting their roles and relationships can vary greatly, but it is important to first consider the reasons Shakespeare chose to include them. Depending on whether we interpret the play through a modern or historical lens, our perception of these female characters may […]

In the play “Othello,” Iago is portrayed as a malevolent metaphor representing hidden aspects within the story. This essay aims to explore various perspectives of Iago, including those of the characters in the play and the audience. Due to Iago’s deceptive nature, the audience often only sees his humorous and openly malicious sides. However, I […]