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Summary list of Contextual themes in Othello
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Summary list of Contextual themes and references throughout the play Includes Aristotle's Tragic Terms/ 'Poetics'
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Othello ContextSeven heavenly virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness, patience and humility
(represented by women of the play)
Seven deadly sins: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth (represented by men of the play)
Venetian women
The three wise monkeys
Goats and hell/the devil
Turkish/Cyprus war
Racial attitudes- black magic stereotype- “there’s magic in the web of it”, and the ‘heathen’ stereotype
(othello identifies as both Christian and heaven), uncontrolled passions, bad temperament and anger
outbursts, and the ‘gullible’ type (which othello arguably is to fall for iago’s tricks)
Misogyny
Aristotle’s Tragic Terms or ‘Poetics’ 335 BCE:
Hamartia- a tragic flaw or mistake (Othello’s jealousy, Desdemona’s submission)
The Tragic Hero- at the beginning of the play he has a quality that is better than ourselves, and he comes
from noble birth- “noble siege” as othello describes it
Hubris- pride, and is often a tragic flaw
Peripeteia- the hero’s sudden reversal of fortune
Anagnorisis- the hero’s realization of his mistake (Emilia realizing what Iago has done, Iago realizes he
killed his wife unnecessarily)
Catharsis- emotional release for the audience, when all dramatic irony is unveiled to the characters and
both character and audience are on the same page (when Emilia unveils Iago’s plot, arguably no
catharsis since Iago states he will not speak of his motivation)
Aristotle states that, at the end of a tragedy, the audience should feel both catharsis and fear. Iago’s
refusal to speak perpetuates this.
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