100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
Summary A* AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE OTHELLO ESSAY - 2020 Othello – William Shakespeare ‘Cassio is a tragic innocent ensnared in Iago’s plot.’ CA$8.14   Add to cart

Summary

Summary A* AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE OTHELLO ESSAY - 2020 Othello – William Shakespeare ‘Cassio is a tragic innocent ensnared in Iago’s plot.’

 104 views  0 purchase
  • Course
  • Institution
  • Book

A* AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE OTHELLO ESSAY - 2020 Othello – William Shakespeare ‘Cassio is a tragic innocent ensnared in Iago’s plot.’

Preview 1 out of 3  pages

  • Yes
  • October 30, 2023
  • 3
  • 2023/2024
  • Summary
avatar-seller
2020 Othello – William Shakespeare ‘Cassio is
a tragic innocent ensnared in Iagoʼs plot.ʼ
2020
Othello – William Shakespeare ‘Cassio is a tragic innocent ensnared in Iagoʼs plot.ʼ
To what extent do you agree with this view of Cassio? Remember to include in your answer
relevant comment on Shakespeareʼs dramatic methods.
Cassioʼs presentation in the play and contradictions of Iagoʼs philosophy of human
condition.
Othelloʼs lack of trust towards Cassio – his drinking and lack of self-control hinting at
infidelity.
Treatment of women being far from innocent. The contrasting depictions of Desdemona
and Bianca.
How do audiences feel when Cassio becomes general at the end of the play?

Typical to tragedy texts, Othello presents a play where there are many tragic victims associated
with tragedy. One of these victims is Cassio who becomes enmeshed into Iagoʼs web of deceit
and manipulation becoming the target of Othelloʼs and Roderigoʼs hatred which Iago reflects
from himself upon them. However, the questions use of the noun “innocent” suggests that
Cassio has no flaws and lacks all complicity in the tragedy he is involved in, which may not be
completely true using further analysis. In this essay I will therefore discuss to what extent
Cassio is ‘a tragic innocent ensnared in Iagoʼs plotʼ.
The critic V Walker stated that “Cassio seems to represent the better man” through his
presentation of bravery, benevolence, and honesty. This can be seen as his character often
times is played off against Iagoʼs acting as both a source of motivation and a foil to Iagoʼs place
as the Machiavellian tragic villain who uses all ‘ends to justify the means of his unscrupulous
endsʼ. When asked by Othello in Act IV why Iago is willing to murder Cassio he responds with
“he hath a daily beauty about him which makes me look ugly”. Although on the surface level the
quote can be seen as a depiction of Iagoʼs masculine and socio-economic jealousy for Cassio it
can also be seen as a presentation of Cassioʼs psychological outlook on life which is so different
to Iagoʼs cynical and manipulative psyche. Because Cassio is a ‘good manʼ and succeeds in life
attaining the spot of “lieutenant” without deviance or cruelty he challenges Iagoʼs worldview in
such a way in which Iago decides he must eliminate Cassio. As Iago views those who love and
are kind in terms of animalistic and zoomorphic imagery; “goats and monkeys!”, Cassio eludes
to heaven and purity viewing life in a positive way Iago could never possibly imagine; “Hail to
thee, lady! And the grace of heaven”. This juxtaposition of the two characters which occurs
from the very first scene presents Cassio as a foil to Iago where if Iago is supposed to represent

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller ramiriam. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for CA$8.14. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

67096 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now

Start selling
CA$8.14
  • (0)
  Add to cart