Summary
Aspects of Tragedy - Violence in Othello Summary
- Module
- Aspects of Tragedy
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- AQA
Summative paragraph with quotations and analysis about the theme of violence in Othello.
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By: xkatherinerx • 2 year ago
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How is the theme of violence presented in Othello?In Act Four, Scene One the theme of violence is presented in various ways, all are conducive to the tragic
structure, that being Othello’s downfall – violence itself is not initially in tandem with his character,
however, as we reach his demise – it seems to be growing within both him and the play. When Othello
decides how he will punish Desdemona, he is past the point of return, he reaches his peripetia – we know
this by his justification of the violent act, of murder, that he will commit against her. Shakespeare has
Othello lament, “Be thus, when thou art dead, and I will kill thee and love thee after,” which serves to
portray both Othello’s now irrational mindset, yet also the length at which his passion has led him into
Iago’s manipulation. From the outset, Othello was passionately infatuated with Desdemona, and devoted
to their relationship, yet it seems that his passion can be turned to the opposite direction. Othello justifies
murder as a restoration for his ability to be able to love Desdemona once again, “love thee after,” as
though her death shall redeem, and he is to conduct this rebirthing of their requitted love. Not only does
Othello regard her death as vital to himself, but to all men, “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more
men.” Shakespeare uses the imperative ‘must,’ in order to convey Othello’s inability to return from his
state of manipulation, and that the ambitious element of his personality that may have once strived for
defending his marriage to Desdemona has now become an ambition to end her life, in order to satisfy
himself after the shame to his reputation. Whilst Othello’s violence, within his position militarily, may
have been honorable in the beginning and respected, by this point it has become vulgar. Shakespeare’s
earlier acts had Othello speaking with lyrical, poetic, and reflective language which then turns into prose
of short, blunt phrases - “I will chop her into messes... Cuckold me!” From this alone, the audience are
aware of the shift in Othello’s demeanor and character, he has been changed into someone who is not
skillfully respected for his profession but a man that is recklessly violent with even those that he loves.
Othello’s hamartia is one of passion and naivety, Shakespeare demonstrates with Act Four, Scene One
how these qualities have turned Othello toward his inevitable downfall as our tragic protagonist.
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