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Othello character analysis essay plan
Plan for A Level English Literature edexcel exam question on Othello character
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Explore how Shakespeare presents the character of Othello.The tragedy ‘Othello’ was written by Shakespeare during the Jacabean period with the function of
providing a cathartic experience for the audience, regardless of which time frame it is watched in.
Shakespeare’s presentation of Othello is vital to this function because Othello’s downfall and
reversal of fortune is ultimately a result of his desire (and failure) to control how he is perceived in
the world around him, which is shown through Othello’s emphasis on reputation, and his jealous
nature which stems from his perception of masculinity.
Point Shakespeare presents the character of Othello as one who is obsessed with upholding his reputa on, which is ed to the state and Venice.
Evidence Storytelling and self drama sa on → act 1.3 and 5.2
Analysis Self-drama sa on / storytelling → beginning + end (cyclical) - constant throughout all scenes (overcompensa on for being ‘the other’)
Context re being black in a white-dominated se ng + tales of exo cism in order to roman cize being the other.
NUNEZ: ‘For the black man to survive in the white world he must wear the mask, and to be without it, to be naked, means certain death’
I agree with this statement - Othello over-compensates for the fact that he is 'the other' in a very pres gious role by wearing a mask of eloquence and
roman cizing his past through these elaborate stories. O presents himself as the success story who made it out o the barbaric foreign land. Othello is
constantly upholding a reputa on and the audience never truly gets to know who he is.
WHEALE: Othello’s otherness is shown in ‘exo c, complex language’
Othello's way into Vene an society is through his role in the state, which he constantly falls back on in order to salvage his reputa on.
Irony bc death of D = a empt to protect reputa on as a man = downfall
Leavis:
‘Othello dies belonging to the world of ac on in which his true part lay’
It is true that he dies belonging to the world of ac on, but only because he ar culates it so → he relies on the service he has done for the state as a
last a empt to salvage his reputa on, although his reputa on is ruined because of a crime he commi ed in an a empt to preserve it.
O believes his role is delivery of jus ce: there is an overlap of public and private bc he is a soldier who represents jus ce for the state, but he brings
this into the private when killing Desdemona. He views his ac ons through the lens of delivering jus ce which is an a empt to uphold his reputa on
of a man of the state.
Leavis [About nal speech] ‘The quiet beginning gives us the man of ac on with his habit of e ortless authority.’
- His use of so , subtle impera ves is cunningly manipula ve; Othello s ll demands- even on his death-bed- to 'speak of [him] as [he
is]'. Serving as extended proof of his unchanging nature, Othello's lexis from Act I Scene I to Act V Scene II never falters and fails to evolve
from this habit of self-drama sa on.
T.S ELIOT: The nal speech was weak because it was full of "an a tude of self-drama za on"
Point Shakespeare presents the character of Othello as one who is suscep ble to extreme jealousy which inhibits his ability to think cri cally.
Presenta on of jealousy in human nature -> desire to control born out of masculinity
Evidence 3.3 -
No, Iago;
I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And on the proof, there is no more but this:
Away at once with love or jealousy.
Analysis Jealousy → lack of cri cal thinking = downfall - gets worse throughout scenes w/ Iago’s manipula on
Handkerchief → lack of cri cal thinking (jealous of Cassio)
Character is similar to that in Un Capitano Moro --> overcome by jealousy due to lies implanted in his head: this shows that Shakespeare
recognised that the theme of jealousy is central to Othello’s character because it contributes to his desire to control the things around him.
Iago latches onto the jealousy that was present in Othello’s nature, which is why the tragedy unfolded as it did → Iago awoke the ‘green eyed
monster’ within Othello.
Even before Othello has descended into madness, he s ll presents inklings of jealousy which Iago latches on to.
GREER: ‘Jealousy is destroying him [Othello] […] not the unmo vated hatred of Iago.’
LEAVIS: "Iago simply exploits a weakness that already existed in Othello's character"
TYAN - "Othello is the most easily jealous man that anybody's ever wri en about"
Summary sentence Tragedy would not have occurred if Othello didn’t have poten al for jealousy + inability to cri cally think, which warns against the irra onality of
emo on - speci cally jealousy = cathar c experience + func on of tragedy.
Tragedy is supposed to impact all audiences who watch it, and regardless of his standing, Othello is a character who audiences can relate to on the
basis of human nature and emo on which is constant throughout all me periods.
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