Anyway here it is....
(please note that i am not fully happy with it, i think the ideas are far to simplistic. But then we all knows what happens when i try to be to flowery. I justneed t strike the right balance i suppose)
Othello Plan
‘Othello’s tragedy is that he is unable to reconcile his ideals about the world with its reality. To what extent do you agree with the viewpoint?’
IDEAS…..
· Othello can never be truly accepted into the society he lives in because of his race. Loomba ‘Othello, the moor of Venice, is a moor who cannot truly be part of Venice’ He is a moor, in Elizabeth times viewed as inferior a ‘villain’ or even a ‘devil’ (Kristin jonsen-neshati)
This is why he is established as tragic characters he can never be part of society and appreciate how it truly functions. Therefore Othello is forced into an idealised world; he lives through the stories of others to protect him and to act as guidance to his actions. Because apart from them he has no reference point upon how to act and what is right and wrong.
· As A.C Bradley says he lives in a ‘wonderland’ enhancing that Othellos ideals are just fantasies, unreal, warped versions of reality Iago feeds him and in Othello’s naivety he believes.
· Although this may be successful at the beginning of the play, he may achieve heroic status and be classes as ‘more fair than black’. He may be able to change the way he acts to fit in, however he will never be able to change his skin colour or origins, therefore this adds a sense inevitability to Othello’s future as he can never become a ventilation. Therefore his fate is sealed (Aristotle’s ideas of fate?)
· Iagos manipulation of Othello is vital – view of women perfect/whores
PARAGRAPH INSERT.
Othellos misplaced trust ‘I am bound to thee forever’
· Therefore because of Desdemona’s undefinable perfection if she does anything slightly wrong she is deemed as a whore. With Othello, as he has learnt through his stories there is no grey. You are ether one thing or the other.
Back up with ‘perfection quotes’ and contrast with who quickly in act 4 sc 3 he goes from positive to negative.
Without being able to control Desdemona, how can he control troops and soldiers ‘Othello’s occupation is gone’
· However Othello is so quick to believe these tales he is told, mainly by ‘honest iago’ as he is deceitful himself. States he comes from a land where ‘mens head grow beneath their shoulders’ this is obviously a lie. However more deceitfully the way he captures Desdemona’s heart is all bases on his stories she is enchanted by his fabrications not actually him. This argument is enhanced by Thomas rymer’s view highlighting that ‘Desdemona was won, by hearing Othello talk…this was sufficient enough to make a blackamoor white’. Ultimately their relationship is bases upon lies, Othello’s idealisms. As Coleridge states ‘it would be monstrous to conceive this beautiful venetian girl falling in love with a veritable negro’ Linking back to fate again it is doomed to fail. This is why a Shakespearian may not class this play as a tragedy as like rymer they feel is completely unrealistic for the senator daughter to fall in love with a moor. However I feel he must be commended to the lengths he goes to capture Desdemona’s heart, the idealist world he tries to create and maintain is difficult and complicated, but he does it all in the act of love as he knows in reality he would never attract a girl like her. This in my opinion adds to the tragedy of their love being destroyed.
· Othello’s and Desdemona’s love it heavily romanticised all throughout. When they reunite in Cyprus Othello announces ‘amen to that sweet powers’ and there are frequent links to gods and goddess throughout. Therefore the lack of reality and honesty in their love causes their relationship to crumble when Othello falls apart. This intense romanticism can almost be seen as bathotic and as Rymer states ‘there had been a cloven-foot into the bargain (of their love)’ this limits the emotional impact the audience takes from the place as it is almost, over exaggerated and people cannot relate to the characters.
· Handkerchief- rymer.
· Conclude…
Bertolt Brecht states tragedies should make audiences think how best to alter their world. However it is very subjective if Othello actually achieves this. As in his final purge he dies telling a story, he may recognise that he is an idealistic person ‘remember me…’ but he still continues to preach via stories and others tales. He is never his own person. This adds to tragedy?
