Sunday, May 24, 2020

The Military Commander in Othello Essay - 1592 Words

The Military Commander in Othello The character of the general in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello is quite noble, although plagued by the shortcoming or weakness of gullibility. Let us in this essay look at all the features, both good and bad. of this ill-fated hero. David Bevington in William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies describes many fine virtues which reside within the general: Othello’s blackness, like that of the natives dwelling in heathen lands, could betoken to Elizabethan audiences an innocent proneness to accept Christianity, and Othello is one who has already embraced the Christian faith. His first appearance onstage, when he confronts a party of torch-bearing men coming to arrest†¦show more content†¦From that omniscient view, they look upon this tortured human being with a strong sense of the irony and tragedy of his position. (39) From the text of the play a number of clues can be gleaned which round out the description of the general. In William Shakespeare: The Tragedies, Paul A. Jorgensen describes the general in Othello: Though scarcely the â€Å"barbarian† (1.3.353) he is called, the Moor is emphatically black, probably rough, even fearsome, in appearance, and a foreign mercenary from Mauritania in refined Venice. Though of royal blood, since the age of seven he had a restrictive, painful life, being sold into slavery and spending most of his life in â€Å"the tented field† (1.3.85). His â€Å"occupation† (3.3.357), to a degree found in no other Shakespearean hero, is war. He can therefore speak of the great world little â€Å"more than pertains to feats of broil and battle† (1.3.87). But that he loves the gentle Desdemona, he would to have given up a life of unsettled war and his â€Å"unhoused free condition / †¦ For the sea’s worth† (1.2.26-27). (58) The first appearance of the protagonist is in Act 1 Scene2, where Iago is pathologically lying about Brabantio and himself and the ancient’s relations with the general and about everything in general. Othello responds very coolly and confidently to the pressing issue of Brabantio’s mob coming afterShow MoreRelatedSimilarities And Differences Between Iago And Othello1094 Words   |  5 Pages The tragedy of Othello is not just a story of jealousy but rather a clash of two worlds. In Shakespearean plays we many times see the protagonist fall due to deceit, human flaws, and corruption of their society. We specifically see the hero fall in Shakespeares Othello as a man trying to be himself with a corrupt friendship in Iago. Othello is seen to be the noble moor of Venice. He is respected by society for his many actions of nobility and bravery. 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