Othello, By William Shakespeare - 1152 Words

‘Othello’ was a tragedy of incomprehension at the deepest level of human dealings as no one in the play came to an understanding of himself or any of the surrounding characters. The play ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare focused on tragedy through the anguish of the main character ‘Othello’ which lead to the suffering and death of numerous characters including himself. Appearance Vs. Reality challenged human dealings within the play ‘Othello’ as no-one came to see anyone’s true self and no-one sees through the actions or words of others. Jealousy blinds Othello which transforms his intelligent speech in turn transforming his human dealings which ultimately leads to the death of him and his wife. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a 19th century†¦show more content†¦Reality which was evident through the paradox: â€Å"Were I the Moor I would not be Iago. †¦But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/For daws to peck at. I a m not what I am.†(Act 1 Scene 1). Iago’s hatred towards ‘the Moor’ and his revelation that he was not what he was, was the earliest proof to the audience that in fact Iago was holding a facade on his entire character. This also represented Roderigo’s obliviousness of Iago’s words to the audience. During openings to the play ‘Othello’ in 1990 by Trevor Nunn, began with a half-lit empty stage. In contextual reference, ‘The moor’ was a racial term which was categorically used for Africans or those of Arab descent during the 1600s. In turn, this contradicted the way ‘Honest Iago’ dealt with ‘the Moor’ in his presence. This was evident in the rhetorical question â€Å"Good my lord, pardon me;†¦Utter my thoughts! Why say they are vile and false?†(Act 3, Scene 3). The ironic stature of the quote displayed to the audience the deceptive games Iago was playing with the characters of Ã¢â‚¬Ë œOthello’. In reference to Iago’s character, critic William Hazlitt had stated that Iago was an extreme instance of â€Å"diseased intellectual activity with an almost perfect indifference to moral good or evil rather a decided preference for the latter†. This linked to Iago’s ‘motiveless malignity’ as he attempted to justify the deceptive plans he was carrying out in the play which is represented in his soliloquy â€Å"But for my