Othello

1
Othello

• Flawed Hero

2
Tragedy

• Hubris extreme pride, over-confidence
• Anagnorisis - realisation
• Hamartia error or fatal flaw
• Catharsis - acceptance and healing

3
Shakespearean Tragedy

• Heroes are victims of their own excesses or
  self-deception
• Lack of understanding prevents them from seeing
  the truth
• Suffer from inner conflict
• Characters of high power of status

4

• HEROIC
• Fits in gained respect, valiant
• Passionate, affectionate, romantic
• Honourable my perfect soul
• Honest it is most true
• Trusted, admired
• Trusting Trusts Des, Venetian justice, human
  nature

• VULNERABLE
• Too trusting- honest Iago
• Naïve- in human relationships
• Race outsider, Happly for I am black
• Belief in justice and human nature
• loved too well

5
Fatal Flaw

• Othellos fatal flaw is jealousy
• What is jealousy?
• What does Othello want?

6
Question (2006, Q3)

• Choose a play which underlines how one persons
  flaw(s) can have a significant impact on other
  people as well as on himself or herself.
• Explain briefly the nature of the flaw(s) and
  then, in detail, assess how much the character
  and others are affected.

7
How can we understand Othellos jealousy?

• How is it linked to positive qualities in
  Othellos character?
• What other factors make us more sympathetic?
• How does the character of Iago affect how we feel
  towards Othello?
• Can you justify Othellos actions at the end of
  the play?
• In what ways is jealousy monstrous?
• In what ways is jealousy like a dungeon?
• Have you ever felt jealous?
• How does it feel?

8
Jealousy

• Iagos jealousy of Othello (1.1)
• Othellos feelings of inferiority or seclusion
  (1.3)
• Othellos love for the pure Desdemona (1.3,
  2.1)
• Othellos use of the word lie (4.1.35)
• Othello seeing things as evidence which fuels his
  jealousy (3.3)
• Othellos hatred for the impure Desdemona
• The turmoil of Othellos jealous mind (3.3, 4.1)
• How Othello justifies his jealousy at the end
  (5.2)

9
Jealousy

• Othellos fatal flaw or Hamartia
• Is vital to tragedy
• While Hamlets indecision can be frustrating or
  Macbeths over-ambition can make him
  unsympathetic
• Jealousy is understandable because it is
  something which we all suffer from
• Can be attributed to his great love for Desdemona
• And is made stronger by Othellos outsider status
• Is seized upon by a master of manipulation in
  Iago
• And leads to Othello destroying the innocent
  Desdemona, his only chance of contentment