Critical Analysis of Othello

Introduction

William Shakespeare's Othello is an ideal example of a romantic tragedy. It tells a story in which reality brings the play to its tragic end against events which involve the themes of greed, jealousy, revenge and appearance. The technique of foreshadowing is used by Shakespeare in order to help the reader foresee the misfortunes that will befall the characters. Underlying discord between the characters help them in coming to life through the unfortunate events which lead up to their downfall. These conflicts are initiated by a sole character, Iago, for the most part. Although he is a well-respected and trusted gentleman to the other characters, yet the reader is aware that he is a villainous and heinous individual. This overshadowing permits Iago to influence actions and feelings of other characters for his own personal gains. His manipulation and influence leads the rest of the characters to believe only what he tell them. The false impression of the characters regarding what is really happening further lead them to jump to major conclusions, causing their demises. Iago is able to cause Othello to become a beast without an ounce of rationality through his ability to deceive the characters into believing what he wants them to believe, which eventually causes his downfall. Ben Saunders in this article named “Iago's Clyster: Purgation, Anality, and the Civilizing Process” has explored the character of Iago by differentiating early notions of “anality” from the present day comprehension of the same expression by declining conventional psychoanalytic explanation of the character as a “repressed homosexual”. This article was published in Shakespeare Quarterly 55.2 in the summer of 2004.

Iago the Character

The factor which differentiates Othello from its greatest peers of tragedy is the role of its villain, Iago, more than anything else. While the unusual bad character of Macbeth (Macbeth, his Lady and the Weird Sister witches), the usurper King Claudius of Hamlet and the faithless daughters of Lear are all remarkably sinful in their own way, none of them enjoys the same diabolical role as Iago (James, 63).

He is a character who in essence engraves the major plot of the play. He not only takes a significant share in it but also gives immediate directions to most of the remaining characters of the play, especially to Othello, the noble Moor. Two remarkable characters are presented to us through this play, Iago and his victim, Othello. With Iago as the predominant force that instigates Othello to see the unfaithfulness of his beautiful and youthful wife, Desdemona, with his preferred lieutenant, Michael Cassio. Not only the difference between reality and appearance is the principal premise of the play, it also intersects with some other fundamental thematic aspects (honor, reputation and trust) and sheds light on the themes of the political state and patriarchy (Virgin, 59).

Analysis of the Article

The question of Iago's apparent anality is reconsidered and historicized in this essay. Ben Saunders, in this article named “Iago's Clyster: Purgation, Anality, and the Civilizing Process”, has tried to differentiate early ...