This is nothing short of a celebration for the traditional place of women as obedient to their fathers. Likewise, the violent rebellions of Othello and Shylock against racism and the social stigma end in terrible tragedy for themselves and their families. One might argue that Shylock ought to have converted to Christianity long ago to avoid loosing his daughter and suffering the spite of Antonio, and that it was his refusal to do that (even more than his miserliness) which defeated him. Likewise, one might argue that if Othello had meekly accepted the snubs of society and kept his place (away from Desdemona), he would not have come to the terrible point at which he took his life. Even Iago is show to be rebelling against society in his hatred for Cassio's snobbish authority over him, and his own demise is inextricably linked to the way in which he attempted to climb socially (albeit through deceit...
So one sees that Portia, the obedient slave to the social and racial order, is entirely a foil for Shylock who seeks to overthrow it; likewise Desdemona and Othello are paralleled in their disobedience to the laws of patriarchy and racial division, and they are both destroyed by that disobedience. Despite the fact that these two plays may, by modern actors, be forged into strong anti-racism and anti-misogyny spoke-pieces, they are not inherently opposed to racism. They show rebellion against sexism and racism not as a role model but as a warning to any who may follow in the footsteps of these free-spirited protagonists. It must never be forgotten that the only reason that Othello ends tragically and Merchant of Venice end in comedy is that in the latter the characters persist in defying social order while in the later the end shows a return to all things Christian and orderly.
Simultaneously, he forces a man long upheld as honest in the highest Venetian circles into scheming and manipulations; these are roles which Iago takes on too readily, suggesting a certain familiarity, but it must be preserved that no earlier instance is ever presented to suggest that the notables of Venice were in any way wrong to uphold Iago as honest and true. In fact, those same notables are those
Work Cited Antony and Cleopatra. Retrieved September 30, 2005 from: http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/cleopatra/full.html Brown, Lenora Inez. "Enter the Body: Women and Representation on Shakespeare's Stage." American Theatre. May 01, 2001. Retrieved September 30, 2005 from HighBeam Research Library Web site. Desmet, Christy. "Women's Matters: Politics, Gender, and Nation in Shakespeare's Early History Plays." Comparative Drama. September 22, 2000. Retrieved September 30, 2005 from HighBeam Research Library Web site. Hunt, Maurice. "Shakespeare's Venetian paradigm: stereotyping and Sadism in
Othello is, indeed, unable to 'read' Iago fully, and is initially overly confident that his merit will transcend cultural barriers. By the end of the play, Othello has become so suspicious and twisted by racism that he is unrecognizable, even to himself: "Is this the / noble Moor whom our full senate/Call all in all sufficient?" asks one observer. (4.1) parallel situation for a Black athlete is not hard
Shakespeare William Shakespeare, the famous playwright and the great poet was born in 1564 at Stratford-on-Avon in England. Though he never attended college he had a sound basic education. He went to London in his early twenties and during the next ten years he wrote some of the classical masterpieces like Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet. Shakespeare wrote a variety of plays from tragedy to comedy. 'The Merchant of Venice',
Othello: A Dramatic Study in Venetian Alienation According to Shakesperean scholar Maurice Hunt, "Shakespeare's Venice" in the play "Othello" strives to activate "a disturbing paradigm dependent upon the city's multicultural reputation." (Hunt, 2003, p.1) In other words, in Shakespeare's Venice, diversity creates a disturbing and tumultous environment, an environment where only alienation rather than harmony between different races and different people can be sustained. At the beginning of Shakespeare's drama, Othello
Yet despite the fact that the play's title is nothing but his name, Othello is arguably not really the central figure of the story. Iago is far more instrumental in moving the plot forward; it is his (not fully explained) hatred of Othello that the play is concerned with, and though Othello is obviously necessary as the object of Iago's hatred and jealousy, he takes a largely passive role in
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