Introduction
Shakespeare’s Othello is a tragic play that examines the essence of jealousy through the characters of Iago and Desdemona. The drama shows how the adversary plays on the protagonist’s envy, leading to fatal results. Shakespeare masterfully expresses the concept of jealousy throughout the play by using a variety of dramatic elements, including conflict, narrative, and symbolism (Karamat and Khalis 3). The characters’ dynamics and the driving forces behind their actions deepen this topic and emphasize the devastating power of envy.
Overall, the play Othello is a timeless cautionary tale about the perils of unrestrained jealousy and the significance of self-awareness and emotional control. Shakespeare’s brilliant treatment of this topic never ceases to enthrall viewers and serve as a sobering warning of the repercussions of giving in to such a powerful feeling (Karamat and Khalis 3). This article emphasizes Shakespeare’s tragedy play Othello, which centers on jealousy’s destructive and manipulative power, as seen in the play’s Conflict, Plot, and Subplot.
Conflict
The play’s rivalry between Othello and his nemesis, Iago, is a critical dramatic aspect. Because Iago is jealous of Othello’s lieutenant Cassio, he plots against him and convinces Othello that Cassio is having an affair with Othello’s wife, Desdemona. When Othello says, “Haply, for I am black / And have not those soft parts of conversation / That chamberers have, or for I am declined / Into the vale of years—yet that is not much— / She has gone,” he reveals the tension between himself and Iago (Act 3, Scene 4).
In Act 3, Scene 3, the character expresses that harboring animosity towards the individual who has wronged them is necessary to overcome mistreatment. The statement above illustrates the influence of Iago’s treachery on Othello, who has come to harbor suspicions of his spouse’s faithlessness. According to Karamat and Khalis (4), the play’s tragedy is based on Othello’s fundamental character and not on any outside factors. This remark emphasizes the internal problems of both Othello and Iago, rather than any external forces, as the cause of their conflict.
Dramatic Question
Othello’s dramatic tension stems from whether or not Othello will fall for Iago’s scheming. This issue emerges early in the play when Iago plants doubt in Othello’s mind, prompting him to wonder whether his wife, Desdemona, is faithful to him. Iago informs Othello, “She did deceive her father, marrying you,” implying that Desdemona may be unfaithful and dishonest in Act 1, Scene 3 (Karamat and Khalis 3). The dramatic dilemma grows more pressing as the play develops because of Iago’s manipulation, which causes Othello to become more preoccupied with the possibility of his wife’s adultery.
Act 3 Scene 3 of Othello emphasizes the inner anguish that Othello feels due to Iago’s deceptions. Othello’s famous “I will see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; / And on the proof, there is no more but this: / Away at once with love or jealousy!” This remark captures Othello’s internal battle as he tries to figure out how to love Desdemona while harboring jealousy and distrust (Shakespeare 10). The play’s concluding scene answers the play’s central dramatic question: After being ultimately duped by Iago’s falsehoods, Othello murders Desdemona and then kills himself. The sad ending highlights the danger of envy and the repercussions of accepting false information at face value.
Plot
Shakespeare used Othello’s storyline to develop his topic of jealousy. The play’s tragic events stem from Iago exploiting Othello’s jealousy. In order to convince Othello that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with another man, Cassio, Iago installs false evidence throughout the play.
Othello’s murder of Desdemona, whom he believes has been unfaithful, is the play’s climax. After learning the truth, Othello’s death is the play’s finale. According to Al Zoubi et al. (16), Othello can be considered a tragedy of self-deception, as stated by a critic. This remark emphasizes how Othello’s self-deception, brought on by Iago’s falsehoods, drives the play’s action.
Subplot
There is a secondary storyline in Othello that involves Roderigo in addition to the main narrative. In love with Desdemona, rich Venetian Roderigo hires Iago to help him woo her. However, Iago is not interested in helping Roderigo accomplish his aim; instead, he utilizes his money for his own ends.
As Iago uses Roderigo’s love for Desdemona to accomplish his goals, this subplot helps emphasize the play’s central subject of manipulation and deception. Shakespeare also uses this subplot to delve more into Iago’s motivations and personality (Al Zoubi et al. 17). The spectator learns about Iago’s manipulative and dishonest character via his exchanges with Roderigo.
As a result of Iago’s manipulation of Roderigo into starting a fight with him, Cassio is also given a chance to grow as a character. Iago’s manipulation of Roderigo and Cassio is crucial to Othello’s demise; hence, this subplot eventually helps to develop the main storyline. Othello’s subplot is often considered one of Shakespeare’s finest dramatic achievements. Al Zoubi et al. (17) argues in the book Shakespeare’s Tragic Skepticism that the subplot, which explores themes of love, jealousy, and betrayal, is intricately linked to the main plot and serves to heighten the tragic effect of the play. This comment emphasizes how the play’s subplot contributes to the tragedy by further exploring the issue of envy.
Protagonist
Othello is about a Moorish general in the Venetian army. The intricate nature of Othello’s character enables him to proficiently fulfill the role of a capable military commander while serving as a captivating protagonist. Throughout the play, Iago capitalizes on Othello’s susceptibility to jealousy, thereby positioning himself as Othello’s antagonist. Othello’s character is established through his interactions with the other characters in the play. His portrayal as a noble and renowned military commander contrasts with the alienation and uncertainty he feels as a black man in a white-dominated country.
Iago takes advantage of Othello’s insecurity by making him question Desdemona’s faithfulness as a wife. Shakespeare portrays Othello as a tragic hero, and critics have lauded this. According to Kowsar et al. (95), in Shakespearean Tragedy, Othello is a man of action and heroic spirit whose descent into jealous madness is rendered all the more terrifying by his fundamental nobility (Al Zoubi et al. 15). This comment emphasizes the tragic irony of Othello’s demise due to his high moral standards and heroic nature.
Exposition
Drama relies heavily on exposition, which gives the viewer information about the plot and the characters’ histories and goals. Exposition in Othello is mostly conveyed via conversation between the characters. Othello’s exposition presents the play’s location, characters, and ties to one another. In the play’s opening scene, the Duke and the senators of Venice meet to examine the danger posed by the Ottoman Empire.
Othello, a Moorish commander, has been called upon to lead the Venetian army against the Ottomans, as the audience learns in Act I, Scene I. Iago, the play’s adversary, is also presented throughout the exposition. Iago tells Roderigo that he plans to ruin Cassio’s reputation because he is envious of Othello’s lieutenant.
The play’s opening establishes Iago’s backstory and the reasons for his dispute with Othello. The explanation further clarifies the nature of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. The terrible outcomes of their relationship are foreshadowed by the obvious affection they have for one another in their conversations and interactions.
According to critics, Othello’s use of exposition is one of Shakespeare’s many strengths. To quote from John F. Andrews’s The Tragic Effect: The Othello Syndrome, Shakespeare’s exposition is artful and necessary, introducing both the setting and the characters so that the audience is fully engaged with them from the start (Act 3, Scene 3). This sentence illustrates how Othello’s exposition is crucial to following the story and is interesting to see.
Climax
When the stakes are high, and the protagonist must make a pivotal choice to determine the play’s outcome, we reach the climax. Act 3, Scene 3 of Othello is the play’s climax since it is there that Iago succeeds in persuading Othello of Desdemona’s adultery. This causes Othello to murder Desdemona, setting up the play’s sad ending. Othello’s finale is a turning point in the play because it displays both Iago’s true evil and Othello’s terrible weakness of jealousy (Kowsar et al. 95). The play’s climax occurs when Othello decides to murder Desdemona, which puts in motion a series of tragic events.
The finale also demonstrates the efficacy of deceit and manipulation, as Iago has effectively tricked Othello into believing something untrue. Critics will praise the finale of Othello. As per Corredera’s (28) analysis in Shakespeare: The Tragedies, the zenith of Othello is deemed one of the most potent sequences in Shakespearean literature. This comment exemplifies how the climax of Othello advances the story and makes an emotional impression on the readers and viewers.
Resolution and Denouement
A play’s resolution occurs when the central conflict is ultimately settled. In Act 5, Scene 2 of Othello, the truth is disclosed, and the effects of the fight are fully realized, marking the play’s climax and denouement. Othello learns that Iago has been telling lies the whole time and that Desdemona is innocent of the charges against her.
Unfortunately, it is too late to undo the harm done, and the play ends tragically with Othello and the other characters dying. The denouement, or falling action, is the last act of a drama (Corredera 28). It comes after the resolution and wraps everything up. The denouement of Othello comes after Othello and Desdemona die, and the truth has been revealed.
The final act of Othello culminates in the devastating consequences of jealousy and deception. This drama ends with Lodovico saying, “O Spartan dog, / More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea! / Look on the tragic loading of this bed; / This is thy work” (Act 5, Scene 2). This line illustrates the sad tone of the play by elaborating on the calamitous results of envy and manipulation.
The devastating consequences of envy and deceit are brought home in Othello’s resolve and finale (Shakespeare 9). There is a feeling of closure at the play’s conclusion since the characters have all met their ends and the truth has been exposed. While the play’s conclusion and climax satisfy the audience’s need for closure, they also leave an indelible mark since the play’s ideas remain relevant long after the final curtain has fallen.
Rising and Falling Action
The rising action of a drama is the section of the story that introduces conflict and suspense and develops toward the climax. The drama Othello has growing action as Iago’s influence on Othello grows throughout the play. Othello’s marriage to Desdemona and trust in his lieutenant Cassio fall apart under Iago’s deceit.
As the play proceeds, the audience wonders how the characters will settle their issue. After the climax, the story moves into the falling action, also called the resolution, in which the conflict is ultimately resolved. After the play’s climax, Othello’s final act features descending action.
The manifestation of Iago’s deceit is evident in the ensuing events, as the denouement is marked by the tragic demise of several individuals, with Othello and Desdemona being the most prominent among them. The story’s development in Othello is significantly dependent on the rising and falling actions of the protagonist, ultimately leading to a tragic culmination (Corredera 28). The play’s rising action establishes the central conflict and builds suspense, while the falling action concludes the drama. The play’s dramatic structure, which engages the audience and propels the plot to its inevitable end, is the result of the interplay between rising and falling action.
Unity of Time, Place, and Action
In classical theater, the unity of time, place, and action stipulates that all actions must coincide in the same place. This idea is followed in Othello, which takes place over three days on the island of Cyprus. The play’s simplicity and clarity stem from its singular storyline, which centers on Iago’s exploitation of Othello. The play’s compact structure and emphasis on time, location, and action make it enjoyable to see and simple to follow.
Othello’s unification of setting, time, and action is crucial for several reasons. First, confining the play’s action to a specific period and location adds a feeling of reality and credibility. Because the events they watch appear plausible, the audience feels more connected to the tale and its protagonists. The audience can completely grasp and appreciate the terrible results of Iago’s manipulation of Othello because of the play’s unity of time, location, and action.
Symbols
Shakespeare used symbolism in Othello to further the subject of jealousy. Othello’s gift of a handkerchief to Desdemona is a metaphor throughout the play. Othello and Desdemona’s handkerchief represents their mutual trust and affection for one another. But Iago plants proof of Desdemona’s adultery in the handkerchief.
When Othello says, “That handkerchief / Did an Egyptian to my mother give; / She was a charmer, and / She could almost read / The thoughts of people,” he reveals the meaning of the handkerchief (Corredera 28). She advised her that “while she kept it, / ‘Twould make her amiable and subdue my father / Entirely to her love, but if she lost it / Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye / Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt / After new fancies” (Act 3, Scene 4). This line illustrates why Othello’s handkerchief is an important symbol throughout the play.
Conclusion
The play Othello by Shakespeare is a classic tragedy that explores the complexities of human nature through the theme of jealousy. The theatrical production delves into jealousy, an inherent aspect of human behavior, and its potential to overwhelm and ultimately dismantle even the most resilient individuals. Shakespeare adeptly employs diverse dramatic components such as conflict, plot, and symbolism to intricately construct a narrative that reveals the deleterious potential of this affective state. The central dramatic inquiry of the play concerns the potential susceptibility of Othello to the deceitful machinations of Iago. In essence, the play functions as a didactic narrative that warns against the perils of envy and underscores the significance of exercising discernment when confronted with unfounded charges.
Works Cited
Al Zoubi, Samer Mahmoud, and Ameen Zuhair Al Khamaiseh. “A Critical Study of William Shakespeares King Lear: Plot and Structure.” International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies 8.1 (2019): 14-18. Web.
Corredera, Vanessa I. ““How Dey Goin’to Kill Othello?!” Key & Peele and Shakespearean Universality.” Journal of American Studies 54.1 (2020): 27-35. Web.
Karamat, H., and A. S. Khalis. “Shakespeare’s Universality: Exploring the Timelessness and Relevance of his Works across Cultures and Societies.” Global Social Sciences Review, VIII (2023). pp. 1-12. Web.
Kowsar, KS Shahanaaz, and Sangeeta Mukherjee. “Recreating Hamlet: creativity of Vishal Bhardwaj in Haider.” Creativity Studies 14.1 (2021): 90-98. Web.
Shakespeare, F., “Othello – Entire Play: Folger Shakespeare Library.” Entire Play | Folger Shakespeare Library, pp. 7-435. Web.