Thesis on "Othello Shakespeare"

Thesis 4 pages (1312 words) Sources: 2

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Othello

Shakespeare

Othello is one of Shakespeare's most discussed and analyzed works and is "One of Shakespeare's most frequently performed plays" (Shakespearean Criticism: Othello). The tragedy of Othello does not lie essentially in the death or murder of Desdemona, but rather in that Othello is psychologically blind to the truth that she loves him and could not be unfaithful to him. It is this psychological blindness and the machinations of Iago which resonates in our modern consciousness and that makes this play such an often discussed work of art.

It is also a play that is philosophical in that it questions our perception of reality. However, this paper will focus mainly on the psychological aspects of the theme of illusion vs. reality and the distinction between truth and appearance that makes this such a compelling drama. The central thesis that will be discussed is therefore that the tragedy of the play lies in the play of illusion vs. truth and how an understanding of the psychological and psycho-social aspects of the play are essential for an in-depth appreciation of its tragic dimensions. The issue of evil and Iago's role in the tragedy will be the point of focus.

2. The Psychological and Psycho-Sociological Perspective

The psychological stance in literary criticism refers to the application of various psychological perspectives and theories to the analysis of literary texts. Literature is perceived, as it were, through the prism of psychological theory with the intention of adding depth and dimensionality to the understanding of the work of art.

In essence, this approach "… evolved as modern psychology itself began to take form during the early twentieth century" and includes the views and theoretical perceptions of Freud, Jung, Adler and Rank, among many others. ( Ali, 2008)

This approach refers specifically to the application of various psychological concepts such as the Freudian unconsciousness and Jung's theory of the archetypes. Freud's theory of the relationship between the human ego and the unconscious areas of the human psyche has been very influential in contemporary literary criticism.

The plot of the play is convoluted and dramatically intense but basically revolves around the love of Othello and Desdemona and the apparent betrayal of that love by Desdemona. One argument put forward is that Iago is jealous of Othello's ascendency in the ranks and seeks revenge. From a purely psychological perspective Othello is extremely vulnerable in many respects, not only because of his intense love for Desdemona but also because his is status as a Black or a Moor in a predominantly white society. Iago uses these vulnerabilities to insinuate and suggest that Desdemona has been false to Othello. Othello is psychologically manipulated by Iago into believing the very opposite of the truth; to the extent that he murders that which he loves because he is under the illusion that she is cuckolding him, which makes his love and integrity meaningless.

This view of reality is propagated by Iago. The tragedy lies in the realization of Othello's traumatic and life shattering mistake and the subsequent loss of life and opportunity. We are shocked at the power of illusion and appearance over reality and the way that illusion can pervert all that is good and true.

From a psychological literary perspective an analysis of the text provides an absorbing insight into the way that Iago uses every opportunity to convince Othello that his wife is unfaithful to him. The text is intensely and subtly written to convey the deeper meaning of evil that lurks within the psyche of Iago. As one critic notes Iago is able to manipulate the psychological attributes of the other characters.

He is able to create an exact analysis of other people's constitutions and weaknesses. All these tactic placement of his talents, while being able to keep his actual intentions hidden, certainly helped to perpetuate his reputation of being an honest man.

(Shakespeare's Othello -- Iago's manipulation skills)

The psychological perspective sheds some… READ MORE

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