According to (William, 23- 34), shakespeare is one of the dedicated writers that had the opportunity to write novels on different topics. Iago has been passed over for promotion by Othello, a Moorish military . There's no reason to feel the need to follow unspoken rules that control who we are, what we truly believe, and even how we live. Growing up, so many of the strong, wonderful women I know felt that their sole purpose was to find someone to be in a relationship with forever. Read reviews from world's largest community for readers. Indicating that if Desdemona were to carry out actions he disapproved, she was not in the right frame of mind, believing his daughter to be completely obedient and subservient to his whims, refusing to comprehend her own choices. MegaEssays. The primary source for Othello is a short story from Gli Hecatommithi, a collection of tales published in 1565 by Geraldi Cinthio. "He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew." Phillip Edwards argued that 'the conventions of relationships within Venetian society limited the domestic and political lives of people in that society.' Cultural criticism is exploriing or examining the relationship of dominant role based on ethnicity, and sexual identity of person, also a great understand of yourself. Discussing Iagos trial. In contrast, the First Quarto contains about 13 lines or partial lines not found in the First Folio. However, in the eyes of Iago and the others, she is guilty of a greater betrayal: her marriage to Othello. Desdemonas further sexual power over him can be seen through Othellos lines lamenting the fact that he did not realize Desdemonas supposed infidelity, stating he would be happier if the general camp/Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body/So nothing known, seemingly obsessed with her sexuality. Don't conform to the societal idea that you can't have feelings or show them. In the Shakespearean plays Othello and Macbeth, many of the characters face moral issues in their attempts to achieve their aspirations. Racism and woman's unchecked sexuality are themes that resonate throughout the play and ignite the most confusion and fear when they are conceptualized as the offspring of a union between Desdemona and Othello. Would you like to get a custom essay? The reason those stories will not be forgotten is because the themes or lessons it is trying to get across to the reader. (1969, December 31). Web. Or, perhaps, Iago is motivated by his own more personal feelings of racism (rather than his society's), which come to the fore as Iago deals with the fact that his superior is a Black man. Directions, Princeton Asia (Beijing) Consulting Co., Ltd. . Conventions maintain the equilibrium of society and provide safeguards against improper behaviour. You, however, have power and say over your own body, and it's important to continue to fight with this outdated societal convention. PDF. When the Duke proposes that she should follow her father back home, both Othello and Brabantio disagree which, by social norms, should have been sufficient to prevent such an act. Please try again. On one level, adultery in Othello can be seen as an individual infidelity that destroys both Iago and Othello as jealousy is incited in Othello by the promptings of his only confidante, "honest Iago." A bright, headstrong daughter of a senator; elevated by her status but stifled by its expectations. The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. China It isn't until Act V, the last Act, that Othello learns of . Therefore, it is thought that Othello has stolen Desdemona from her father: "O thou foul thief" (Brabantio.1.2.62). Expressing a viewpoint. Although obscene language is often viewed as a lack of intelligence, it's not. In this essay let us examine the various themes and determine which are dominant and which subordinate. You know why? While there are a number of issues in Othello that twentieth-century audiences can connect with (crimes of passion are not new to today's society; just turn on the evening news), modern audiences often come away from Othello feeling uncomfortable with the racism they see in the treatment Othello receives from the other characters in the play. Exploring Social Conventions in Othello Atonement and Nineteen Eighty-Four book. Othello, from the onset, is shown to us a play of love and jealousy. 4 of 30. Stay connected for new books and special offers. Othello is one of Shakespeare's more straightforward stories, with little side plotting and a relatively small cast of characters. In Act 2, Scene 1 of Othello, Iago formulates his plan to drive Othello mad. The twentieth century includes notable performances by Paul Robeson, whose tenderness, simplicity, and trust were deeply moving. In 1964 Lawrence Olivier took London by storm with his portrayal of Othello. Social conventions limit the political and domestic lives of men and women, in William Shakespeare's Othello. Dramatic conventions are significant in Shakespeare's plays as they created dramatic irony and they got the audience involved, making them feel like they were a part of the trick or lie. Dr. M. Fogiel. Silence doesn't need to be awkward; instead, it can often be enjoyed. Othello and Desdemona have a passionate love which could be seen as a threat to the rules established by patriarchal order: their intense, emotionally charged and equal marriage challenges ideas about class, race and the conformity of women. He was well-known for his courage and bravery. Ans. Beijing 100016, P.R. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples In front of the Duke and others, she openly proclaims her love for Othello. Furthermore, by choosing to elope, Desdemona has refused to succumb to the societal norms set by the Venetian society within the play. (3-4) Iago, through duplicity and dissembling, creates an . There are three major types of irony: verbal, dramatic, and situational. So, if you want to include the occasional f-bomb for influence, don't let societal views hold you back. Othello is a transcendent play, one that will survive the perils of time simply because it is still relevant. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original Ira Aldridge, the most famous figure in Black theater history, played Othello with Edmund Kean as his Iago. This started manifesting on many levels, and it was not healthy." What excites fear and pity in the modern reader is an identification with Othello's frailty and the suspicion that those unstoppable forces are produced by the fears and ignorance in society. By being able to stand up for herself in front of such a high-ranking nobleman, Desdemona is able to successfully transcend societal expectations of women. Exploring Social Conventions in "Othello" "Atonement" and "Nineteen Eighty-Four": An enquiry into the ways in which social conventions impact on relationships in three varied texts eBook : Smith, Laura: Amazon.ca: Books The idea that being emotional makes you weak or that a person shouldn't cry is quite simply a totally incorrect societal view. Desdemona is first objectified and possessed by her father within the play. In response, Othello says Excellent wretch (III.3.90), the oxymoron suggesting that he is conscious of her wretched manipulation but he finds it excellently fascinating. Only Iago voices an explicitly stereotypical view of Othello, depicting him from the beginning as an animalistic, barbarous, foolish outsider. Kids shouldn't always come first. Hate is as natural as love in humans and Othello gets right to the root of that. Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece Othello shows how the women are portrayed as victims due to men determining social organization. The conventions of relationships within Venetian society limited the domestic and political lives of people in that society. By identifying their roles, she gives herself an identity apart from them, subverting social norms where women are defined through the men in their lives. The Odyssey called for an end to slut shaming, saying that it's a societal issue and not a feminist issue. According to the National Organization for Women (NOW), "for full-time, year-round workers, women are paid on average only 77% of what men are paid." In a powerful piece on HuffPost, the idea of moms on the phone at the park is addressed in a positive and refreshing manner. This shows how Desdemona will not simply accept their decisions and allow the men to choose her destiny. Commentators have also suggested that Plinys Natural History provided Shakespeare with details to enhance Othellos exotic adventures and his alien origins. Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. How did the Industrial Revolution play a part in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens? Word Count: 640. Paragraphing. The most recent interpretation of Othello is a film that includes Laurence Fishburne as Othello and Kenneth Branagh as Iago. But instead, he says, "Demand me nothing; what you know, you know: / From this time forth I never will speak word" (V.ii.303-04). In MegaEssays.com. It doesn't matter what situation you're in a marriage, single life, parenting, or otherwise. Furthermore, she is the only one who proposes a suitable solution to the matter of fit disposition ( I.iii.255) for her while her husband, Othello is in Cyprus. Whether you grew up in Beverly Hills or a small, off-the-map town no one's heard of, it doesn't have to define the societal view of who you are or how you were raised. This article explores the relationships in "Othello", "Atonement" and "Nineteen Eighty-Four" in the light of this statement, exploring how social conventions alter and limit characters' lives whilst also exploring how social conventions operate on a political level in each of these disparate texts. MegaEssays, "Social conventions In Othello by W Shakespeare.," MegaEssays.com, https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/29100.html (accessed March 02, 2023). You don't need to be humble or bashful when you receive a compliment you can accept, and even agree, with confidence. Iago crudely informs Brabantio, Desdemona's father, that Othello and Desdemona have eloped. In Othello, the Shakespearian tragedy about the newlywed Othello and Desdemona, Shakespeare uses character foils to emphasize the strengths and weaknesses of the characters. To claim that the central theme is a man's murderous jealousy would be an oversimplification, as the play also reconnoitres the themes of reputation, manipulation and misogyny in the 17th century Venice. This act was seen as a serious breach of the conventions of society. Othello the General has promoted another, Cassio, to hold the position that Iago feels he deserves. Unfortunately, the large motivator behind following many of these social conventions is simply the backlash, judgement, or sideways looks you may get when you don't. All Rights Reserved. On another level, adultery may be viewed by some as destructive to a whole society. In Othello, according to the expectations of the Elizabethan patriarchal society, women were expected to be obedient to the men in their lives, be it their fathers or husbands, in other words to be subservient. I wonder in my soul/What you would ask me that I should deny, Or stand so mammering on? (III.3.68-70), here she alludes to her own desire to please her husband through the implication that he cannot love her as much as she loves him if he refuses what she wants. Historical is basically know the background story before you making assumption off the text, and to better understand text lookup time period close to the time like 1600s for Othello by William Shakespeare. The love between Desdemona and Othello begins as ideally as it can. We Will Write a Custom Essay SpecificallyFor You For Only $13.90/page! As Lane More wrote in Cosmopolitan: It's perfectly OK if you don't know exactly how you feel or don't feel the need to put a label on your sexuality. Furthermore, Brabantios strict control of Desdemona is apparent, he refuses to accept that she decided to carry out her elopement, attributing her actions to spells and medicines bought of mountebanks that Othello must have used (I. iii. In presenting a protagonist who begins the play as an outsider, Othello deviates from other Shakespearean tragedies, and provides potential reasons for Othello's vulnerability to Iago's manipulations. The Turk and the Moor, two traditional symbols of cultural values different from those of Western culture, threaten Venetian society but may be read as the embodiments of Elizabethan England's fear that its cultural values will be lost through colonization and the intermingling of different cultural values. Jealousy is an emotion that everyone shares, and it is ultimately responsible for the tragic ending of the play. Learn more about ebooks and audio from Princeton University Press. United Kingdom What he loves is the construction of Desdemona as the "perfect" woman, a perfection of sensibilities that must not be allowed to err. The play Othello by Shakespeare presents the readers with a male dominant society where women are faced with a rough time. Othello is treated as an outsider and is a victim of racism and orientalisation due to his cultural background, constantly reminded that he is not fully Venetian. The tale discusses themes of love, jealously, revenge and most importantly race. More importantly, he is visibly different . In this ironic twist, by identifying as a Venetian, Othello is stripped of his true identity, primarily by social pressures to assimilate. If you're out with the big wigs for work, cocktails. The societal idea of the perfect body is total B.S., and whether you have stretch marks from pregnancy, cellulite from being human, or weight from living, the societal idea of beauty is not real. Have you ever been truly independent? A feminist examination of the play . There are an endless amount of religions, personal views, and even political views, and none of them are black and white. Iago is arguably the voice of racial intolerance: he cries out to Brabantio, "your daughter and the Moor are [now] making the beast with two backs" (I.i.116-17) and "Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe" (I.i.88-89). In life a person will read many stories that will either be forgotten or ones that will leave a life long impact on them, years after reading. Whether you want to code, become a CEO, train as a pilot, or any other number of things, your gender shouldn't hold you back regardless of what societal norms have been prior. I am not a help at home, I am part of the house.". Othello - A Great Character. The estimated length is calculated using the number of page turns on a Kindle, using settings to closely represent a physical book. 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