Othello Trust Deconstructed Essay PDF

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Introduction: InOthello   ,Shakespeareexplorestheabilitytomanipulateanindividual’sperceptionofothersina raciallysegregatedsocietyanditsinfluenceontrust.WrittenduringShakespeare’sgreattragicperiod withplayssuchasMacbeth,OthelloisadomestictragedysetagainstthebackdropoftheCretanWar betweenVeniceandTurkey,whichhappenedduringthelatesixteenthcentury.ThroughOthello, ShakespeareaddressesthetensionintherelationshipbetweentheVenetian’sandMoorsinVenetian societyduetotheprejudicesofthetime.WiththestereotypeoftheanimalisticnatureofMoorsandthe increasedpresenceofinterracialmarriage,Shakespeareaddressestheuncertaintyinthesenewlyfounded relationships,anddealswiththeproblematicissueoftrust.Throughtheexplorationofthevulnerable natureoftrustandrelationships,Shakespeareultimatelyillustratestheabilitytomanipulateandexploit individual’sperceptionsofothersthus,Othellohighlightsthefragilityoftrust.  Paragraph1: TherelationshipbetweenIagoandOthelloisoneoftrustanddeceit,inwhichIagobuildsafalse friendshipwithOthellopresentinghimselfasahonestandloyalmaninordertomanipulatehim.Iago hideshishatred,allowinghimtoexploittheMoor’strustinordertodishonourhim. ● “Ihatethemoor...He’sdonemyoffice. ○ ThisquoterevealsIago’shatredtowardsthemoorandhisreasoning.Oneofthemain pointforhishatredishisjealousytowardstheMooroverpositionsinthemiliarty, throughoutthispassageIagoalsoqoutedistincracistslurstowardstheMoor,thisis viewedasanotherreasonhehatesOthello. ● “InfollowinghimIfollowbutmyself/Heavenismyjudge,notIforloveandduty,” ○ InthisqouteIagorevealstorodrigohowhetrulyfeelsaboutthemoorandhowhewill manipulatethemoreintothinkingheisfaithfultohim,whenheonlyfaithfultohimself. ■ Beginshisplottingagainstthemoor ■ AlsomanipulatingRodrigotohatethemoorevenmore ■ ExplainshisplanstoRodrigo ● “Mylord,youknowIloveyou/MylordyouknowI’myourfriend” ○ HereIagoismanipulatingOthellobysayingthatheisloyaltoOthellowhenhetruly isn’t. ■ StatesthatheplaceshistrustinOthelloandthereforeOthellomustplacehistrust inhim ■ Gainsothello’strustandrespect ■ Flattery ■ Persuasive  Paragraph2: ThecredulousnatureofOthello’srelationshipwithDesdemona,stronglyreliantonthephysicallove tokenofahandkerchief,illustratestheabilitytoeasilymanipulatetrust,allowingthefragilityoftrustto consequentlybringthedestructionoftheirmarriage. ● “Looktoher,Moor,ifthouhaseyestosee./Shehasdeceivedherfather,andmaythee” (I.iii.292293) ○ PlantsseedofsuspicioninOthello’smind

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EdwardSnow:“speakingasthecuckoldedfather,BrabantioconstruesDesdemona's choiceintermsofanOedipalanxietythatreduceswomen’scapacityforactive commitmenttoareminderofpastbetrayalsandapremonitionoffutureones” ○ BrabantiobelievesthatbecauseDesdemonacheatedonhim,shewilldothesameto Othello ○ Alludestofactthatwomenarethecauseofevilandbecauseofthis,itiscertainthat Desdemonawillbedeceitful ○ OthellothinksnothingofthiswarninguntilhesuspectsDesdemonaofbeingunfaithful IamgladIhavefoundthisnapkin./ThiswasherfirstremembrancefromtheMoor,/My waywardhusbandhathahundredtimes/Wooedmetostealit(III.iii.294297) ○ Beginningofhandkerchiefplotrevealed ○ ExplainsthehandkerchiefimportancetoOthello ■ FirstgifttoDesdemona ■ Representstheiroldestandpurestfeelingsforeachother ○ Othello’sjudgementisbasedsolelyuponappearance;notesonlythatDesdemonaliesto him ○ Associationofhandkerchiefwithhisparent’slovetestsDesdemona ■ Heisnotsureifhecantrusther ■ Createsastorywhichimpliesthatfidelityinamarriageisbaseduponthe possessionofalovetoken ○ Othello’smythicperceptionofmarriageisemphasisedashestatesthatthehandkerchief hasthepowerto“subdue”hisfather ○ HandkerchiefisviewedasasymbolofDesdemona'sfidelity ■ Everytimeitis“handled”,Desdemona'spuritydiminishesinOthello’s estimation ○ HandkerchiefwasgiventoDesdemonaasalovetokentoemphasizeconfinementina relationshipandthepossessionofoneindividualbyanother ■ Handkerchiefishandledbyalmosteverycharacter ■ Reflectssignificantproblemexistingwithinmarriages ■ Symbolisestheeffectmanyotherinfluencesmayhaveonarelationship “Othoufoulthief,wherehastthoustowedmydaughter?”(I.ii.62) ○ DespiteOthello’soutwardappearanceofconfidence,Brabantio’sinsultsprofoundly affecthim ○ Desdemonaisleftinapositionwhereshemustconstantlyexpressherloyaltyandloveof Othello ○ Fromhispositionofinequality,Othellobeginstodoubthimself ■ FaithinDesdemonaisshakenbadly ■ InsteadofvaluingDesdemona,Othellolooksforoutwardsignsoffidelityand ultimatelybecomesobsessedwiththewhereaboutsofthehandkerchief “Shediddeceiveyourfather,marryingyou,/Andwhensheseemedtoshakeandfearyourlooks,/ Shelovedthemthemost(III.iii.210212) ○ IagoisreinforcingBrabantio’sviewofwomen;ifshedeceivesone,sheisliableto deceiveeveryone ○ StatesthatwhensheactedlikeshefearedOthello,that'swhenherloveforhimgrewthe

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most,accentuationthethemeofappearancevsreality Untruestatementasaudienceisawareofherfaithfulness Iago’sattempttobuildacaseagainstDesdemonabypointingouthowdeceptiveshecan be ProofOthelloneedstokeepaneyeonDesdemona OthellotrustsIagoashebelievesIagoknowsVenetianwomenwell WedgeisdrivenbetweenOthelloandwife

 Paragraph3: DuetothenaivetyofOthelloandhistendencytodeterminehisperceptionofindividualsonappearances, truerealityisoftenoverlooked,therebyhighlightingthemisconceptionsoftrust. ● "honestIago"(I.iii.294) ○ Stronglycontrastshistruecharacter ○ Oxymoron ○ DramaticironyasOthellobelievesIagoisatrulyhonestperson ○ IronicOthellobelievesIagoishonestandDesdemonaisn’t ○ Consequently,Iago’sdeceptionleadstoOthello’sdownfall ○ CassioandOthelloarebothbeingmanipulatedbyIago ○ CassioistalkingofBiancabutOthellobelieveshe’stalkingaboutDesdemona ○ Highlightsappearancevsreality ● "Iwillwearmyheartuponmysleevefordawstopeckat;IamnotwhatIam."(I.i.6465) ○ Iagoisforeshadowinghistruecharacter ○ Deliberateintentiontodeceiveandinflictharmonanother ○ TalkingtoRoderigoabouthishatredforOthello ○ TellRoderigoheisnotwhoheappearstobe ○ Strongbeliefthatthosewhodeceivegofarinlife ○ Iagoisrevealinganimportantfactabouthimself ■ Hewillmanipulateandactdeceptivelyifitsuitshismotives ○ ShowsaudienceIagoisuntrustworthy ○ ShowsRoderigo’snaivetyconsequentlyleadingtohisdeath  Paragraph4: TheflawsinOthello’scharacterisationasagullibleandinsecureMoorwithatrustingnature,allows himtobeeasilymanipulated,showingthefragilityofhistrustinIago. ●

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“HaplyforIamblack,andhavenotthosesoftpartsofconversationThatchamberershave…” (Act3Scene3,Line267) ○ SuddenrealisationofwhatOthelloreallyisandrepresentsinVenetiansociety ○ Othellooutlinesthatduetohisblackidentity,hedoesnotspeaksoftlyorhavethesame toneofconversation,astheVenetiansdo ○ Illustratesherehowhisblacknessorhimbeinga“Moor”differshimfromVenetian society(outsider) ○ OthellodoubtsthatDesdemonacouldlovehim,becauseofhismisconceptionofhimself asbeingpoorlyspokenandoldashebeginstobelievethatDesdemonacouldnotlove himandthereforestartstobelievesheisguiltyofinfidelity ○ HowOthelloseeshimselfdirectlyinfluenceshowheviewDesdemona’slove “Mybloodbeginsmysaferguidestorule,/Andpassion,havingmybestjudgmentcollied,/

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Assaystoleadtheway”(II.iii.164166).  ○ Hotheadedandpassionatenature ○ Whenangeredoremotionallyriled,hestopsthinkingandstartsfeeling,makingrash decisions ○ Othellosaysherethathisbloodandpassiontakereignandinfluencehisactions,muchof whichhecan’thelp ○ Outlineshowheisdifferentandhowhisnature(jealous+gullible+easilymanipulated) makeshimeasilysusceptible “SpeakofmeasIam…Ofonewholovednotwisely,buttoowell/Ofonenoteasilyjealous,but beingwrought,/perplex’dintheextreme”(V.ii.398,400402) ○ Othellobegstobespokenofasamanwhowasplayeduponthathedidn’tknowwhathe wasdoingwhenheaccusedDesdemonaofinfidelity. ○ Hedoesn’twanttoberememberedasamanwhowaseasilyjealous ○ Heaskstoberememberedandspokenofassomeonewholovedtoodeeplyandwhose jealousnaturewasinfluenced,causinghimtobecomeconfusedandmanipulated ○ Beforecommittingsuicide,Othelloemphasiseshisidentityasaloyalsoldier,whichis howhewantstoberemembered. Butjealoussoulswillnotbeansweredso./Theyarenoteverjealousforthecause,/Butjealous fortheyarejealous.Itisamonster/Begotuponitself,bornonitself.(Act3,Scene4) ○ Emiliaexplainsthenatureofjealousy,pointingoutthatjealoushusbandslikeOthello neverreallyneedanycausetobejealoustheyjustarejealous ○ EmiliaexplainsjealousyassomethingbornonitselfwhereasIagoexplainsitasbringing ittolifethroughitsbirth

 Conclusion: Ultimately,Othelloisaplaywhichrepresentstheinherentflawsinfaithwithinrelationships.Shakespeare   emphasisesthefragilenatureoftrustandthepotentialtoexploitanindividual’sfaithtoconsequently bringupontheirdownfall.ThroughstronglycontrastingOthello’srelationshipsbetweenIagoand Desdemona,Othelloexploresthepresenceofdeceptionandit’sdetrimentaleffectonanindividual’s   views.Shakespearefurtherhighlightsthefallaciousnatureoftrustthroughexploitingtheinnateracismin societytoemphasisethecharacteristicsofOthelloandhisviewsoftheworld.Thus,Othelloisessentially   aplayaboutthefragilityoftrust....