Discrepancy between appearance and reality in Shakespeare’s Othello
As one of the greatest tragedies of Shakespeare, Othello (1622) sheds light on the darkest corners of the human psyche in that it shows the way in which powerful emotions such as love, hatred and jealousy blur the distinctions between a loving husband and a cold-blooded murderer. Having based his pl...
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Published in | İnönü University International Journal of Social Sciences (INIJOSS) Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 1 - 8 |
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Main Author | |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
İnönü Üniversitesi
2019
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | As one of the greatest tragedies of Shakespeare, Othello (1622) sheds light on the darkest
corners of the human psyche in that it shows the way in which powerful emotions such as
love, hatred and jealousy blur the distinctions between a loving husband and a cold-blooded
murderer. Having based his play on the discrepancy between appearance and reality,
Shakespeare warns the reader/audience against the dire consequences of taking everything
at a face value. Therefore, rather than interpreting the characters from a restricted point of
view, it is attempted to see through the stereotypical images ascribed to them. Accordingly,
instead of seeing Desdemona as an obedient, silent and passive figure, it is argued that she
is a courageous woman that can defy her father Brabantio, for she manages to marry the
man of her own choice. On the other hand, just like Iago, Desdemona is aware of her
physical and emotional influence over her husband since she promises to use her charms on
Othello so that Cassio will regain his position. In this regard, it can be said that Desdemona
is a woman that knows how to move through the strict regulations of the patriarchy that is
represented by her father and her husband, respectively. However, she cannot escape her
tragic death because Othello is too blind to see Desdemona’s true self. Hence, for the aim
of this paper it is intended to illustrate the importance of seeing through the binaries, and of
welcoming alternative interpretations that reveal the complexities pertinent to the characters
in the play. |
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ISSN: | 2147-0936 |