#1

   Shakespeare's Hamlet is written during a time in which reason has begun to triumph over superstition.  The ghost of Old King Hamlet appears to men on the night watch, when they see this apparition, one of the men, Horatio says: "In what particular thought to work I know not/ But in gross and scope mine opinion/ This bodes some strange eruption to our state" (I.I.78-80).   This reaction is conflicted, the men know what they have seen yet they not that reason says it cannot be.  This consternation reflects the changing time of Shakespeare's day.  As scholars gained more worldly wisdom, superstition seemed false.  Yet the old practices and folklore were things that people still wanted to hold onto.  In Hamlet, Shakespeare shows that either reason or superstition will triumph in the end.  Whichever one triumphs determines the ends of all who are in the story.  Reason is rational, superstition is the irrational that is justified within a person's mind.  It will be young Hamlet's challenge to choose the rational or irrational in avenging his father's death.

#7

    The protagonist Othello, of Shakespeare’s Othello, is a tragic hero in one of the purest forms.  What bring about Othello’s demise are his tragic flaws.  Othello arguably has a multitude of flaws from his trust in others to jealousy.  His most prominent flaw towards the end of his life is his steadfastness and confidence in his beliefs.  Just before killing his wife, Desdemona, Othello cries,

            “Othello: It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul.

              Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars.

              It is the cause…

               Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” (V.II.1-6).

Here Othello makes it clear that he cannot compromise the deed he plans to commit neither can he contemplate it because of the moral weight that it carries within him.  Othello believes that killing Desdemona is a moral and good thing to do.  In preparing for the murder he repeats that it is a cause.  His repetition of “the cause” emphasizes that his deed is something in which he strongly believes in.  He will not allow himself to rethink it because he is steadfast in his belief.  Yet in reality, Othello plans to shed innocent blood.  His moral crusade is directed in the wrong direction.  The woman he wishes to kill has done him no wrong and would never betray any man save her own father.  Had Othello not been so steadfast in his belief he may have mulled over the subject and found out the truth.  Othello’s steadfastness allows him to kill Desdemona.  In the end when he realizes that he is wrong he must in turn kill himself.  Throughout the story Othello is confident and steadfast from his belief in Othello’s honesty to his trust that the nobles of Venice will do him no harm because of his love for Desdemona.  This seemingly virtuous quality only demotes Othello.  It allows him to be easily manipulated and deceived.  With the correction of this trait Othello could have avoided jealousy, doubt in his wife’s faithfulness and in the end the murder of a loved one.  Such is the tragedy of a tragic hero. 

#6

       Shakespeare's Othello, is written in a time where females have no rights.  They are seen as a lower subset to men.  They are looked upon as not having the same passions or tendencies as men and when they do show such needs and desires, for example: sexual desires, they are castigated and looked upon as despicable.  This is why Emilia's statement on the desires of women is so out of the ordinary and can be looked upon as modern.  After being asked by Desdemona whether or not women are ever unfaithful towards their husbands, Emilia responds with,
             "Emilia: Yes, a dozen...[But I do think it is their husbands' faults If wives do fall...Let husbands know
              Their wives have sense like them.  They see, and smell,  And have their palates both for sweet and
              sour, As husbands have.  What is it that they do When they change us for others?  Is it sport?
              I think it is.  And doth affection breed it?  I think it doth. Is 't frailty that thus errs?  It is so too.  And
              have not we affections,  Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?  Then let them use us well.  Else
              let them know,  The ills we do, their ills instruct us so" (IV.III. 95-115).
Here Emilia claims that women and men are equal in their desires.  Emilia says that women are motivated to commit adultery in the same way that men are.  In addition, Emilia claims that a woman who acts in infidelity against her husband is spurred to it by her husband.  She further warns that men must be treat their wives well if they wish for  them to remain faithful.  Emilia's thoughts are ahead of her time.  She promotes good and equal treatment in marriage, something unheard of during her era.  Also Emilia recognizes that not all women are the coy and innocent beings society makes them out to be, rather they are human filled with all of the same desires as men.
      Desdemona's response is one that speaks for the thinking of the time period:
       "Desdemona: (God) me such uses send, Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend" (IV.III.116-117).
Desdemona aspires to the cult of domesticity, customary of her time period.  She wants to be a proper housewife no matter if her husband mistreats her or casts her off.  She does not believe in blaming a man for turning to infidelity.  Instead she believes it a woman's duty to hold true to her husband, this belief is also reflected in her initial disbelief at Emilia's answer when she says,
         "Desdemona: I do not think there is any such woman" (IV.III.94).
Desdemona's view of women contrasts Emilia's and reflects the contrast that women of Emilia and Desdemona's day battled against.  They were constrained to domesticity and fidelity to their husbands by society, in reality many sought freedom in all arenas and often felt driven to it because of mistreatment from their husbands.

#5

      Shakespeare's protagonist Othello, develops major changes in his character throughout the story.  As Othello is manipulated deeper into Iago's web of deception causes Othello's character to change.  Othello starts the play as a man devoted to his love and wife, Desdemona.  Othello listens to Iago's false evidence concerning the unfaithfulness of Desdemona.  This manipulation brings out Othello's tragic flaw, jealousy:
        "Othello: Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live.  No my heart is turned to
         stone.  I strike it, and it hurts my hand.  O, the world hath not a sweeter creature. She might lie by an
         emperor's side and command his tasks" (IV.I.200-204).
Clearly Othello is jealous.  He believes Cassio to have usurped his wife's love.  Othello's tragic flaw of jealousy creates passionate emotions within him.  In his passionate rage he wishes his wife to "rot and perish", later on he insults her and says,
        "Othello: Hang her, I do but say what she is!  So delicate with her needle, an admirable musician-O she
         will sing the savageness out of a bear!  Of so high and plenteous wit and invention" (IV.I.20-209).
Othello's jealousy leads him to a passionate rage which then leads him to falsely accuse his fidelity filled wife of infidelity.  This tragic flaw is all part of the hero's downfall.  Othello is now a darker character.  This is portrayed not only in his transition into jealousy, but also in his references.  Before Othello often referenced Heaven.  In his new darkened attitude, Othello references Hell and the devil.  Othello is also abusive.  Upon seeing his wife and hearing her defend Cassio, the man he suspects to be her lover, Othello proceeds to strike Desdemona and call her the devil.  His rage is leading him into a darker and darker realm. In accordance with the tradition of tragedy, there is a foreshadowing of how his tragic flaw will lead to his downfall:
     "Othello: I will chop her into messes" (IV.I.219).
This statement is made in reference to Desdemona.  Othello plans to kill an innocent woman.  This will most definitely be one of his biggest mistakes.
      Though jealousy seems one of Othello's largest flaws, truly it is his being too trusting which leads to him being manipulated.  Othello was once known as a solid man.  In his trust of Iago he changes into a dark man.  This change is recognized by others,
           "Ludovico: Is this the noble Moor, whom our full senate call all in all sufficient?  Is this the nature
            Whom passion could not shake, whose solid virtue The shot of accident nor dart of chance could
            neither graze nor pierce" (IV.I.297-301).
Othello's change from his solid nature is truly extraordinary.  Had he not been so trusting of Iago, he might have seen through Iago's false pretense and evaded the pit of jealousy set before him.

#4

     In every tragedy there is a hero.  What makes a tragedy a tragedy is the downfall of the hero.  The hero's downfall is not completely unforeseen, it is brought by a tragic flaw, haramatia, which the character and audience must learn from.  Othello is no exception to this rule.  Othello is a true hero, an honorable and confident man he is an ideal leader.  Othello, however is too trusting, this is flaw.  Othello constantly puts his confidence and trust in others.  This is seen clearly in Othello's relationship with Iago.  When Iago begins to plant doubts as to Desdemona and Cassio's relationship in Othello's mind, Othello responds with,
         "Othello: I think thou dost; And for I know thou'rt full of love and honesty And weigh'st thy words before
           thou giv'st them breath" (Shakespeare 125).
Here Othello immediately gives weight to the words Iago, a conniving and malicious man, speaks.  Othello makes the mistake of trusting a man who does not have his best interest at heart.  Again Othello's character flaw is seen in action with regard to the fidelity of his wife:
           "Othello: I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove" (Shakespeare 131).
Othello trusts his wife would never be unfaithful to him.  He does not believe that his wife would go behind his back and be dishonest.  Yet it is not impossible for Desdemona, Othello's wife, to do so.  In the past Desdemona betrayed her own father by going behind his back to marry Othello.  Since she is capable of this, she is also capable of  being adulterous.
         Othello's trust in others will definitely lead to his demise.  His trust will allow him to be manipulated by machinating men like Iago.  As he believes the best in all, and does not have the foresight to see the truth behind people he will be deceived and in the end pay a great price for it.

#3

       Shakespeare's Othello speaks of the difference between outward perception and true character.  Many of the characters within the play are examples of this.  Iago is one of the characters who exemplifies the difference between reputation and true character in a great way.  Throughout the play, in Iago's hope for vengeance he plays the loyal, willing, and dutiful servant.  There is seemingly no fault in Iago, it is for this reason that Othello says:
        "Othello: Iago is most honest" (Shakespeare 83).
This is the perception of Iago to the outside world.  Almost everyone who knows him within the story knows him as an honest man.  He also works very hard to keep up the appearance of honesty.  When asked by Othello what happened to cause the uproar with Cassio, Iago responds with,
         "Iago: I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth than it should do offense to Michael Cassio.  Yet        
           I persuade myself, to speak the truth" (Shakespeare 97).
Here Iago talks as if he could never tell a lie no matter how much pain it can would cause a friend.  Honesty is merely Iago's reputation.  In reality he is a liar and very wicked.  His show of loyalty towards Othello is a mere act, and the cause of Cassio's downfall.  Iago is everything but honest.
        In the setting of Shakespeare's play reputation is everything.  Reputation can build people up or demote them.   Outward appearances are must be kept up.  Michael Cassio's outward appearance is different from his inner character.  Due to Iago's trickery, Cassio is known as a brawling, untrustworthy drunk.  In reality, Cassio is an intelligent and handsome man.  When his true character is lost to all around him Cassio cries,
             "Cassio: Reputation, reputation, reputation!  O, I have lost my reputation!  I have lost the immortal
              part of myself, and what remains is bestial.  My reputation, Iago, my reputation" (Shakespeare 99).
Cassio's exclamation speaks of the world he is set in.  Outward perceptions are more important than inner character.   It is because of the new outward perception that others have of him that he is stripped of all titles as Othello's lieutenant.  If the outward perception is good, inner character is assumed good, if the outward perception of a person is bad, no matter the true character of the person all hope is lost for being accepted well in society.
       

#2

    Shakespeare's Othello takes place in a time where description tells everything about a person. In modern times people are usually always referred to by name.  When speaking of someone, his or her name is mentioned, before proceeding to tell the story of this person and what he or she does.  In Othello, the protagonist Othello has a series of descriptions almost all of them involve the word "Moor".  When a gentleman speaks of him he says
       "Third Gentleman:...the warlike Moor Othello" (Shakespeare 61).
This description tells much about Othello already it is known that he is a man of war.  Often times Othello is always described as a Moor.  This differentiates him from all other characters.  It says that he could possibly have barbaric tendencies being from Africa and that he his not an Italian like the others.  This is shown when Iago describes him as "the lust Moor" (Shakespeare 79).  Iago's insult of lusty is mad stronger with the use of the word "Moor".  In contrast men like Iago are described as honest and given character descriptions that do not speak to savagery.  Othello is set in a world of prejudice which makes Othello's rise to power all the more great.