Tragedy in Othello

Shakespeare wrote Othello, the Moor of Venice, at a time when the English, in their expansion around the world, encountered cultures that were different to their own and also at a time when many in Europe were feeling threatened by the continuous expansion of the Ottoman Turk empire. An analysis of the play Othello reveals it to be a tragedy: from the beginning of this play to its end, the stage is set for the eventual downfall of Othello, the main protagonist, at the hands of none other than Iago, a man who he trusts and considers a friend.  The tragedy that can be observed in this play is observed through human nature and it is possible that Shakespeare’s intention was to show that despite the differences in race, all human beings are of the same nature and display the same characteristics. In this play, Shakespeare tackles subjects such as racism, love, hate, jealousy, pride, trickery and persecution to develop his characters as well as to make the audience see these characteristics in themselves.
In this play, although it is not blatantly displayed, is the theme of persecution which eventually leads to and is a part of the tragedy. Shakespeare's depiction of persecution in this play is based on racial stereotypes that depict the Venetians as a peace loving and courteous people in opposition to the violent and warlike tendencies of the Turks and the Moors. It is because of this that the Venetian senate decides to bring in Othello, a Moor and an outsider, to help them fight their wars against the Turks. It is further seen that it is difficult for outsiders to fit into Venetian society due to the fact that despite Othello having served Venice for a very long time, he has not established any strong personal relationships with any of those around him. If he had known these people well, then he would not have been swayed by the lies that he was told by Iago, a man who he trusted blindly. It can further be said that his blind trust of Iago was an attempt to fit into Venetian society and it is quite possible that Iago was the first Venetian to ever listen to him concerning things which were not military in nature. It is against this background that the tragedy of the play is set because Iago uses Othello’s feeling of being an outsider as well as the stereotype of his race being violent to plot his downfall.
In this play, there is a focus on the differences in age and color between Othello and his wife Desdemona and Shakespeare does this to escalate Othello’s isolation from Venetian society and to display his vulnerability towards manipulation. Othello had spent many years on the battlefield and had therefore not had the time to indulge in normal society and to develop the skills necessary for understanding and surviving within it. His wife was much younger than him and this may have made him feel inadequate due to his thinking that she may have preferred somebody younger. Furthermore, she is the daughter of a senator, meaning that he had married way above his social station in Venice and this only because he was a great general and not because he was regarded as a Venetian, since despite his lengthy service to it, he was still not a native of the city. Sid Smith in his 1995 article in the Chicago Tribune states that Othello’s race and culture may also have had a part in his feeling inadequate and his having a lack of understanding of his wife because it was quite different to that of the Venetians and this leads to Iago taking advantage of this to convince him that Desdemona is having an affair, a part of his scheme to destroy Othello.
All the relationships in the play shows the vulnerability of the characters within it when these characters get personally involved with each other. Each of these relationships, centered around one character, Iago, displays the insecurities around each of the other characters, and it is these insecurities which Iago uses in his evil plot for the demise of Othello. The marital relationships between the various characters in this play show their vulnerability because they bring out the best hopes and the worst fears of the characters involved. Othello’s marriage to Desdemona shows that although two people can truly love each other, the need for one or both partners to have control over the other can destroy such a relationship and will instead cause heartache and turmoil in their lives.
The tragedy in this play is based on Iago’s attempt to destroy every bit of happiness that Othello has by gaining psychological and emotional control over those people who are around Othello or are closely associated with him. Iago’s actions can only be compared to the Christian depiction of the devil because he not only wants to destroy Othello but also everything and everyone he values, without any logical explanation except a vague one in Act I line 60 when he states “I am not, what I am.” Shakespeare uses Iago’s character to show that is a very dangerous thing to believe completely in what anybody tells you without finding out all the facts for oneself. Iago skillfully used his relationships with the other characters in the play to manipulate their emotions and desires to suit his purposes. If Othello had been willing to listen to all the parties involved as Iago’s pawn in the makings of his downfall instead of listening only to Iago, then the tragedy that occurred would not have happened.
In conclusion, the play Othello can be considered, from its very beginnings to have the makings of a tragedy. All of Iago’s machinations against Othello come to fruition at the end of the play when Othello kills his wife due to his belief that she was cheating on him, something which he has not proven to be true. When Iago’s wife Emilia confesses her husband’s scheme against him, Othello kills himself due to the regret and shame he feels for killing his innocent wife. Furthermore, the play also ends in tragedy for Iago, whose deeds are eventually exposed and he is taken away to be tortured and most likely to be eventually killed. Therefore, the events of this play end in tragedy not only for the protagonist, but also for the antagonist.

Things Fall Apart - Achebe's Criticism of Pre-Colonial Igbo Culture

Things Fall Apart is the story of a society at a crossroads between the traditional way of life, and modernity, as represented by the coming of the white man and the colonial government. It is the story of Okonkwo, the main character, who struggles to attain his position in society and once he achieves it, this position comes to be threatened by the coming of the colonial government. In writing this novel, Chinua Achebe seems to be criticizing some of the traditional ways of the Igbo society through the various characters that are encountered in the novel. Among the things which Achebe looks at are; the killing of hostages for in exchange for a life taken; the definition of masculinity; and finally, the violence displayed by some of the men in Igbo society.

Among the most prominent of the characters in this novel is Okonkwo, whose personality can be said to be thoroughly masculine and who is used as an example from which all the other men in Umuofia are defined. There are instances throughout the novel where Okonkwo is described as doing things which one would associate with masculinity. He is extremely hardworking and ambitious, whose aim is to build his reputation to the highest level that can be attained in his society. While this is the case, he seems to have an extremely difficult relationship with his son, Nwoye, whom he believes not to be manly enough. Okonkwo is, throughout the novel, seen to treat his son quite harshly, even in very trivial situations. This creates a situation where the relationship between these two is extremely strained and there is a rift between them that cannot be filled. As a result, Nwoye eventually chooses to leave his father’s home and join the missionaries, where he eventually comes to find peace. In this case, Achebe seems to be criticizing the aloof nature of Okonkwo in raising his son, believing that if he shows any affection for Nwoye, then the boy will end up being weak and effeminate.

Achebe criticizes the Igbo practice of killing of hostages from another village in revenge in a situation where a person from the said village has taken a life. He uses the case of Ikemefuna to show his disapproval since this boy was brought to Umuofia as a hostage, where he was put in the charge of Okonkwo. Ikemefuna becomes a part of Okonkwo’s household and is, in fact, treated as an older brother by the latter’s children. However, there comes a time when the Oracle declares that Ikemefuna, has to be put to death in revenge for the killing of an Umuofian years earlier. Okonkwo is the one who gives the deathblow with his matchet despite the fact that he had grown extremely fond of the boy. He kills Ikemefuna not because he has to, but because of the fact that he does not want to be seen as weak by his peers. Okonkwo later feels disturbed by this action and goes to speak to his best friend Obierika, who, ever the voice of reason in the novel, tells him that he should not have participated in the killing of Ikemefuna. Obierika further reveals that he himself did not participate in the putting to death of Ikemefuna, and this can be said to be Achebe’s way of showing his disapproval of the practice.

In Things Fall Apart, violence and a quick temper are associated with masculinity and it is something which is associated to all the men within the society. The most prominent of these is Okonkwo, who, despite his being a kindhearted man; he displays his manly authority by ruling his household with a heavy hand, often beating his wives whenever they do anything to offend him. He is also seen to have a particularly bad temper as seen when he almost shoots Ekwefi after she insults his pride. In addition, whereas the other men of Unuofia choose to submit to colonial rule, Okonkwo chooses to retain the past ideals of his society by remaining violent. This eventually leads to a point when he hacks a colonial officer to death with a machete, thinking that this will lead to the men of Umuofia rising against colonial rule. When this does not happen, he realizes that his way of life is gone, and as a result, hangs himself. In this case, Achebe displays his disapproval of the violent ways of the Igbo culture and how such violence might lead to the destruction of the people.

Analysis: The world is a beautiful place by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Lawrence Ferlinghetti writes the poem “The world is a beautiful place” to express his feelings about the world and the contradictions that exist within it. It is a poem which shows the irony of living the human life, some being happy with their lot in life while others remain sad due to their poverty as well as the tragic events that happen in their lives. Ferlinghetti uses this poem to display the true nature of human life, that nothing is ever permanent. In this paper, we shall analyze the imagery, symbolism, figurative language, style and tone in relation to the development of the theme.

The use of imagery is very extensive in this poem especially when making contrasts between the beauty of the world and the ugliness which is contained within it. This can be seen when it is stated that the world can be very beautiful if the people who live within it do not mind “a bomb or two.” The image of a bomb is used to refer to the wars which happen from time to time all over the world especially in the developing countries. It can be said that the image of the bomb when contrasted to the beauty of the world may be Ferlinghetti’s way of stating that the world is beautiful just the way it is but it is the human being who makes it not to be a pleasant place to live in due to his corrupting influence over it. This image may also be used to show the environmental price that the world has to pay whenever human beings go to war. The image of the upturned faces may be used to refer to the helplessness that people in the society feel due to the fact that although they have no hand in the making of the decisions to go to war, they are always the first ones to suffer when these wars begin. The image of happiness is continuously displayed in this poem but there is a sudden stop to it when Ferlinghetti mentions that it all ends in death.

Symbolism is a major style used in the development of the theme of this poem. A good example of this, as mentioned above, is the mentioning of a bomb to symbolize war. The line “a few dead minds/ in the higher places” can be considered to symbolize the decisions of people in authority concerning things that are vital without thinking about the consequences of their actions in future. Furthermore, the line “….or such other improprieties/ as our Name Brand Society/ is prey to” symbolizes the dominance of capitalism in the society something which Ferlinghetti was very much against. The line “…and its priests/ and other patrolmen/and its various segregations/ and congressional investigations/ and other constipations…” symbolizes to the governmental establishment and its ingrained corruption that is rampant within its ranks.

Ferlinghetti uses figurative language to depict the contrasting characteristics of the world, and a good example of this is in the line “comes the smiling/mortician” which is an oxymoron used to symbolize death. It is well known that death is a sad event but Ferlinghetti’s depicting it as smiling clearly shows the contrast in the world as a place where a lot of happiness can be found as well as great sadness. Figurative language can be seen all over the poem and it is used to express the points which can be considered to be the most important in the poem.

The tone of the poem can be considered to be either neutral or ironical. This is because of the contrast which Ferlinghetti makes between two very different matters. For example, he states that the world is a very beautiful place to be born into if one does not mind there not being any happiness all the time. This is an ironical statement because of the fact that Ferlinghetti is attempting to depict the world as not being an ideal place to live in. It can further be said that the tone of the poem depicts the true feelings of its writer about the world and how the situation within it affects the different people living in it. The irony in the poem helps to deliver the poet’s message to the reader as well as fostering an understanding of the subject matter involved.

In conclusion, the use of imagery, symbolism and figurative language in this poem greatly contributes to a greater understanding of the poem. They create situations which are familiar to the reader and they allow him to decipher the true meaning of what the poem is saying. Despite what many people who read it may think, it is not as negative a poem as it is considered to be. Instead, it has many lessons to give about the reality of human life in the world and the main message which can be made out of it is that there is not guarantee of happiness in the world and that we should live in it as best as we can.