Othello by Shakespeare Is an Intriguing Tale of Love - Research Paper Example

The plot of the play follows the gradual progression of intrigue from the beginning in the form of the conflict which reveals the complication leading towards the climax which further builds up the suspense and then the play reaches its anticlimax. The conflict is presented with the commencement of the play i.e. Brabanzio’s rage over interracial marriage as Desdemona marries Othello who is a black man. Iago is the villain of the play who creates all the complications as his sole motive is to destroy Othello. The play reaches its climax where Iago succeeds in convincing Othello about Desdemona’s betrayal which gives rise to suspense in the readers about Othello’s reaction. The anticlimax of the play appears in the form of the mass murder that follows i.e. Desdemona’s murder at the hands of Othello, Othello’s suicide, and Emilia’s murder by Iago. The play leaves the readers in a state of disbelief and grief over how one man’s Machiavellian planning leads to the loss of three lives. This gradual plot progression keeps the readers enraptured with all the action taking place making the experience of the readers all the more pleasurable.

Bhattacharyya in his book states that,

Moulton writes, “When we turn to analyze the plot, this is found to be a network of Intrigue, the mode of action in which Jealousy most naturally finds vent; and the intrigues, however elaborate, are by the movement of the plot drawn to a simple culmination which remains for all literature the typical climax of tragic jealousy” (98).

Jealousy is a recurring thematic concern that forms the basis of all the action that takes place in the play; may it be Othello’s misplaced jealousy over Desdemona’s so-called unfaithfulness or Iago’s revenge against Othello which is based on jealousy. It is stated in the play, “O, beware, my lord of Jealousy!/ it is a green-eyed monster which doth mock/ the meat it feeds on” (lines 165-67). This explanation of how jealousy ruins lives also clearly depicts the crux of the whole play. It was Iago’s jealousy for Othello that led him to hatch such a devious plan to ruin Othello as he says, “And nothing shall content my soul/till I am evened with him… I put the Moor/into a jealousy so strong that judgment cannot cure” (lines 298-302).

Kolin also stresses that “the play sustains a running joke founded on the dramatic irony of Othello’s baseless jealousy, made from nothing, “saying Emilia to Desdemona, “jealous…souls are not ever jealous for a cause/But jealous for their jealousy” (352). This theme in the play explains not only the fact that jealousy is an emotion so strong that it can completely take over an individual’s rationality but also enlightens the reader about the power it has of ruining the lives of not only the jealous individual but also the people around him.

In any literary text, symbolism acts as a major tool that makes the reading experience all the more interesting because this symbolism acts as the subtext or the hints that are left unexplored by the writer for the readers to explore. Furthermore symbolism also at times acts as a foreshadowing of the ensuing action that takes place in the play.

A handkerchief is an object of great symbolic importance as it is not only a symbol of Othello’s love for Desdemona but also a sign of Desdemona’s chastity and faithfulness. However, Iago cunningly manipulates this symbolic object of undying devotion and love between the two lovers by stealing and completing his plan of ruining Othello. When the handkerchief goes missing it also acts as the point of climax from where the curiosity about Othello’s actions is heightened amongst the readers as they hold their breaths to await his reaction.

Vaughan and Cartwright believe that,

As Othello implies Desdemona’s honor and her handkerchief are the same, then either loss or rejection has the same alienating effect… once Desdemona loses Othello’s handkerchief, the charm is broken and their marriage has been lost…the property of the handkerchief has neither symbolic or emblematic value, but instead signals literally tragic enchantment (184).

This comment hence clearly explains not only the symbolic significance of the handkerchief but also enlightens the readers about the fact that it is not merely an object, its loss is nothing short of a tragic occurrence that dooms the fate of Desdemona’s marriage.

Hence it is observed that Shakespeare’s “Othello” is a balanced mix of a variety of literary devices which helps in making the play interesting and the text intrigues the readers with all the action taking place in it. Moreover, the thematic concerns that are incorporated in the play are very close to real life which helps in exploring the darker side of human nature.