A Shakespearian Stage History: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moore of Venice - Research Paper Example

of the World Literature of the Concerned 25 July A Shakespearian Stage History: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moore of Venice There is no denying the fact that there happen to be only two nations that have distinguished themselves in the sphere of tragedy, which are the Greeks and the English. Simply speaking, the Greek tragedies did not play a significant role in the rise of the English tragedy (Taplin 4). Yet, the tragedies of Seneca did influence the English tragedies to some extent (Boyle 142). And when it comes to the English tragedy plays, one simply cannot afford to ignore Shakespeare. Though there were English writers like Marlowe who contrived tragic plays before Shakespeare, yet, it was only Shakespeare who endowed the English tragedy with all the acclaim and distinction. Othello tends to be one of the most famous of Shakespearian tragedies. As per the experts, the primary source of Othello is traced to the novella Hecatommithi, written by Giraldi Cinthio (Hall 21). Shakespeare though based the larger framework of the Tragedy of Othello on Cinthio’s work, yet, as was peculiar of Shakespeare, he modified the original story in multiple ways, to suit his personal dramatic conception (Hall 21). It goes without saying that Othello happens to be one of the most romantic heroes created by Shakespeare, whose sense of romance is matched by a predilection for an intense passion and a glaring sense of jealousy, which eventually lead to the downfall of this remarkable tragic hero. Quiet contrary to the rules and norms evinced by the classical tragedy, Shakespearian tragedy tends to be of a mixed genre. Most of the Shakespearian tragedies do not adhere to the three unities laid down by the classical tragedy, but, rather aspire to achieve a fourth unity, which is the unity of dramatic impact (Han 2000). Although, Shakespeare does introduce the comic element in a majority of his tragedies, including Othello, yet, the comic element introduced by Shakespeare bolsters the intensity of the tragic atmosphere, rather than weakening or disrupting the tragic element (Sadowski 48). It also does need to be mentioned that Shakespearian comedies relied for their impact on the contrived social mingling and the interrelatedness of the individual characters (Sadowski 48). However, the most astonishing thing about the Shakespearian tragedies like Othello is that they tend to revolve around the story of single individual, who is referred to by the critics as the Tragic Hero (Ribner 14). In that sense Othello the Moore shares most of the character traits and attitudes that are ascribed to other of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes like Macbeth and Hamlet. Most of the Shakespearian tragic heroes tend to be the individuals affiliated to a high rank and social status. The same stands true of Othello who is presented by Shakespeare as a distinguished general. Though most of the Shakespearian tragic heroes are endowed with a general nobility of nature, yet they often end up succumbing to tragic flaw that clouds their sense of reason. Hence, quiet in tune with the other of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, Othello is presented as a person of superior temperament and congenial nature, who simply losses his reason, and succumbs to a wallowing sense of sexual jealousy. Othello like the other tragic heroes, towers over the other characters presented in the tragedy, and the tragedy of Othello rests on the conflict and agony inherent in the mind set of Othello, which eventually leads to his suicide. In that sense the character of Othello shares one more common trait with Shakespeare’s tragic heroes and that is his unshaken courage and his indomitable will, which he not only evinces in facing the hardships that he comes across in life, but also in meeting his death with a sense of poise and a marked manliness. When Othello is able to gain cognizance of the fact that the crafty and vile Iago has taken advantage of his suspicious temper and sexual jealousy to make him wrongfully accuse and punish his committed and faithful wife, he chooses to end up his life as a punishment for his sins. Typical of a Shakespearian tragic hero, Othello is presented in the tragedy as a person of introspective and poetic temperament, who on discovering his erroneous judgment, decides to end up his life (Ribner 100). Also, Othello tends to imitate Shakespeare’s other tragic heroes like Hamlet and Macbeth in one more sense and that is his temperament of brooding over a single idea to the extent that it ends up being an obsession (Ribner 102). In Othello’s case this obsession happened to be his belief that his wife is unfaithful to him. The other particular aspect of a Shakespearian tragedy that is discernibly visible in the tragedy of Othello the Moore is the conflict inherent in the psyche of the tragic hero (Nostbakken 27). In Othello this conflict comes out as tendency to be overcome with the appearances and the superficial. Not to mention that the conflict inherent in the mindset of Othello eventually oozes out and get reflected externally, both within his immediate surroundings and at a larger cosmic plane. The sexual jealousy of Othello eventually vitiates his immediate surroundings to essentially build up a tragic atmosphere, which finally ends up with the restoration of the harmony and order in his death (Nostbakken 136). The intense passion inherent in the character of Othello not only overtakes his reasoning faculties, but moves a step ahead to metamorphose this exalted and gifted general into an enraged beast who is not able to govern his actions. The one thing about Othello that engages the attention and admiration of the readers is his intensely poetic nature. In the tragedy of Othello the Moore, Othello is introduced to the readers as a distinguished general of the Venetian army. Considering a life of war and bloodshed that Othello led right from his childhood, introduced into him panache for poetry and romance, which not only make him a remarkable Shakespearian hero, but also explain to a large extent his capacity for intense jealousy and passion. Yet, the reader is surprised to acknowledge that an early life committed to war and travelling, fail to make Othello a person who is impervious to cunning and deception and rather bring him out as a character who is marked with a bankruptcy of common sense and reason. Othello comes out in the story as a foreigner, who though had accrued the beliefs and civilization of his Venetian masters, yet, has managed to hide beneath the surface a fatal sense of suspiciousness related to the female chastity (Nostbakken 60). It is this passion and suspiciousness that end up being the tragic flaw that brings about a tragic end. Othello in this tragedy tends to be the governor of Cyprus who commands an immense admiration and respect. He is also shown to be capable of exercising discipline and discretion in the case of men serving under his leadership. However, the irony marking the tragedy of Othello is that the very same person, who is shown to be capable of being an amazing leader of men, eventually gives in to an infantile sense of suspicion and jealousy that is systematically exploited by an underling like Iago, through repeat insinuations, and the contriving of indecent possibilities and likelihoods. In the Tragedy of Othello the Moore, Shakespeare contrives this amazing tragic Hero through a fiber of intense talent and base fragilities, and an unsuitable capacity for anger and distrust, which end up the life off this otherwise virtuous and exalted leader into a mire of sorrow and pain. Perhaps, herein lays the craftsmanship of this great dramatist and poet. Works Cited Boyle, AJ. Tragic Seneca. London: Routledge, 1997. Print. Hall, Joan Lord. Othello. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. Print. Han, Younglim. Romantic Shakespeare. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2000. Print. Nostbakken, Faith. Understanding Othello. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. Print. Ribner, Irving. Patterns in Shakespearian Tragedy. London: Methuen Place, 1990. Print. Sadowski, Piotr. Dynamism of Character in Shakespeare’s Mature Tragedies. Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press, 2003. Print. Taplin, Oliver. Greek Tragedy in Action. London: Routledge, 2003. Print. Read More