A Synthesized Analysis of Othello

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A Synthesized Analysis of Othello
Othello is a rich tragedy by Shakespeare with influentially dynamic male and female characters. The play revolves around various themes which have been really connected to human experiences since it was written and performed first. The main themes of jealousy, reputation, loyalty, friendship, trust, identity, social values, misogyny, and miscegenation are portrayed through the actions of major characters like Othello, Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia. Although the play covers a tragic hero tied in a romantic relationship with Desdemona, many critics express the importance of the vibrant male and female pairs instead of the prominent couples in love. The relationship between Othello and Iago represents a powerful pair, setting the plot in action and inviting the tragic end.
On the other hand, Desdemona and Emilia depict a woman-to-woman relationship with similarities and differences of character, giving the climax a direction to the outcome. This way, both pairs with comparing and contrasting qualities in each pair lead the plot. Othello and Iago, and Desdemona and Emilia, as powerful fictional pairs, are complementary and sometimes oppose each other in designing the tragic end. Connecting the story to personal life, experiences like jealousy, identity, loyalty, relationships, infidelity, and social and racial norms are relatable to every age and society.
Othello is one of the most historically influential protagonists of the story, while Iago is one of the most attention-grabbing antagonists from the history of literature. Both share some similarities, such as both are military men with different ranks. Both have served their country in battle and share similar marital status when the story begins. However, Iago is jealous of having a lower rank than Cassio, whom Othello promotes to be the lieutenant as a reward after the battle. To destroy the fortunes of both Othello and Cassio, Iago begins to manipulate. He asserts that he follows to attempt his' turn upon him' (Act I, sc i). By taking advantage of Othello's trust in him and playing with his weak points, the villain succeeds in making the protagonist believe that his newlywed woman has an affair with his lieutenant. This indicates that Iago is a cunning and manipulative character compared to Othello, who is plain and simple. He benefits from various situations and fuels the passion of possessiveness and inborn African open-mindedness to create a strong mistrust between Othello and his wife. Through the incident of the handkerchief, Iago plays his trump card and successfully induces Othello to punish Desdemona and Cassio for betrayal.
On the other hand, Othello gets constantly fooled by the planning and loses trust in his wife and friend. Resigning to his passions for love, possessiveness, and free nature, and being manipulated by Iago, he ultimately kills his loyal wife. He claims that with his 'bloody thoughts with violent pace,' he will never look back at her love (III iii). This specifies that Othello is possessive and selfless in love who needed nothing but devotion, while Iago's self-interest is all he has because he cares nothing about knowing the chances of his wife's infidelity; instead, he gets ex...