"Othello"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses William Shakespeare's play, "Othello." It particularly focuses on the theme of the breakdown of communication between men and women. The paper suggests that the play is about this breakdown in gender relations, more than it is a play about race. The paper presents many examples from the play to demonstrate lack of trust and communication between members of the opposite gender, in order to illustrate this theme.

From the Paper:

"This equation of the female body with male honor is seen early on in the play, as well as the difficulty for men and women to communicate effectively. Desdemona's own father cannot see that his daughter is falling in love with Othello, even though he saw it happen before his very eyes, in his own house. Brabatino says his daughter must be seduced by Othello's witchcraft because she was: "A maiden never bold;/Of spirit so still and quiet, that her motion/Blush'd at herself; and she, in spite of nature,/Of years, of country, credit, every thing,/To fall in love with what she fear'd to look on!" (1.3) When Brabatino learns that there was no witchcraft afoot, it is he, rather than Iago, who places the first seeds of doubt in Othello's mind about Desdemona's potential future transgressions: "Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see:/She has deceived her father, and may thee" (1.3)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Shakespeare, William. "Othello." Shakespeare Homepage. 5 May 2007. http://shakespeare.mit.edu/othello/index.html

More papers on "Othello":

• Analytical Essay # 144824 : "Racism as a Theme in "Othello"
• Persuasive Essay # 133459 : "Iago's Successful Moral Degradation of Othello"
• Analytical Essay # 88465 : "Oedipus and Othello"
• Analytical Essay # 33531 : "Othello As A Tragic Hero"

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