Crazy in Love

Comparison Essay # 115581

Literature > French
Literature > World
Shakespeare > Othello

Crazy in Love

A comparison of the theme of love in William Shakespeare's play "Othello" and Marie de France's "Laustic" and "Lanval."

1,243 words () | 0 sources | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the struggle between reason and passion in the depiction of love in the play "Othello," by Shakespeare, and the poems "Laustic" and "Lanval," by Marie de France. The writer first explains how, in the beginning of Shakespeare's play, Othello trusts Desdemona and even when Iago arouses jealousy in him by playing on his emotions, and still wants proof of Desdemona's infidelity before he doubts her. The tragedy takes place because although Othello's sense of reason is strong at first, his powerful emotions gradually take over. The writer then shows how Marie de France's "Laustic" represents self control and reason while "Lanval" represents the madness of love. After analyzing the poems, the paper concludes that, because acting reasonably when it comes to love often causes more heartache, the madness of love and its feelings and passion usually triumphs.

From the Paper:

"Many people tend to make choices based on what they think and know instead of on how they feel. For example, in Shakespeare's Othello there is a major struggle for Othello between what he is being told and what he is seeing, and what he feels for Desdemona. Othello starts out with a pure relationship with Desdemona. He loves her and he trusts her because she has given him no reason not to. Iago becomes very angry at Othello because he chose Michael Cassio for lieutenant instead of Iago. In a ploy to get even, Iago begins to plant seeds of jealousy in Othello's heart. He starts by suggesting that an innocent conversation between Desdemona and Cassio is not so innocent. Iago does not come right out and say that Desdemona is being unfaithful but he does not deny the question either. By refusing to give a straight answer, Iago causes Othello to suspect the two even more."