Animality and Darkness in Othello Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespeare

Animality and Darkness in Othello An initial reading of Othello would suggest that animality and fantasm are therefore in opposition to beauty and electric arc. This view is affirmed by facial expression at the language and actions of Iago, Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains in contrast to Desdemona, (or even the early Othello),Not to pick insalubrious from bad, but by bad mend. Animality and darkness can be clearly elaten in the quotation and more specifically the language of Iago. From the genuinely first step of the playfulness, curses and language which intone hate fall easily from his lips. His obscure declaration that I am not what I am is preceded by the disturbing throw that when he is sincere I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/For daws to mountain at. His descriptions of Othello and Desdemonas relationship are also animalistic, Your daughter and the Moor are reservation the beast with two backs. The linguistic identity which Shakespeare gives to this chara cter is later follow by Othello in essence it can be seen to permeate the play with a certain squalor which is placed in opposition to the character of Desdemona, not only in her language and actions but in the mien she is constructed by others. One very clear example of this can be found within Act V Scene ii and the imagination which is used to describe Desdemona, that whiter skin of hers than snow/ and smooth as monolithic alabaster, and in the recurrent references to light, thou flaming minister, thy former light. Further, if one views beauty and light in this context as heavenly then the animality and darkness can be seen to correspond to that which is secular, a notion which Othello communicates in the opening speech of the final scene, placing earthly notions of justice against... ...scene and the misogynistic views of such as Iago, How if she be black and witty with the later scene of Act IV Scne iii and Desdemonas refusal to hypothesize the word whore, I cannot say wh ore/It does abhor me, then the dark baseness of the male world is seen in opposition and dark contrast to the sinlessness and naivety of Desdemona. Thus through such passages in Othello it is possible to see that animality and darkness are in opposition to beauty and light, in some different ways, dramatic, linguistic, thematic and conceptual and it is a conflict which it can be claimed is never resolved. Othellos suicide ends the personal conflict but the decision for the interview lies in their response to what is dark or beautiful. It is possible to see the tragic committal of the bed, either as the triumph of animality or the return of Venice as the good and the light.