- 02/12/2012
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Free essays
The purpose of the essay is to research rather than contrast or compare play, but I believe that in order to get fuller information and analyze it we should know a little about other plays. Often “Othello” is compared with “The Merchant of Venice”. Talking about the reception of the play, we should mention that the character named Shylock is seemed to be totally and fundamentally an unsympathetic character if not a villain. Moreover, he is often seen even as some kind of a caricature of a vicious, greedy, resentful and susceptible Jew. The point and problem lays in such question: whether Shylock is bad because he is a bad Jew or bad because he is simply a Jew, the debate is not about how bad the Shylock is. The Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice” is dedicated to the summarizing and analyzing the Jewish-Christian relationship of the times and its reflections. The destiny of Jewish people is hard and painful; this nation has been discriminate and jammed, impaired for a long time. Its pride was wounded. In Shakespeare’s time, even law forbade them from living in some countries (including England), nevertheless, in spite of this fact, about a few hundred survived in London and other cities in the guise of Christians. The anti-Semitism in England increased and persisted around 1190, when non-Jews borrowed heavily from Jewish moneylenders. In Shakespeare’s times 300 years later, anti-Semitism remained in force in England. The main points of character of Elizabethan Christians and Jews are embodied in Shakespeare’s Shylock. The majority of London’s population at the time was anti-Semitic because there were very few Jews living there. Therefore, Shakespeare’s play called “The Merchant of Venice” supports anti-Semitism actions and thoughts and thus it can be named an anti-Semitic play. Many writers and people of art focused on such difficult topic as Jewish destiny, it will worry the brightest minds of the world for many years.
According to Bradley, “Othello” is the most painfully exciting and the most terrible. From the moment when the temptation of the hero begins, the reader’s heart and mind are held in a vice, experiencing the extremes of pity and fear, sympathy and repulsion, sickening hope and dreadful expectation. Evil is displayed before him, not indeed with the profusion, but forming, as it were, the soul of a single character, and united with an intellectual superiority so great that he watches its advance fascinated and appalled. He sees it, in itself almost irresistible, aided at every step by fortunate accidents and the innocent mistakes of its victims (1904, pg 1)
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In addition, Othello is seemed to be fateful when breathing the air, but he is more oppressive and confined that character of King Lear, for example (that is one of the greatest masterpieces of Shakespeare). In the “Othello” not the night but close – shut room (murderous) is dark and scaring, that darkness leaks or oozes out to the heroes’ souls and minds. Maybe this factor is important when talking about reasons of the death of Desdemona. His imagination is amazingly active; however, this activity is full of concentration (not full of the dilation, for example).
It can generally be said that this play impressed me. I could hardly breathe after reading it. It triggered many thoughts in my mind. To decide what place this play occurs in your life and your heart you should only read it. In addition, I want to say that this play has totally changed my understanding of such terms as ‘whiteness’, ‘race’, and ‘people’ relationships’. Such great researching work is worth of being read by everyone. People look for answers in his plays and sonnets, because he illustrates different relationships between us, and each of it shows how people face problems and difficult questions. Therefore, Shakespeare is a great writer who created many masterpieces. He showed how cruel and liberal, evil and worrying can be our world. Moreover, I can claim that you will not be disappointed after reading his works. The entity struggle between love and betray, good and bad, life and death worries the brightest minds of humanity, including Shakespeare and Marlowe. Each of us eventually spends a good deal of time thinking about such problems, sooner or later our thoughts become older and more serious. Thus, we turn to great people’ words and works to be helped. Of course, thoughts can be different, but one fact is beyond doubts.
Conclusion
This play is a mysterious world, it can be judged or understood, but never wiped off. Creations of its author, play include feelings, words, and dearest moments. To sum up, reading this play is not mortifying thing, it is not just wasting the time. Anyway, it exists and it is nothing to do. To sum up, Shakespeare’s plays are one of the most significant events in classic literature and in history of humanity. It can generally be said that this great author shows many-sided people’s relations and feelings, contradictory or high-minded actions. He showed how cruel and liberal, evil and worrying can be our world. The entity struggle between love and betray, good and bad, life and death worries the brightest minds of humanity, including Shakespeare and Marlowe. It can generally be said that the play “Othello” impressed me. I must admit that it is one of the greatest masterpieces in the world. Its plot is complicated and complex. Its characters are persuasive and involving. The world of Othello is as bleak as that of King Lear. Shakespeare’s plays touch human feelings and relationships, first, friendship and love. That is why people are looking for the answers for their questions in Shakespeare’s creations. That is why this man is known by each of us. That is why his works leave some trace in our minds and hearts.
References
Bevington, David, and Eric Rasmussen: eds. Doctor Faustus and Other Plays, Oxford University Press, 1995.
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