Good and Bad in Othello Essay - 1555 Words

Good and Bad in Othello A huge battle between good and evil is waged the William Shakespeare’s drama Othello. In this essay let us study the many facets of these two dimensions as presented through the words and actions of the characters. Can the protagonist, who has committed a double killing in the last scene, be saved? In William Shakespeare: The Tragedies, Paul A. Jorgensen discusses the theology of the final scene: It is better not to look too anxiously into the theology of the outcome. Othello has no doubt that he is damned. But better theologians than he would place more credence and hope in the genuineness of his final passion. From the stern general who had, as his first line, the cold â€Å"’Tis†¦show more content†¦(76) Iago’s lying is a type of immoral conduct which the ancient practices from beginning to end of the drama. But is lying his chief motivating evil? Roderigo’s opening lines to Iago in Act 1 Scene 1 take us to the very root of the problem: Tush! never tell me; I take it much unkindly That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this. (1.1) In other words, the wealthy playboy has been paying off the ancient for the soldier’s intercession with Desdemona on behalf of Roderigo. This payoff has been in progress before the play begins, and it continues even in Cyprus. Yes, it would seem that money is at the root of Iago’s moral downfall, and of all the tragic misfortune in this drama. In order to assure that Roderigo’s gifts, both in the form of money and jewelry, continue to himself, he initiates an intrigue which begins with the late-night storming of Brabantio’s residence, and ends with the deaths of Roderigo, Desdemona, Othello and Emilia. The intrigue begins when Iago suggests to the wealthy playboy that he may be able to recover Desdemona by taking immediate strong action with her father against the general: Call up her father, Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight, Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen, And, though he in a fertile climate dwell, Plague himShow MoreRelated Deception in Shakespeares Othello Essay1503 Words   |  7 PagesDeception in Shakespeares Othello Deception, which by its definition is a bad thing and has only one level or degree, is truly not this way at all. Deception appears many times in Othello, but in almost every incident the degree of deception is different. There are only a few characters that use deception, and those characters all use different degrees of deception to get what they want in the play. 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