Summary
Summary list of Contextual themes in Othello
- Course
- Institution
- Book
Summary list of Contextual themes and references throughout the play Includes Aristotle's Tragic Terms/ 'Poetics'
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
More summaries for
-
Othello: Genre and Dramatic Structure
-
Imagery in Othello
-
Othello theme summary- Race
Seller
Follow
rachelsewell
Reviews received
Content preview
Othello ContextSeven heavenly virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness, patience and humility
(represented by women of the play)
Seven deadly sins: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth (represented by men of the play)
Venetian women
The three wise monkeys
Goats and hell/the devil
Turkish/Cyprus war
Racial attitudes- black magic stereotype- “there’s magic in the web of it”, and the ‘heathen’ stereotype
(othello identifies as both Christian and heaven), uncontrolled passions, bad temperament and anger
outbursts, and the ‘gullible’ type (which othello arguably is to fall for iago’s tricks)
Misogyny
Aristotle’s Tragic Terms or ‘Poetics’ 335 BCE:
Hamartia- a tragic flaw or mistake (Othello’s jealousy, Desdemona’s submission)
The Tragic Hero- at the beginning of the play he has a quality that is better than ourselves, and he comes
from noble birth- “noble siege” as othello describes it
Hubris- pride, and is often a tragic flaw
Peripeteia- the hero’s sudden reversal of fortune
Anagnorisis- the hero’s realization of his mistake (Emilia realizing what Iago has done, Iago realizes he
killed his wife unnecessarily)
Catharsis- emotional release for the audience, when all dramatic irony is unveiled to the characters and
both character and audience are on the same page (when Emilia unveils Iago’s plot, arguably no
catharsis since Iago states he will not speak of his motivation)
Aristotle states that, at the end of a tragedy, the audience should feel both catharsis and fear. Iago’s
refusal to speak perpetuates this.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller rachelsewell. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.89. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
75632 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now