OTHELLO ESSAY for Y12..final notes...

Today was the final session exploring possible content for the essay....

‘The conclusion to the play makes it impossible to view the character of Othello as anything other than a tragic hero.’

To what extent do you agree with this view?

STRUCTURE...

• Strong personal voice that allows the examiner to comprehend the nature of your critical argument.

• The MODELLING PARAGRAPH.

• The next paragraph needs to explore Othello's HAMARTIA and how this is, once more, a convention that Aristotle discussed in the POETICS. It could be argued that Shakespeare is shaping the character of Othello to be perceived as a tragic character. What is the flaw that is exploited by Iago? Is it Othello's inability to comprehend the complexity of human emotion due to 'the flinty and steel couch of war being his thrice-driven bed of down' ? Or is it the fact that his own humanity and insecurity is used against him? Remember that Iago states in his first soliloquy that 'the Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so..' SO...is his decency and honesty his HAMARTIA? Why is this reading of the play so terrifying?

• THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT PARAGRAPH IS THIS paragraph needs to state whether you view Othello as a tragic hero or a tragic victim. THE FOCUS MUST BE HIS FINAL SPEECH IN ACT5 SCENE2. After his ANAGNORISIS, does he display any personal enlightenment or self-knowledge? Or is he still an ignorant murdering ego-maniac? Is he an 'HONOURABLE MURDERER'? Does his belief that he must suffer eternal damnation make him a tragic hero?  Don't forget, we have discussed the idea that he rediscovers the heightened poetry of the tragic hero but fails to recapture his sense of personal dignity and authority. How should the audience view him as he kills himself 'to die upon a kiss'?  

• THE IAGO PARAGRAPH needs to explore the meaning being shaped by Shakespeare through this symbolic character. This is the paragraph that needs to explore how and why the audience may feel their own sense of  PITY and FEAR. IAGO is a crucial character for Shakespeare when framing the sense of pity and fear. Who do we pity? Desdemona? Othello? Iago? Emilia? What is it about the power of Iago that the audience might fear? ALVIN KERNAN describes Desdemona and Iago as 'the two moral poles of the play'. He explores their contrasting moral symbolism: 'Desdemona is a life force that strives for order, community, growth and light. Iago is an anti-life force that seeks anarchy, death and darkness.'  

• CONCLUSION.....I've talked enough about the conclusion. Move beyond a consideration of Aristotle. Arthur Miller?

HOMEWORK: I expect the essay to be handed to me on THURSDAY morning or sent to my email on WEDNESDAY NIGHT. I expect the essay, not counting the modelling paragraph, to be around 1200/1400 words. I am after a precise critical argument that demonstrates an excellent understanding of the play and considers the play within the context of the genre of tragedy.

I expect this essay to reflect the amount of time that we have spent discussing possible content. 

GOOD LUCK LIT FREAKS.