critics from the anthology- Othello

?
Kastan- Shakespearean Tragedy
"quickly the idea of tragedy as the fall from prosperity to wretchedness became common-place." tragic downfall as a result of Harmatia. in Othello's case its his hubris and jealousy which destroys him and things and people he claims to cherish.
1 of 16
Kastan- Shakespearean Tragedy
"for shakespeare anyhow, the uncertainty is the point."- leaving the audience to question why Othello didnt just speak to Desdemona, why the miscommunication was so ridiculous
2 of 16
Kastan- Shakespearean tragedy
"the characters struggle unsuccessfully to reconstruct a coherent worldview from the ruins of the old"- potentially a reference to Othello's attempt at trying to justify his jealousy and erratic behaviour
3 of 16
Nuttall- The Pleasure of Tragedy
"it would not be surprising if an audience inwardly driven to envy were to delight in the fall of one greater than they"- the audience would secretly take pleasure in the downfall of Othello
4 of 16
Nuttall- The Pleasure of Tragedy
"suffering and death are perceived as matter for grief and fear, after which it seems that grief and fear become in their turn matter of enjoyment."- argues that an audience either contemporary to Shakespeare's epoch or from the 21st C, would inwardly de
5 of 16
A.C. Bradley- The Shakespearean Tragic Hero
"it is, in fact, essentially a tale of suffering and calamity conducting in death"- it is a tragedy from start to finish
6 of 16
A.C. Bradley- The Shakespearean Tragic Hero
discusses medieval tragedies: "a total reversal of fortune, coming unawares upon a man who 'stood in high degree', happy and apparently secure"- Othello and his relationships, friendships and marriage were destroyed within 5 Acts as common in traditional
7 of 16
Maynard Mack- Tragedy and Madness
"madness, when actually exhibited, was dramatically useful"- argues that madness is central to the character's motives and actions.
8 of 16
Maynard Mack- Tragedy and Madness
"madness is to some degree a punishment or doom, corresponding to the adage"- being punished for acting upon your vices
9 of 16
Maynard Mack- Tragedy and Madness
"the madness verbally assigned to other Shakespearean tragic heroes contains both punishment and insight"- characters representing ideas and being the face of allegories.
10 of 16
Honigmann- The Portrayal of Iago
"dramatic perspective can even make us the villain's accomplices"- "he confides in us, so we watch his plot unfolding from his point of view"
11 of 16
F.R. Leavis- The character of Othello
"the noble Othello is now seen as tragically pathetic, as he sees himself as pathetic too"
12 of 16
F.R. Leavis- The character of Othello
"Othello dies belonging to the world o action in which his true part lay"
13 of 16
Ania Loomba- Othello, race and society
"Othello is both a fantasy of interracial love and social intolerance, and a nightmare of racial hatred and male violence"
14 of 16
Ania Loomba- Othello, race and society
"Othello is predisposed to believing his pronouncements about the inherent duplicity of women"
15 of 16
Ania Loomba- Othello, race and society
"Both blacks and Muslims were regarded as given to unnatural sexual and domestic practices, as highly emotional and even irrational, and prone to anger and jealousy"
16 of 16

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

"for shakespeare anyhow, the uncertainty is the point."- leaving the audience to question why Othello didnt just speak to Desdemona, why the miscommunication was so ridiculous

Back

Kastan- Shakespearean Tragedy

Card 3

Front

"the characters struggle unsuccessfully to reconstruct a coherent worldview from the ruins of the old"- potentially a reference to Othello's attempt at trying to justify his jealousy and erratic behaviour

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

"it would not be surprising if an audience inwardly driven to envy were to delight in the fall of one greater than they"- the audience would secretly take pleasure in the downfall of Othello

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

"suffering and death are perceived as matter for grief and fear, after which it seems that grief and fear become in their turn matter of enjoyment."- argues that an audience either contemporary to Shakespeare's epoch or from the 21st C, would inwardly de

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar English Literature resources:

See all English Literature resources »See all Othello resources »