2020 Othello – William Shakespeare ‘Love is a
destructive rather than a positive force in the
tragedy of Othello.ʼ To what extent do you
agree with this view? Remember to include in
your answer relevant comment on
Shakespeareʼs dramatic methods.
2020
Othello – William Shakespeare ‘Love is a destructive rather than a positive force in the tragedy
of Othello.ʼ To what extent do you agree with this view? Remember to include in your answer
relevant comment on Shakespeareʼs dramatic methods. [25 marks]
Ideas of egalitarian love – links to other tragedies.
Love being introduced as destructive due to Othello thematically linking love and the end
in Act I.
Iagoʼs love for Othello being the destructive force in the tragedy.
Idolatry love being the destructive force as depicted through Othelloʼs handkerchief and
obsession over the objects of his love rather than the actual love – tragedy of
miscommunication.
Othelloʼs love (links to Romeo) in smothering Desdemona. The love appears to be one of
obsession.
Typical to tragedy texts Shakespeare incorporates subplots into Othello with the main ones
being love and war. As the tragedy moves to Cyprus and the Turkish Fleet is defeated, and the
subplot of war is removed leaving behind focus only on Desdemona and Othelloʼs relationship –
their love – making it a major theme in the tragedy. In this essay I will therefore discuss to what
extent ‘love is a destructive rather than positive force in the tragedy of Othelloʼ.
Critics have stated that the true tragedy of Othello is the “destruction of a loving relationship
between two individuals who saw each other as equals”. This is introduced alongside our
immediate presentation of Othello where it becomes clear that he is the only character to speak
of love describing it as it being “for the seas worth” that he loves the “gentle Desdemona”. The
poetical allusion to the sea when describing his love acts as exaggerated depiction of his
intense love yet with sinister connotations to Macbeth; “all great Neptuneʼs ocean [will not]
wash this blood” where some believe love for Lady Macbeth spurred his peripetia. When in
court, egalitarian love atypical to the traditional marital roles of the period are presented as
Othello calls upon Desdemona to speak within the court declaring her love for him alongside
her free will. Loomba stated that Othello and Desdemona “act as though a black man and white
woman have every right to fall in love” “creating a fantasy of interracial love and social
destructive rather than a positive force in the
tragedy of Othello.ʼ To what extent do you
agree with this view? Remember to include in
your answer relevant comment on
Shakespeareʼs dramatic methods.
2020
Othello – William Shakespeare ‘Love is a destructive rather than a positive force in the tragedy
of Othello.ʼ To what extent do you agree with this view? Remember to include in your answer
relevant comment on Shakespeareʼs dramatic methods. [25 marks]
Ideas of egalitarian love – links to other tragedies.
Love being introduced as destructive due to Othello thematically linking love and the end
in Act I.
Iagoʼs love for Othello being the destructive force in the tragedy.
Idolatry love being the destructive force as depicted through Othelloʼs handkerchief and
obsession over the objects of his love rather than the actual love – tragedy of
miscommunication.
Othelloʼs love (links to Romeo) in smothering Desdemona. The love appears to be one of
obsession.
Typical to tragedy texts Shakespeare incorporates subplots into Othello with the main ones
being love and war. As the tragedy moves to Cyprus and the Turkish Fleet is defeated, and the
subplot of war is removed leaving behind focus only on Desdemona and Othelloʼs relationship –
their love – making it a major theme in the tragedy. In this essay I will therefore discuss to what
extent ‘love is a destructive rather than positive force in the tragedy of Othelloʼ.
Critics have stated that the true tragedy of Othello is the “destruction of a loving relationship
between two individuals who saw each other as equals”. This is introduced alongside our
immediate presentation of Othello where it becomes clear that he is the only character to speak
of love describing it as it being “for the seas worth” that he loves the “gentle Desdemona”. The
poetical allusion to the sea when describing his love acts as exaggerated depiction of his
intense love yet with sinister connotations to Macbeth; “all great Neptuneʼs ocean [will not]
wash this blood” where some believe love for Lady Macbeth spurred his peripetia. When in
court, egalitarian love atypical to the traditional marital roles of the period are presented as
Othello calls upon Desdemona to speak within the court declaring her love for him alongside
her free will. Loomba stated that Othello and Desdemona “act as though a black man and white
woman have every right to fall in love” “creating a fantasy of interracial love and social
