Othello Critics
OTHELLO
Othello
Loomba Othello has a split Othello’s colour and
consciousness and is gender make him
‘a near schizophrenic occupy
hero’ contradictory
positions in relation
to power
Johnson Magnanimous, artless,
credulous, boundless
in his con dence,
ardent in his
a ection, in exible in
his resolution, and
obdurate in his
revenge’
Coleridge Othello had no life As the curtain drops,
but in Desdemona- which do we pity
the belief that she, most?/.. There is no
his angel, had fallen ferocity in Othello; his
from the heaven of mind is majestic and
her narrative composed’
innocence, wrought a
civil war in his heart’
Bradley The most romantic By the end of the play He ‘inspires a [Othello is] once
gure among we feel ‘admiration passion of mingled wrought to
Shakespeare’s and love’ for the hero love and pity’ passion, likely to
heroes/.. he does not because we exult in act with little
belong to our world’ the power of ‘love re ection, with no
and man’s delay and in the
unconquerable mind’ most decisive
manner
conceivable’
T.S Elliot ‘Terrible exposure of He is endeavouring to Humility is the Othello succeeds
human escape reality, he has most di cult if all in turning himself
weakness’ (Othello’s ceased to think about virtues to achieve; into a pathetic
last speech) Desdemona and is nothing does harder gure, by
thinking about than the desire to adopting an
himself.’ think well-o aesthetic rather
oneself’ than a moral
attitude’
‘He takes in the
spectator, but the
human motive is
primarily to take in
himself’
fifffl ffi fifffl
, Othello
Leavis ‘The stu of which he ‘Composed very ‘As he sets himself ‘The self
is made begins at largely of ignorance of irrevocably in his idealisation is
once to deteriorate self as well as of her vindictive shown as
and show itself un t’ (Desdemona)’ resolution/ he blindness and the
reassumes the nobility here is no
Othello that big longer something
wars make ambition real, but the
virtue’ disguise of an
obtuse and brutal
egoism.
Self pride becomes The habitual ‘nobility’ Othello’s noble lack
stupidity, ferocious is seen to make self- of self-knowledge is
stupidity, an insane deception invincible, shown as
and self-deceiving the egotism it humiliating and
passion.’ expresses being the disastrous’
drive to catastrophe’
Gardner Othello is like a hero of
the ancient world/.. he
has the heroic
capacity for passion’
Knight ‘Iago’s victory is not ‘He slays Desdemona The Iago-spirit
absolute. During the nally not so much in never nally
last scene, Othello is rage, as for ‘the envelopes him,
a nobly tragic gure’ cause’. He slays her masters him,
in love’ disintegrates his
soul.’
Kirschbaum It is the close
interweaving of great
men, mere men and
base man that makes
Othello the powerful
and mysterious
gure he is’
Rymer His love and jealousy
are no part of a
soldiers character,
unless for comedy’
Wine ‘The character of Of Shakespeare’s four
Othello is a paradox’ tragic heroes, Othello
remains the least
accessible to
explanation and
understanding’
Stirling ‘Othello’s rst
appearance in the play
is a refutation of
slander’
fi
fi fffi fi fi
OTHELLO
Othello
Loomba Othello has a split Othello’s colour and
consciousness and is gender make him
‘a near schizophrenic occupy
hero’ contradictory
positions in relation
to power
Johnson Magnanimous, artless,
credulous, boundless
in his con dence,
ardent in his
a ection, in exible in
his resolution, and
obdurate in his
revenge’
Coleridge Othello had no life As the curtain drops,
but in Desdemona- which do we pity
the belief that she, most?/.. There is no
his angel, had fallen ferocity in Othello; his
from the heaven of mind is majestic and
her narrative composed’
innocence, wrought a
civil war in his heart’
Bradley The most romantic By the end of the play He ‘inspires a [Othello is] once
gure among we feel ‘admiration passion of mingled wrought to
Shakespeare’s and love’ for the hero love and pity’ passion, likely to
heroes/.. he does not because we exult in act with little
belong to our world’ the power of ‘love re ection, with no
and man’s delay and in the
unconquerable mind’ most decisive
manner
conceivable’
T.S Elliot ‘Terrible exposure of He is endeavouring to Humility is the Othello succeeds
human escape reality, he has most di cult if all in turning himself
weakness’ (Othello’s ceased to think about virtues to achieve; into a pathetic
last speech) Desdemona and is nothing does harder gure, by
thinking about than the desire to adopting an
himself.’ think well-o aesthetic rather
oneself’ than a moral
attitude’
‘He takes in the
spectator, but the
human motive is
primarily to take in
himself’
fifffl ffi fifffl
, Othello
Leavis ‘The stu of which he ‘Composed very ‘As he sets himself ‘The self
is made begins at largely of ignorance of irrevocably in his idealisation is
once to deteriorate self as well as of her vindictive shown as
and show itself un t’ (Desdemona)’ resolution/ he blindness and the
reassumes the nobility here is no
Othello that big longer something
wars make ambition real, but the
virtue’ disguise of an
obtuse and brutal
egoism.
Self pride becomes The habitual ‘nobility’ Othello’s noble lack
stupidity, ferocious is seen to make self- of self-knowledge is
stupidity, an insane deception invincible, shown as
and self-deceiving the egotism it humiliating and
passion.’ expresses being the disastrous’
drive to catastrophe’
Gardner Othello is like a hero of
the ancient world/.. he
has the heroic
capacity for passion’
Knight ‘Iago’s victory is not ‘He slays Desdemona The Iago-spirit
absolute. During the nally not so much in never nally
last scene, Othello is rage, as for ‘the envelopes him,
a nobly tragic gure’ cause’. He slays her masters him,
in love’ disintegrates his
soul.’
Kirschbaum It is the close
interweaving of great
men, mere men and
base man that makes
Othello the powerful
and mysterious
gure he is’
Rymer His love and jealousy
are no part of a
soldiers character,
unless for comedy’
Wine ‘The character of Of Shakespeare’s four
Othello is a paradox’ tragic heroes, Othello
remains the least
accessible to
explanation and
understanding’
Stirling ‘Othello’s rst
appearance in the play
is a refutation of
slander’
fi
fi fffi fi fi
