Nicole Stoklosa

English II

9 June 2018

Othello Final Argumentative Essay

William Shakespeare's, “Othello” takes place in 16-century Venice and also in Cyprus.

Othello, a noble black warrior, secretly married a woman called Desdemona who is the

prominent daughter of a Senator named Brabantio. Iago has a secret jealousy in Othello, on the

lieutenancy of Cassio that has been put in front of him. Iago works up his schemes making

Othello believe that Desdemona has an affair with Cassio. Due to jealousy, Othello orders Iago

to kill Cassio, and Othello decides to strangle Desdemona. Shakespeare creates a powerful drama

of marriage that starts out with fascination and devotion, that ends with jealous rage and violent

deaths. Shakespeare reveals a different face to different cultures and different people at different

times. Is Shakespeare still relevant, and should be taught in schools? Shakespeare is still relevant

because Othello was the idea of jealousy and ambition that can give certain interactions, also a

sensible idea of the race that can help shape a characters’ hatred. On the other hand, he creates

scenes that are unrealistic with the new world, but Shakespeare incorporates themes that can

relate to everyday lives.

Othello is the idea of ambition and jealousy that gives certain interactions at the core

between Othello and Iago with whom they have an intense relationship. A connection from 400

years ago and 2018, Othello brings a strong desire to achieve something that they are able to get

like in Othello, Iago, has the determination to take Cassio’s place in lieutenancy. For example, in

Othello Log #3, it stated that I had the ambition that I would get an award for something that I
thought I worked hard for, but I wasn’t the person that would be honored with the reward. Yes I

was angry, but at there are always chances to get a reward during graduation, but it doesn't mean

I would be cruel to the people around me. According to Othello, the character Iago states, “Hell

and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light” (Shakespeare 55). Iago's referring

to his evil plan such in context, “hell” is used as evil deeds. Iago would do anything to tell people

that Othello is an evil man. This explains that every person can have some feeling of grief and

sadness for not getting what was to be reserved for. Both in Othello and in the Othello Log’s it

tries to translate the idea of preferences that can relate to jealousy and how every feeling and

emotion can relate to every aspect of a 16-century script. An example from the text it states,

“jealousy can be understood as an emotion that motivates behavior when the fidelity or

commitment of one’s partner appears to be threatened. In Othello’s case, his only motivator is

jealousy. Every action that he takes is powered by the dark emotion and insecurity that he has

become swept up in” (McElprang). The ambitions are more likely to be like jealousy, and

Shakespeare tries to incorporate the connection and the idea of jealousy between the readers that

it can happen at some point in their lives.

Othello has a sense of race thus, can use someone’s skin color to express their hatred. In

Shakespeare, Othello, it shows how race, and the idea that our ethnic origin affects our behavior

and personality. The audience would be familiar with the racist language used to insult Othello

and see nothing wrong with it, and manages to challenge these racist ideas. As in Othello Log #4,

Reputation can take place in the race especially many people can be against white or black. For

example in Othello, the character Brabnition states, “She, in spite of nature, Of years, of country,

credit, everything, To fall in love with what she feared to look on!” (Shakespeare 53).
Desdemona's father argues that her love for Othello is unnatural. As Brabantio argues, he states

that Desdemona would never fall for a black man such as Othello. According to the text it states,

“In a country where few people outside London would ever have seen a black person, and

centuries before the problems that fuel the tragedy became as ubiquitous and pressing as they are

today, Shakespeare produced in Othello a searing critique of racial and sexual injustice, which is

more powerful now in the 21st century than it could ever have been at the dawn of the 17th.”

(Ryan). Even though people are not in the 16-century, the words, and phrases are still repeated

throughout the years and mentioned in our time which can be seen relevant.

A common counterpoint can’t incorporate modernized writing and characteristics used to

reveal to the audience. As in Shakespeare's work in the 16-century, many of the fights can occur

in the duel with swords, and the way the style it was in that time would not be as relevant in the

modern world. According to Othello, it states, “She, in spite of nature, Of years, of country,

credit, everything, To fall in love with what she feared to look on!” (Shakespeare 35). While

Othello was lovemaking and interrupted from the fighting between a brawl with Cassio. This can

be seen unrealistically because it shows scenes, that are incorporated with swords and a different

sense of styles. If it was modernized without a sense of the 16-century it would make more sense

and realistic for our time in the English language taught in schools.

Therefore, is Shakespeare still relevant, and should be taught in schools? Shakespeare is

still relevant because Othello was the idea of jealousy and ambition, also a sensible idea of race.

On the other hand, he creates scenes that are unrealistic with the new world. Relevant is more

being closely connected to the appropriate to what is being done or considered. Maybe or some
people Shakespeare can be irrelevant, having no probative value upon an issue in any case. What

happens years ago in literature and history, it can be repeated in a certain number of years.
 Reference

● https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/racism-misogyny-and-motiveless-malignity-in-oth

ello

● https://owlcation.com/humanities/Shakespeares-Othello-Madness-through-Jealousy-the-T

ragedy-of-Othellos-Misguided-Love-for-Desdemona