The Repentant Lieutenant in Othello - 1463 Words

The Repentant Lieutenant in Othello Othello, a William Shakespeare classic, sees the attempted ruination of the general’s right-hand man on more than one occasion by the insidious and jealous ancient. Let’s achieve a better understanding of the lieutenant’s case in this paper. Cassio’s biggest fall is with the Iago-schemed incident of inebriation. In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode explains the total meaning of the loss which Cassio’s drunkenness cost him: Cassio, cashiered, thinks he has lost what Othello is soon really to lose, his reputation: â€Å"I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial† (II.iii.263-64). (We must think of â€Å"reputation† as meaning not merely the good word†¦show more content†¦I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking,† and â€Å"I am unfortunate in the infirmity and dare not task my weakness with any more.† David Bevington in William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies concludes that it is the â€Å"daily beauty† in the life of the lieutenant which contributes to the jealous, destructive behavior of the antagonist: The â€Å"daily beauty† in Cassio’s life makes Iago feel â€Å"ugly† by comparison (5.1.19-20), engendering in Iago a profound sense of lack of worth from which he can temporarily find relief only by reducing Othello and others to his own miserable condition. He is adept at provoking self-hatred in others because he suffers from it himself. (223) When the â€Å"gallants† arrive, Cassio yields to peer pressure and has a cup of wine, and offers a toast, â€Å"To the health of our general!† but then ends his involvement when he comes to a realization that he is getting tipsy: â€Å"Let’s no more of this; let’s to our affairs.† Later, in his drunkenness he strikes Roderigo and wounds Montano; and this sadly results in his dismissal (â€Å"Cassio, I love thee; / But nevermore be officer of mine.†) Cassio laments the cause of his discharge: â€Å"O thou invisible spirit of wine, ifShow MoreRelatedThe Creation of Tension and Suspense in Othello by William Shakespeare1677 Words   |  7 PagesThe Creation of Tension and Suspense in Othello by William Shakespeare â€Å"Killing myself, to die upon a kiss†. These are Othello’s last words, as he commits suicide and dies next to his wife. After ironically killing her himself at the end of Act 5. Othello was written in 1608 a time when the Ottoman Empire was at war with the Venetians. Othello is a tragedy because of the deception and betrayal of Iago which causes many people to die. The play explores many different themesRead MoreShakespeare s Othello And The Winter s Tale A Comparison1843 Words   |  8 PagesShakespeare’s Othello and The Winter’s Tale a Comparison Between Desdemona and Hermione William Shakespeare, in his Othello and The Winter’s Tale portrays some curious facets of femininity, maybe deliberately or not. Desdemona in Othello is a Venetian beauty with resolute individuality, while Hermione in The Winter’s Tale is more mysterious. When we take the reality aspect, the former is more realistic and true to life, which has implications even in this time. The latter, is to an extent, unreal