AO5 - Critics

Question 1

William Hazlitt

Answer 1

. Hazlitt sympathises W Othello and says he’s ‘noble’

. he believes that iago is only evil because he knows how to exercise his intellect more than anyone else

Question 2

Thomas Rymer

Answer 2

Argues that “Othello wasn’t a proper tragedy because it didn’t have enough poetic justice and because it was unrealistic “

Question 3

Samuel Johnson

Answer 3

Argues that “The play was realistic “ and he was impressed by :

. “ the fiery openness of Othello “
. “ the cool malignity of iago “
. “ the soft simplicity of Desdemona “

Question 4

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Answer 4

Argues that - Othello did not kill Desdemona out of jealousy, but because of Iagos manipulation - Othello isn’t to blame

. “Iago is a ‘being next to devil’ and his monologues are ‘the motive-hunting of motiveless malignity’ and iago has no reason to be evil but he’s evil anyways - it’s his nature

Question 5

A.C Bradley

Answer 5

“Desdemona is ‘helplessly passive’”

Question 6

Bonnie Greer

Answer 6

” It is only Othello’s jealousy, not Iago’s hatred, that is the real tragedy “

Question 7

A.C Bradley

Answer 7

” othello is a sympathetic and noble character whose downfall is created by a being of pure evil “

Question 8

Kenneth Tyan

Answer 8

” Othello is the most easily jealous man that anybody’s ever written about”

Question 9

Karen Newman

Answer 9

” Posession of a woman’s handkerchief was considered adultry “

Question 10

Koomba

Answer 10

He argues ‘Othello is a victim of racial beliefs’

Question 11

O’Toole

Answer 11

Agues that Iago is the ‘Machiavellian villain’

and that “there is no Othello without Iago.”