Critics

Question 1

What did Kastan (Shakespearean Tragedy, 2003) argue?

Answer 1

That tragedy highlights unresolved and unanswerable questions about suffering; the endings of the plays are intentionally left ambiguous make the audience question how the character’s downfalls happened (their own doing or fate?)

Question 2

Kastan (Shakespearean Tragedy, 2003) quotes:

Answer 2

• the “fearful incomprehensibility” of tragedy
• “the refusal of any answers starkly prevents any confident attribution of meaning or value to human suffering”

Question 3

Give an example of Kastan’s (Shakespearean Tragedy, 2003) argument in ‘Othello’.

Answer 3

The end of Othello leaves more answers than questions, making the audience question if Othello brought his fate onto himself with his jealousy, was manipulated by Iago or if it was down to fate.

Question 4

What did Nuttall (The Pleasure of Tragedy, 1996) argue?

Answer 4

Shakespearean tragedies explore tragic pleasure, raising the contradiction of the audience developing enjoyment from watching pain and suffering in tragedies like Othello

Question 5

Nuttall (The Pleasure of Tragedy, 1996) quotes:

Answer 5

“If people go again and again to see such things they must enjoy them”

Question 6

Give an example of Nuttall’s (The Pleasure of Tragedy, 1996) argument in Othello:

Answer 6

The audience are experiencing an emotional disturbance as they fear for/pity Othello but also experience entertainment, displaying a tragedy’s ability to disturb and challenge rather than soothe

Question 7

What did Bradley (The Substance of Shakespearean Tragedy, 1904) argue?