key ideas Flashcards
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Coleridge’s interpretation of Othello focuses on Othello’s internal emotional conflict and his inability to reconcile his love for Desdemona with his growing jealousy
William Hazlitt
Hazlitt’s interpretation of Othello places significant emphasis on the emotional depth of the characters, especially the contrast between Othello’s inherent nobility and his tragic downfall due to Iago’s manipulation
A.C. Bradley
he viewed Othello as a tragic hero whose down was caused by his ‘tragic flaw’- his jealousy
T.S. Eliot
Eliot criticised Othello for what he perceived as the play’s ‘unmotivated’ and ‘incoherent’ tragedy
F.R. Leavis
Leavis argued that Othello should be seen as a study in the deterioration of character.
W.H. Auden
Auden’s reflections on Othello are deeply psychological, with a focus on the human emotions of jealousy, doubt and trust.
Harold Bloom
Bloom argued that Shakespeare’s characters, particularly Othello, represent a confrontation with the self and the struggle between the individual’s sense of honour, love, and insecurity. Bloom’s reading of Othello emphasises the complexity of identity and the tragic implications of Othello’s self-doubt.
T.W. Honigmann
Honigmann focused on the textual analysis of Othello, examining the play’s structure and its treatment of race and jealousy.
Edward Said
He analysed Othello as a figure of the ‘Other’, noting how his status as a Moor plays a central role in the play’s dynamics.
Toni Morrison
Morrison examined the racial and cultural constructs within Othello.
C.L. Barber
Barber examined how Othello’s emotional and psychological progression is central to the tragedy.
Marilyn French
French’s feminist interpretation of Othello emphasises the victimisation of Desdemona, who is caught in a patriarchal structure that devalues women and promotes male authority.
Leonard Tennenhouse
Tennenhouse’s work Othello examines how the play engages with power and political dynamics, particularly how Othello’s status as an outsider and his military role intersect.
Stephen Greenblatt
he provides a critical approach that examines literature within its historical, political and cultural contexts.
Lisa Jardine
Jardine’s feminist readings of Othello focus on the ways in which women’s voices and autonomy are suppressed within the play.
Jean E. Howard
Howard’s feminist readings of Othello focus on the play’s treatment of women, particularly Desdemona and Emilia.
Katharine Eisaman Maus
Maus’s work on Othello examines the psychological underpinnings of Othello’s jealousy, as well as the play’s exploration of racial identity and societal expectations.
Ania Loomba
For Loomba, women and blacks exist as ‘the other’ in this play
