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Shakespeare and the Tragedy: Hamlet and Othello

            
             The dramatic tragedy as we know it draws its origins from ancient Greece. These classic plays followed a strict and consistent structure, almost universally occurring in one location over the course of one day, and revolving around one major plot. These Greek dramas almost universally portrayed the downfall of a hero or character of legend and high stature. Aristotle defined the classic tragedy as a story centered about the hero's noble and moral struggle against fate. To the Greeks, fate would always overpower will and in the end the characters would surrender to their destinies. These philosophies can be seen in tragedies such as Sophocles' Oedipus Rex where it would be the hero's destiny to be overcome and brought down by his own internal flaws.
             Shakespeare was a prolific writer and among his works exist ten tragedies, each of which are governed by varying levels of ancient Greek and contemporary Christian values and themes. Despite this fact there is always one major theme which appears too occur in all tragedies Shakespearean or otherwise; that is there exists a constant struggle for control between the forces of destiny and free will which brings about the hero's destruction.
             Shakespeare's tragedies generally have a certain structure in common. Each one is segmented into five acts, each of which are representative of the same general sequence of plot development. Act I serves as an introduction to the situation and the characters. Act II is a further development and continuation of the plot. Act III is the climax that serves to solidify and give direction towards the eventual outcome. Act IV is a sort of transition and prelude to Act V in which the final crisis occurs and the play is resolved. .
             Two of Shakespeare's most widely recognized tragedies are Hamlet and Othello. Both of these plays have in common the same general Shakespearean format described above. As we will see, Hamlet and Othello share many other themes in common along with a few notable differences in theme and structure as well.


Essays Related to Shakespeare and the Tragedy: Hamlet and Othello

1. Tragedy

... his ability to solve all riddles" (Sewall 36) and his peers and the chorus consider him too prideful. In Shakespeare's Othello, Othello is a man of power, but when he thought that Desdemona was cheating on him his jealously brought him to kill Desdemona, but when he discovered the truth, he killed himself also. Jealously and being impulsive brought upon this tragedy and as Lodovico said to Iago for his malicious ... causes him disaster. Labeled great by his peers Othello has weaknesses that compromise his state of mind. Sewall says, "the emphasis on greatness, and because of his actions...

  • Word Count: 1180
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Shakespeare's revenge factors

Revenge Factors Othello, King Lear, and Hamlet are all tragic plays. They are tragic because many people die needlessly. Othello and King Lear are tragic because two characters, Iago and Edmund exact revenge that is unwarranted. It was shown to be unwarranted by of the death of two entirely innocent characters. In each play, the villain used the weaknesses of those who they intended to harm. Had Othello and Gloucester looked deeper into the stories they were told they could have prevented the tragedies. In Hamlet, the tragedy occurred when Hamlet did not act fast enough in his revenge leaving ...

  • Word Count: 1222
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Criticism Of Shakespeare And His Drama

... would remain untouched, because that drama remains always the same; Lear laments and imprecates in the same manner, Othello struggles furiously, Hamlet meditates and wavers before the problem of humanity, and the action that he is called upon to take; and in the same manner, all are enwrapped in the veil of Eternity" (Krull 32). Only a few surviving documents give any glimpse into the life of Shakespeare. While there are historical records that prove ... Thomas Kyd's Belleforest, from the Spanish Tragedy. In Kyd's production, there is a clear revenge-only motive; the delay similar to Ha...

  • Word Count: 2347
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Tragedy - Hamlet

... piece of writing ever done by William Shakespeare, Hamlet the is the classic example of a tragedy. In all tragedies the hero suffers, and usually dies at the end. Othello stabs himself, Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, Brutis falls on his sword, and like them Hamlet dies by getting cut with a poison tipped sword. But that is not all that is needed to consider a play a tragedy, and sometimes a hero doesn't even need to die. Making ... Not every play in which a Hero dies is considered a tragedy. There ... ...

  • Word Count: 1033
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Hamlet

... piece of writing ever done by William Shakespeare, Hamlet the is the classic example of a tragedy. In all tragedies the hero suffers, and usually dies at the end. Othello stabs himself, Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, Brutis falls on his sword, and like them Hamlet dies by getting cut with a poison tipped sword. But that is not all that is needed to consider a play a tragedy, and sometimes a hero doesn't even need to die. Making ... Not every play in which a Hero dies is considered a tragedy. There ... ...

  • Word Count: 1033
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

6. stock characters/Shakespeare

... lie? Whether it be the death of a strong woman or the death of a pathetic little girl, both occurrences are tragic in their own respects and result in the creation of the innocent victim. Shakespeare has created many other characters who fit this sketch of innocent victims, such as Desdemona from Othello, and Juliet from Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare tends to make these ... innocent victims female, a phenomenon which may be attributable to the role women played in Elizabethan times ... Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth. These women also create a sub-tragedy to the larger scale tragedy occur...

  • Word Count: 1288
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Hamlet

Hamlet, by the great William Shakespeare, is a piece of work for the ages. How Shakespeare can take a relatively normal revenge story and turn in to a classic for all-times is rather remarkable. In my opinion, the title of Hamlet is the best title for this playwright. I think that the title is more significant to the reader after the completion of the playwright. The title stands for all the tragedy in the play. How can a noble and respected king, such ... . His others works of art included Othello, Julius Cesar, Romeo and Juliet, and Mac Beth to name a few. After much debate within myself, I ...

  • Word Count: 1576
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Characters in William Shakespeare's Othello

... and short stories - mostly about love, incest, murder, tragedy and infidelity. The playwright had a way of constructing many complex characters and it's from his genius that we have such characters as Hamlet, Othello, Gertrude and Desdemona. In Shakespeare's play "Othello, the Moor of Venice," the title character, Othello, was sold into slavery, escaped his bounds, and ended up as the military commander of the Venetian Military. Othello ... 's status in Venice is complex; he is a foreign soldier that is faithful to another country. He is an excellent warrior, also being such an honest fea...

  • Word Count: 1320
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

9. William Shakespeare and Thomas Kyd

... of academia and in the institutionalized sphere of scholarly-based knowledge; however, in the real world--made up of the average human sponge that gathers their knowledge from less than scholarly sources-- Shakespeare is the one who is praised for his ingenious depictions of these contributions in works such as Hamlet and Othello. He is the one that people instinctively think of when they hear the term "Revenge Tragedy". Shakespearean ... characters such as Iago and Richard III are the ones who are primarily envisioned when pondering the essence and embodiment of a true Machiavellian vi...

  • Word Count: 1285
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Graduate

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