Ambiguity, Inconsistency and Uncertainty in Othello Essay -- Othello e

Ambiguity, Inconsistency and Uncertainty in Othello  Ã‚   The Bard of Avon has in his tragedy Othello a true masterpiece, but not one without flaws. It contains blemishes, imperfections, and minor negative features which detract in lesser ways from the overall evaluation of the play. H. S. Wilson in his book of literary criticism, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, addresses the arbitrariness and inconsistency in the play: Though the action moves in a single line, with none of the intricate interweaving of parallels displayed in Hamlet, the emotional pattern has, as it were, two poles of concentration: mounting horror at the insatiable malice of Iago, pity for the suffering helplessness of his victims. These effects are securely attained at the expense of a good deal of arbitrariness in the manipulation of the plat and even inconsistency of character [. . .] . (54) Let’s consider some of the â€Å"coincidences† or â€Å"accidents† in Othello which cause us to question its motivation and unity. For example, when in Scene 2 Cassio’s contingent arrives from the duke just moments before the rowdy mob led by Brabantio and Roderigo. Indeed there is more conflict and more interested generated by this coincidence – but is it realistic? Or seemingly arbitrary on the part of the playwright? Another coincidence that is more vital to the drama is the dropping of the decorated handkerchief at just the right moment in the plot for it to be crucial to the plot: DESDEMONA. Let me but bind it hard, within this hour It will be well. OTHELLO. Your napkin is too little; [He pushes the handkerchief from him, and it falls unnoticed] Let it alone. Come, I’ll go in with you. (3.3) For the most key piece of evidence to b... ...ast to illuminate some of the parts and at most to contribute to the understanding of the sum of the parts. If Othello is not the most complex of the tragedies, the problem of its over-all form is still a large one, and he who aspires to a full account of the creative relationship of all the parts must be content if he seems generally to be moving in the right direction. (329) WORKS CITED Heilman, Robert B. â€Å"Wit and Witchcraft: an Approach to Othello.† Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism. Ed. Leonard F. Dean. Rev. Ed. Rpt. from The Sewanee Review, LXIV, 1 (Winter 1956), 1-4, 8-10; and Arizona Quarterly (Spring 1956), pp.5-16. Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993. Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.