Nature and Character Analysis in Othello
Shakespeare masterfully weaves nature in othello through animal and plant imagery to illuminate character relationships and motivations. The text employs bestial metaphors to characterize relationships, particularly through Iago's crude descriptions of Othello and Desdemona's intimacy.
Quote: Iago refers to the couple as 'the beast with two backs,' reducing their love to mere animal instinct.
Example: Plant imagery appears when Iago compares man to a 'garden,' suggesting human nature can be cultivated or corrupted.
Highlight: Othello's reference to Desdemona as a sweet-smelling weed before her murder shows how natural imagery foreshadows tragedy.
The play's structure revolves around Iago, who, despite not being the titular character, has the most lines and drives the tragic action. Tragic hero in othello analysis reveals how Othello's fatal flaw (hamartia) leads to his downfall.
Definition: Hamartia refers to a tragic hero's fatal flaw that leads to their downfall.
Quote: Othello's admission that he "loved not wisely but too well" encapsulates his tragic nature.