The Role of Soliloquys in Othello - 1128 Words

The two male leads in Othello, Iago and Othello, both speak directly to the audience sharing their innermost thoughts through their soliloquies. The protagonist of the play, the tragic Othello, uses soliloquies to show his emotions about what he is told by deceitful Iago regarding his wife’s unfaithfulness. Othello’s soliloquies tend to be emotionally driven and as the play progresses they tend to be become more infected as he descends into rage and jealousy. Iago’s soliloquies however reveal his plans and ideas as to what he wants to create next in the havoc he releases onto the lives around him. His are also quite the opposite of Othello as Iago tends to have a physical drive behind his thoughts he shares with the audience. William†¦show more content†¦Othello’s last soliloquy of the play in the beginning of act 5 scene 2 is a tragic moment for Othello when all of Iago’s manipulations have taken their toll. Othello enters to talk about ho w he must kill Desdemona before â€Å"she’ll betray more men† and put his feeling of betrayal to an end. â€Å"It is the cause. Yet I’ll not shed her blood, Not scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster: Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men.† (5.2:3-6) This quote also touches on the issue of whether Othello only loves Desdemona for her beauty when he does not want to harm her looks in the process of her murder. He seems to think by killing her he will also save the other men she would betray and also himself. Othello is talking to the audience expressing his thoughts of why and how he must commit this action. By this information being made aware to the audience they are hopeful that he may change his mind. The audience are given a greater insight to who Othello really is and how he views himself characteristic to God, felling rather in place punishing her as if it was his personal duty. Shakespeare uses this technique of soliloquies to help the audience understand what drives the characters and develop their own character interpretations. This soliloquy is perhaps one of the most strongShow MoreRelatedHuman Weakness in Macbeth and Othello2915 Words   |  12 Pagesvalorous and gallant but he is bound to have a tragic flaw which he is powerless over and the cause of his inevitable death, his ‘vaulting ambition’ and greed. We then have our other tragedy Othello, which is unique in the literature of time because he was the first black tragic hero presented on a stage. Othello is often referred to as the ‘Moor’ due to his heritage of being North African. The effective warrior who was never meant to fit into the Venetian society ,where black was traditionally known