Analysis of Theatre from Modern to Present
Analysis of Theatre from Modern to Present
In Oedipus we see a man who’s chief desire is to improve the state of his nation. He treats both his wife and those below him in status with respect. In Othello, we see a man who has devoted his live to protecting his nation and who’s chief desire is to be accepted by his wife and society as the hero he is. So why do such unbelievable terrible things happen to both of them? Their misfortunes are not causally related to any misdoing, so it is unjust for them to suffer and this is what makes for great tragedy. For the tragedy to be meaningful, the characters must start at a relative high point and spiral downward. With suicide and self-mutilation as the outcomes, the two characters must therefore begin loftily. As I said, for good tragedy, this descent cannot come from any malevolent desire on the main character’s part, but a flaw in their personality.
Oedipus is a king by every right and willing to fulfill this role at any cost to himself. Virtue carried too far. This is Oedipus’ great flaw, his overwhelming self-confidence. Who wouldn’t be confident after gaining a throne in one bold stroke, defeating the sphinx not with valor, but with wits. This arrogance keeps on a self-destructive path even after those around him suspect the truth and try to dissuade him. From his hasty decimation of the “bandits” to his treatment of faithful Tiresias, he is constantly one step ahead of himself, acting before he has all of the information. He is always summoning someone, commanding someone, dashing about the stage trying to catch up with his past and eventually, tragically, succeeding.
Othello on the other hand is also a hero whose fame precedes him, but his has been gained through martial prowess. Also a foreigner, but visibly differentiated, Othello’s perspective is always that of an outsider who is constantly aware of it. While in Oedipus it is a convention of Greek theatre that the action take place offstage, in Othello, it is as much a choice that he remain removed from the action. He is caught up in a web of intrigue created in his many absences, being controlled by Iago’s machinations as much...