Act 5 is the final act in Othello so drama and death are to be expected. It immediately jumps into the action as Roderigo and Iago are in a position to kill the unsuspecting Cassio. Roderigo stabs Cassio but misses which allows Cassio to stab Roderigo back. Iago takes the opportunity to stab Cassio in the leg before running away. Othello hears the commotion and misinterprets it as Cassio dying and goes to kill Desdemona. Lodovico and Gratiano come into the scene and it forces Iago to silence Roderigo by killing him. Bianca also enters and Iago puts the blame on her for Cassio's wound by saying her disobedience and unfaithfulness caused Cassio to get hurt. Scene two takes place in Desdemona's bedroom where Othello is about to kill her. Othello wants Desdemona to admit her cheating but she is oblivious to it, causing Othello to become even more angered. He begins to smother her when Emilia walks into the room and sees Othello in the act. She is too late as Desdemona dies soon after. Othello tries to explain that Iago convinced him of an affair between her and Cassio but Emilia convinces Othello that he was tricked by Iago. Emilia continues to reveal her husband's tricks leading Iago to kill her and run away. Othello, now racked with guilt and regret, make his final preparations before killing himself. The play ends with Cassio attaining Othello's position and Iago being convicted and brought back to Venice for execution.
As endings go, Othello's ending is tragic and dramatic. Having all the main characters die leaves the audience wondering: What led to this? From the beginning to the end, the most prominent character is Iago. Iago had orchestrated the entire plot to be within his hands, all the way until his death. He alone is responsible for the destruction of order present in the beginning of the play. Iago could be seen as the director of the play in which he has total control over how the actors move and interact with each other. In that sense, Iago represents Shakespeare.
Why had Shakespeare decided to make Othello a tragedy instead of a romantic or comedic drama?
Othello being a tragedy creates a mood where Iago's manipulation is emphasized. A comedic atmosphere would not fit into the tightrope of emotions that is Othello. A tragedy is also more dramatic and heightens the emotions of the audience.
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/othello/stagehistoryothello.html
By exploring the history of Othello, we can discover how Shakespeare had shown his play during his time. We also learn how the actors played the characters to that Shakespeare's work could be portrayed to the best.
What is Shakespeare trying to make us understand about justice?
Shakespeare is trying to make us understand that justice is not so simple where good is rewarded with good and bad with bad. Each individual has their own sense of morality and acts upon it. Just as Iago thought it was just to get revenge on Othello for the rumor of him sleeping with his wife, Othello thinks it is just to kill Desdemona for her supposed adultery. On the other hand, Emilia decides it is just to commit adultery if there is a large reward because men had been the influence of such things but Desdemona decides that adultery should never be committed as it is an unjust action. Shakespeare wants us to understand that the concept of justice is simply something that allows an individual to justify an action that they never would otherwise agree with.
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