Othello critical theories

"The motive-hunting of motiveless malignity"

he argues that there it little evidence that Iago had any motive for his plans to destroy Othello.

Iago is just a devilish character who takes an aesthetic pleasure in destruction 

There could be potential motives for Iago's plan such as, desire for promotion, jealousy of a sexual relationship between Othello and Emilia and 'lust' for desdemona 

"Iago is not simply a man of action; he is an artist"

Bradley comments on Iago's control and power, comparing it to an author creating a text 

Iago's motivation is the pleasure he takes in being a puppeteer 

Shakespeare shows this through soliloquies to demonstrate the aesthetic pleasure he takes in plotting others destruction 

"Necessary piece of dramatic mechanism"

Leavis sees othello as the central character in the play 

Iago is dramatic device to prompt Othello's actions 

"Exectionally noble and trustful"

"the most romantic" of all shakespeares hero's 

"Deeply flawed, downfall due to his own weakness not Iago's diabolical intellect"

Othello is creating his own downfall 

Desdemona "accepts her culture's dictum that she must be obedient to males" 

french points out the patriarchal and misogynistic ideologies which are in the play 

desdemona is ultimately subservient and submissive in this culture 

as the play progresses she gets increasingly submissive 

"Women like Desdemona were punished because of male insecurity"

"It isn't just othello who called the woman he loves a 'whore' it is every male in the drama who has any narratic relationship with a woman"

Boose argues men fear female sexuality in the play (particularly Iago)

"Such jealousy as Othello's converts human nature into chaos, and liberates the beast in man"

Bradley distinguishes Othello from Shakespeare plays which focus on the political ambition of the tragic hero 

he see's othellos test about sexual jealousy 

as passion dominates othello is increasing violent and his langauge is more debased, animalistic and fragmented 

it seems othello acts not from animal instinct but misguided reason

Eagleton argues that othello's jealousy stems from a fear of female independence

"Othello is a victim, he has created a personality which they can accept, which is probably mostly fictions"

Greer sees othello as constructing a false identity in order to fit into Venetian and Christian society 

"the play stands in a contestatory relation to the hegemonic ideologies of race and gender in early modern England" 

Newman argues that the play challenges the prejudices of its time