Authority critics

Question 1

His work could help you explore how Othello’s tragic flaw is related to his position of authority and how his insecurities lead to his downfall

Answer 1

A.C. Bradley

Question 2

From a feminist perspective, you could examine how

Answer 2

authority is gendered in the play

Question 3

Post-Colonial Criticism

Answer 3

Othello’s authority as a Moor in a predominantly white society could be explored

Question 4

Marxist Criticism

Answer 4

You could explore how Othello’s rise to power and his position as a military leader in a Venetian society is complicated by class and race, and how that affects his authority within the play

Question 5

A.C. Bradley - insecurity

X⚡️👑 😢👑<😕

Answer 5

“Othello is a man who… possesses an unshakable authority, yet it is a tragic flaw that his authority is undermined by his insecurities.”

Question 6

Bradley focuses on
😕! 🏕️ & X👑🇮🇹
🚻👑 vs 🏕️👑

Answer 6

Othello’s tragic flaw
- a sense of insecurity stemming from his outsider status and lack of authority within Venetian society. - conflict between his public authority and private doubt is central to the play’s tragedy.

Question 7

Elaine Showalter (Feminist Criticism)

👩 X😔🤴 , 💃⚖️🔋

Answer 7

“The women in Othello are not merely victims of male authority; they are active participants in the dynamics of power.”

Question 8

Frantz Fanon

frantz Ferdinand , war started not because of who he was , but because of his race (define by his race)
Fanon = Canon (canon event to try and assert authority)

Answer 8

(Othello is trapped in this alienating dynamic)
“struggling to assert his authority over a society that defines him by his race.”

Question 9

Fanon’s work focuses on

Answer 9

the racial dynamics of **authority, **His authority as a military leader is often undercut by racial prejudice.

Question 10

Edward Said- what someone else said about him (gossip)

Answer 10

“Othello’s authority is shaped by the colonial context; his difference from the Venetian elite makes his authority precarious, subject to the perception of the ‘Other’.”
(his authority is tenuous due to his outsider status as a Moor)

Question 11

Robert N. Watson

Answer 11

“The authority Othello wields in the military is sharply contrasted by the authority he lacks in the home, where his insecurities leave him vulnerable to Iago’s manipulation.”