William Shakespeare, world renowned playwright and poet, has shaped the culture of today with his works. Two of his important works, tragedies and comedies, have immense differences that are very clear. Tragedies include a tragic hero with a fatal flaw that inevitably kills the hero. They also include supernatural events, good and evil, and end with the hero dying. Comedies, on the other hand, are more light hearted and comedic. They include deception, typically with someone acting like they’re someone else, and a happy ending with a marriage at the end of the play. Despite their extreme differences, in some cases they can share thematic ideas that are important throughout the plays. The tragedy Othello and the comedy Twelfth Night share important thematic topics like revenge, lust, and manipulation.
Revenge is a very important part of Othello, for it drives Iago to do terrible deeds to destroy the lives of Othello and Cassio. Iago is greatly angered by the promotion of Cassio to lieutenant over him, and believes that both Cassio and Othello are sleeping with his wife, so he makes an elaborate plan filled with manipulation and destruction to get back at them. Although it is a minor part, this sense of revenge is also present in Twelfth Night. After realizing that everyone was messing with him, Malvolio vows to get revenge on the entire group. This, however, is overshadowed by the future betrothal of Viola and Orsino, but it shows the tension that leads to revenge. After being tricked into trying to get with Olivia by Maria and the other servants, Malvolio is drawn to madness, for he is shown as a fool and a madman to the others after they used his greatest wish against him. This manipulation is an important part of both works, as it drives the plot of both plays.
Manipulation is shown as one of the most important parts of Othello. Iago uses manipulation in his plan to trick weak people into performing actions that they wouldn’t normally do, making them seem stronger than they really are. He uses this manipulation on three weak characters: Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello. He uses Roderigo’s lack of decision making and desire for Desdemona to use him as a pawn in his plan. Likewise, he uses Cassio’s desire for reputation to get him into the perfect position to make Othello jealous. Finally, he uses Othello’s lack of Venetian knowledge and quick decision making to completely destroy Othello’s marriage and break Othello’s mind, causing him to kill his wife and himself. This manipulation on weak people to do things that they wouldn’t do is mirrored in Twelfth Night, for Maria, Fabian, Sir Toby, and Clown use Malvolio’s desire for Olivia and the house to trick him into acting very strange. His desire for Olivia is seen by the other servants of the house, and since he is so stuck up, they prank on him, writing a letter that appears to be in Olivia’s hand to get Malvolio to act different around Olivia. Malvolio, who would likely have not made a move on Olivia without this, is pushed to listen to the letter, thinking that his dream has come true, that he will be the master of the house. This manipulation drives him to gain a false sense of confidence, which leads him to follow the letter, only to be seen as mad and locked in the dark. This manipulation is only seen in one of the side plots of the story, but it helps with the comedy in the play. Malvolio’s desire for Olivia is not the only time that the ideas of love and lust are introduced in the plays, as they are important thematic topics in both plays.
Love and lust drive Othello’s jealousy in Othello. Othello’s belief that Desdemona and Cassio have a lustful relationship causes him to collapse, deciding to kill her. This love is also important throughout their relationship, because even as he is about to kill her, Othello still loves her (either true love or lust), as he kisses her before she wakes, and admires her beauty. Also, Roderigo is drawn to Iago due to his desire for Desdemona, as he believed that he could win her from Othello with the help of Iago. This love and lust is incredibly important in Twelfth Night, for the main conflict in the play is due to the love triangle that is between the Duke, Olivia, and Viola/Cesario. This, along with the sibling love shown between Viola and Sebastian and homo-erotic love that Antonio has for Sebastian drive the play, providing comic relief. Both plays have parallels in their thematic ideas, driving the plot of both plays, however, they both have major differences that separate them. Othello has a much darker view, with much longer scenes and more soliloquies, offering deeper ideas. It includes all of the aspects of the tragedies, with Othello being the tragic hero who kills himself after killing his wife, showing a very large difference between it and Twelfth Night. The comedy is much more light hearted, with short yet comical scenes. The ending is ironic yet happy, with a marriage that makes very little logical sense between both couples. Despite their differences, both plays represent the thematic ideas of revenge, manipulation, and love/lust.
AP English Blog 