《Othello》人物性格研究现状综述

1The summarize of present study status of Othello Characters Analysis 《Othello》人物性格研究现状综述

1．1研究对象Characters

Othello, the Moor: A general in the Venetian military.

Desdemona, Othello's wife and daughter of Brabantio（a Venetian senator）

1．2 present studies status研究现状

Othello Characters Analysis features noted Shakespeare scholar William Hazlitt's famous critical essay about characters of Othello.

上述批评家都在莎剧意象研究领域做出了卓越的贡献，从意象的角度丰富了对《Othello》剧本的理解和欣赏。在他们的分析中，他们共同注重的是意象起何作用，较少探讨到意象如何起作用的问题。另外，这几位批评家都倾向于把意象独立抽取出来作为独立的研究客体，这容易割裂意象和其他戏剧元素之间的不可分割、相互紧密联系的内在统一关系。

1．3研究目的

仔细阅读《Othello》剧本，我们可以注意到恶魔意象是唯一贯穿全剧的一组意象群，并具有显著、独特的特征。其最重要的特征是这一意象群的动态性。恶魔意象的动态性特征是与戏中的戏剧动作紧密联系的。因此，与以往评论主要关注剧中意象的静态内容不同，本文在充分挖掘剧中恶魔意象的动态性或动力性特征的基础上，详细论述了这一特性在剧中所起的作用。具体地说，恶魔意象在剧中起到推动戏

剧动作的发展、引起并加剧戏剧冲突，以及推动其达到高潮的作用。它的作用模式主要表现在依阿哥这一恶魔意象主体使用恶魔意象作用于布罗班修、洛德里高和Othello，并引起他们的心理变化以及外部行为的变化。这种作用模式贯穿于整个戏剧动作过程并推动戏剧动作的发展。

2 leading characters

2．1．1Othello的性格分析the character analysis of Othello

Othello is the first great black protagonist in Western literature, and still one of the most famous. The play dramatizes this hero's fall from grace –Othello begins as a noble guy (he's a c...

Othello: A noble "Moor", in the service of the Venetian State, Othello is introduced to us in the very first scene by the term "Moor", when Iago complains that Othello has made Cassio his lieutenant and not him. We also learn from Iago that Othello has a relationship with the fair Desdemona. Respected by the Duke of Venice, who is the first to address him by name (Othello in Act I, Scene III) and who sends for him when Cypress is threatened by Turkish forces, Othello is continuously described by his critics (Brabantio, Iago) as a "Moor" a reference to his dark skinned appearance and a reference to the race of Muslim peoples of north-western Africa to which Othello belongs.

Though made Governor of Cypress in Act I, Scene III, Othello's fortunes

rapidly change for the worst as Iago succeeds in making Othello believe his loyal wife is having an affair with his lieutenant Cassio, a belief that leads to Othello killing his loyal, loving wife and later himself when he realizes that he was wrong and merely tricked by Iago.

Tactful and wise, Othello does not fight Brabantio when he accuses him of bewitching his daughter in Act I. Instead he offers no resistance and speaks with Brabantio before the Duke where Othello with Desdemona's testimony, proves his marriage is one made of love not witchcraft. Polite and courteous, he addresses the Duke and company in Act I as "My very noble and approv'd good masters," (Act I, Scene III, Line 77).

Nonetheless he allows the threat to his pride that Desdemona's infidelity would represent, to allow him to trust Iago on some very circumstantial evidence (Iago saying Cassio boasted of sleeping with Desdemona, Cassio having Desdemona's handkerchief and Cassio talking about a woman Othello does not realize is Bianca) which leads to his murdering his wife, to prevent her abusing other men when we really know it is to avenge his own pride.

Ultimately Othello realizes this but too late after killing his loving and trusting wife. Othello does stab Iago in revenge but Iago lives, whilst