“Classical tragedy involves the inevitable destruction of a noble person by means of a character flaw, usually a disproportionate measure of a specific human attribute such as pride or jealousy or indecision” (McMahan, Day, and Funk 652). While Iago engineers Othello’s downfall, what fatal flaw(s) within Othello leads to his downfall (in other words, what weaknesses in Othello bring about Othello’s downfall)? Support your view by referring to specific scenes within the play by Act and Scene number as in I.1 for Act I, Scene 1. Be sure to point out how these scenes reveal Othello’s tragic flaw(s). You may refer to your book and to any marginal notes in the book which you have made. Do not just summarize the play, and do not focus primarily on the actions of other characters (like Iago).
Write a 500 word (minimum) essay explaining Othello’s tragic flaw(s). Your thesis statement should identify Othello’s tragic flaw(s). The body paragraphs should use evidence from the text to support the thesis you have chosen. Your conclusion should sum up the idea from the thesis. Your essay will be graded on how well you respond to the thesis statement, and on the clarity and correctness of your language usage.
Primary Source
Resources
- Othello (1995) Lawrence Fishburne, Kenneth Branagh, Irène Jacob
- Othello (1990) Willard White, Ian McKellen, Imogen Stubbs
- The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (1981) William Marshall, Ron Moody, Jenny Agutter
- Othello (1965) Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Frank Finlay
Requirements
- Length: Your essay must be a minimum of 600 words, excluding the introduction.
- Documentation Format: You must include an MLA formatted Works Cited page that includes correctly formatted internal citations for the play
- Sources: You are restricted to the two stories selected. Your response is based on your own close reading of the play and selection of relevant evidence in support.
- Format: The essay must be in MSWord format (.doc or .docx).
Students must use MLA style documentation. Internal citations should identify the Act, Scene, and line number (c.f., Act I, Scene 1, lines 7-8). Students must also include an MLA Works Cited page.Students should proofread carefully their final drafts for spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well as clarity, conciseness, and completeness. The final draft should be typed, double spaced, with one inch margins, in Times New Roman 12 pt. The essay should be a minimum of 800 words.
The essay will be evaluated based on how well students develop their arguments with significant support from the play (thesis, topic sentences, supporting details from the play); clarity, cohesion, and conciseness; correct use of MLA format; and grammar and spelling.For this essay, students may use a dictionary to help with words with which they are not familiar but should not refer to the dictionary definitions in the essay. Students must use MLA style documentation. Internal citations should identify the author and line number for the poems and author or authors for any articles or other resources. Students must also include an MLA Works Cited page.
Students should proofread carefully their final drafts for spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well as clarity, conciseness, and completeness. The final draft should be typed, double spaced, with one inch margins, in Times New Roman 12 pt. The essay should be a minimum of 900 words.The essay will be evaluated based on how well students develop their arguments with significant support from the poems (thesis, topic sentences, supporting details from the poems); clarity, cohesion, and conciseness; correct use of MLA format; and grammar and spelling.
McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan Day, and Robert Funk. Literature and the Writing Process. Prentice Hall, 2002. Print.
