archetypal criticism in othello

Examples of Archetype in Shakespearean Works. May the wind blow till they have wakened death, Iago leads Othello to suspect that love and devotion are shams disguising the basest of animalistic instincts. To wronged Othellos service. The character of Iago is so conducted, that he is from the first scene to the last hated and despised. He seems to breathe an atmosphere as fateful as that of King Lear, but more confined and oppressive, the darkness not of night but of a close-shut murderous room. Sign up As Iago asserts to Roderigo, Virtue? He notes that Singers Unholy Bible: A Psychological Interpretation of William Blake (1970), though oversimplified in its psychobiographical approach and its treatment of characters as psychological projections of the author, does make original use in a literary context of such Jungian techniques of dream interpretation as amplification and of such fantasy-evoking procedures as active imagination.. Each literary theory will examine the text through different lenses, resulting in different interpretations. And the 1980s saw a new, suggestive, and controversial direction in archetypal studies of literature: the feminist. This burgeoning theoretical movement and the generally unsatisfying nature of so much early Jungian literary criticism are both linked to the problematic nature of Jungs own writing on literature, which comprises a handful of essays: The Type Problem in Poetry, On the Relation of Analytical Psychology to Poetry, Psychology and Literature, Ulysses: A Monologue, and Is There a Freudian Type of Poetry? These essays reveal Jungs lack of awareness as a reader despite his sense that they may show how ideas that play a considerable role in my work can be applied to literary material (Collected 15:109^. Just another site. Frye, however, notably in Anatomy of Criticism, essentially redefined and relocated archetype on grounds that would remove him unequivocally from the ranks of Jungian critics by severing the connection between archetype and depth psychology: This emphasis on impersonal content has been developed by Jung and his school, where the communicability of archetypes is accounted for by a theory of a collective unconsciousan unnecessary hypothesis in literary criticism, so far as I can judge (m-12). While the beautiful. Feminist Critique of the Character Desdemona in Othello Introduction Women during Elizabethan age are assumed to have spent their lives in the service of men - prearranged marriages, child rearing, and their role as sexual objects. Between William Shakespeares most expansive and philosophical tragediesHamlet and King Learis Othello, his most constricted and heart-breaking play. Archetypal criticism is a type of literary criticismexamining the presence of archetypal characters within a piece of literature. But Jos van Meurss critically annotated 1988 bibliography, Jungian Literary Criticism, 1920-1980, effectively challenges this claim. Other forms previously labeled Jungian are here subsumed under the term archetypal because whatever their immediate specific focus, these forms operate on a set of assumptions derived from Jung and accept the depth-psychological structure posited by Jung. Learn what works (and what doesn't) from the reader's perspective. must concern itself with the archetypal, the universal, with that which is necessarily larger, more extreme than in life. A storm has dispersed the Venetian fleet so that Cassio arrives first, anxious for Othello's safety. - Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University, We use cookies to provide the best possible experience on our site. Archetypal criticism is a product of both cultural anthropology and psychoanalysis which are academic fields that might seem to be far from the concept of archetypal criticism. Unlike the other Shakespeare tragedies, which follow the common ideas for Shakespearean tragedy, Othello includes some of the ideas from classical tragedies. (2.1.191-93) Setting the scene. Othello is now reduced to questioning his wife's maid, Emilia, looking for evidence of Desdemona's infidelity. The fulfillment of the wedding night that should come at the climax of the comedy is relocated to act 2, with the aftermath of the courtship and the wedding now taking center stage. Emilia comes into the couples bedroom after Othello smothers Desdemona, but hears Desdemona cry out. But Wheelwright, for example, barely mentions Jung (The Burning Fountain, 1954), and he, Fergusson, and others often owe more to Sigmund Freud, Ernest Jones, Oedipus Rex, and the Oedipus complex than to anything taken from Jung. In his major work, The Anatomy of Criticism, he states: 'I mean by an archetype a symbol which connects one poem with another and thereby helps to unify and integrate our . The contrast is most pronounced from the beginning of the play to its conclusion, switching from being calm and peaceful to acts of uncontrolled venomous rage. He interprets literature in the light of various rituals and myths. He is a character of high stature that is destroyed by his surroundings, his own actions, and his fate. Alfiero, like Iago, similarly arouses the Moors suspicions by stealing Disdemonas handkerchief and planting it in Cassios bed-room. Seeing her dying, Emilia asks who would do this. These patterns include persistent images, figures, and story patterns shared by people across diverse cultures. In the beginning of the play, Othello is seen as content with his new bride: For know, Iago, But that I love the gentle Desdemona (1.2.24-25). Aristotles theory is not the final word on tragedy, however it can support in pinpointing the pivotal traits in. This preview is partially blurred. By speaking of soul as a primary metaphor, rather than defining soul substantively and attempting to derive its ontological status from empirical demonstration or theological (metaphysical) argument, archetypal psychology recognizes that psychic reality is inextricably involved with rhetoric (Hillman, Archetypal 19). He has already judged and condemned her, but he is still hunting evidence, seeking to justify to himself the stand he has already taken. Not only does she try to protect Othellos reputation by blaming herself, Desdemona tells Emilia to remind Othello about her showing that she stills respects Othello. If it were now to die 1: 4), but he distinguishes his concept and use of the term from that of philosophical idealism as being more empirical and less metaphysical, though most of his empirical data were dreams. Abstract. Speak of me as I am. After Othello returns from war at sea with the Turks, his fortune begins a downward spiral. Frye, then, first misinterprets Jungian theory by insisting on a Lamarckian view of genetic transmission of archetypes, which Jung explicitly rejected, and later settles on a concept of archetype as a literary occurrence per se, an exclusively intertextual recurring phenomenon resembling a convention (99). I am hitherto your daughter. Ignoring her appeals for mercy and avowals of innocence, Othello smothers her moments before Emilia arrives with the proof of Desdemonas innocence and Iagos villainy. In this play there are only three women in the entire play. Othello is a train wreck that the audience horrifyingly witnesses, helpless to prevent or look away. Feminist archetypal theory, proceeding inductively, restored Jungs original emphasis on the fluid, dynamic nature of the archetype, drawing on earlier feminist theory as well as the work of Jungian Erich Neumann to reject absolutist, ahistorical, essentialist, and transcendentalist misinterpretations. He is an individual of high stature who is destroyed by his surroundings, his own actions, and his fate. Richer than all his tribe. "Othello is essentially an noble character, flawed by insecurity and a nature that is naive and unsophisticated". In her final moments, Desdemona chooses not to blame Othello for her death because she saw that the honor of their love was more important than honesty. After Othello was convinced that Desdemona was cheating on him, Othello had started to show his disappointment with her. Othello is decisive, confident, and secure in his identity, duty, and place in the world. From the theorists, dissertations, articles, and books, often traditionally academic in orientation, appeared; the productions of the practitioners are chronicled and critiqued in van Meurss bibliography. When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, Nothing extenuate, Did you find something inaccurate, misleading, abusive, or otherwise problematic in this essay example? O my souls joy, To you I am bound for life and education; So much I challenge that I may profess Many fell prey to Jungs idiosyncrasies as a reader, ranging widely and naively over genres, periods, and languages in search of the universal archetypes, while sweeping aside cultureand text-specific problems, ignoring their own role in the act of reading and basing critical evaluation solely on a texts contribution to the advancement of the readers individuation process, a kind of literature-astherapy standard. Othello sends Emilia outside to guard the door. Shakespeare on the other hand has portrayed women as both object and subject. Moreover, Shakespeare, by deliberately clouding the issue of Iagos motive, finds ever more sinister threats in such a characters apparently bottomless and unmerited hatred and capacity for evil. The play is set in Venice and Cyprus where a Moor, Othello, General of the Venetian army gets secretly married to a Venetian noblemans daughter, Desdemona. Jung was also more preoccupied with dreams and fantasies, because he saw them as exclusively (purely) products of the unconscious, in contrast to literature, which he oddly believed, citing Joyces Ulysses as an example, was created in the full light of consciousness (15:123). to view the complete essay. His demise was of his own doing. By the end of the play, he has brought down his world around him with the relentless force that made him a great general turned inward, destroying both what he loved best in another and in himself. In his "The . When Othello cant dismiss his suspicions of his wife being unfaithful any longer he starts to lose his morality . Archetypal Literary Criticism. For Jung, archetype is an explanatory paraphrase of the Platonic eidos (9, pt. Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, and Gerhard Adler, 20 vois., 1953-79), Letters (trans. The patterns are the major intrinsic aspects of a work. What makes you cringe? Literary Theory from 1900 to 1966: A-Z A Alexander Chirila First published: 24 December 2010 https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444337839.wbelctv1a009 Read the full text PDF Tools Share Abstract Archetypal criticism is a form of analysis based on the identification and study of recurring symbolic and mythic patterns. 1: 67), of the archetypes, which he described as patterns of psychic energy originating in the collective unconscious and finding their most common and most normal manifestation in dreams (8:287). His destruction is essentially precipitated by his own actions, as well as by the actions of the characters surrounding him. Here are some ways our essay examples library can help you with your assignment: Read our Academic Honor Code for more information on how to use (and how not to use) our library. The young Venetian noblewoman, Desdemona, has eloped with the middle-aged Othello, the military commander of the armed forces of Venice. As Othello came to his breaking point, desdemona foreshadows her own death and he lets jealousy take over. Peopleshow more content An outburst that othello has in a crowd of his peers causes people to start to question their noble leader. Uncover new sources by reviewing other students' references and bibliographies, Inspire new perspectives and arguments (or counterarguments) to address in your own essay. Here are some examples of archetype in Shakespearean works: Lover: Romeo ("Romeo and Juliet"), Juliet ("Romeo and Juliet"), Antony ("Antony and Cleopatra") Hero: Othello ("Othello"), Hamlet . And smote himthus. This is not a satisfactory frame of mind for an investigator, and it is certainly not an . As Dian's visage, is now begrimed and black. Active Themes Emilia returns with Desdemona. O, farewell! (5. I will withdraw The tragic heros downfall, said Aristotle, was brought upon by some error of judgement. I do perceive here a divided duty: What bloody business ever. Of all Shakespeares tragedies . Literary Critics on Othello. We'll take a look right away. In archetypal criticism, under the reductive method of analysis, a critic, while elucidating a text, moves from the particular truth to the general truth. Altho a tragic ending it may be, Othello couldn't stand being a such a fool to have believed such lies about his one and only love. He has promoted Cassio to lieutenant while leaving Iago as ensign. But the great literary text for Jungs life and work was Johann Wolfgang von Goethes Faust, not because of its literary qualities but because he sensed that the drama expressed his own personal myth (Letters 1:309-10). The example essays in Kibin's library were written by real students for real classes. Othello accused her of being unfaithful, when she never was. He suffers barbs and preconceived notions, yet Othello is esteemed and wins the love of the daughter of a nobleman. Archetypal critics are also interested in certain myths and rituals that recur in a wide variety of cultures. Othello decides the only way to right his wrong is to take his own life. When citing an essay from our library, you can use "Kibin" as the author. Such characters can be found in works of fiction, long or short, and in more poetic works. His imagination is excited to intense activity, but it is the activity of concentration rather than dilation. This assignment is intended to encourage you, and require you . New theoretical approaches appear to legitimize orthodox Jungian ways of reading, sanction Jungs range of literary preferences from She to Faust, and support his highly affective reaction to Ulysses, which he himself identified (positively) as a subjective confession (i5:io9n). Act 3, one of the wonders of the stage, anatomizes Othellos psychic descent from perfect contentment in his new wife to complete loathing, from a worldview in which everything is as it appears to one in which nothing is as it seems. 364-367). Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away The intensity and focus of Othello is unalleviated by subplots, comic relief, or any mitigation or consolation for the deterioration of the noble Moor and his collapse into murder and suicide. Archetypal criticism ensures the efforts of all these concerned faculties to analyse of a text hence archetypal criticism is of immense significance. Van Meurss bibliography conveys the great variety of Jungian writings on literature even within one language, the increasingly recognized potential for further development and use of Jungs ideas, and the growth in numbers of literary scholars falling under the influence of Jung. Witness that here Iago doth give up The traits of the tragic hero lead the audience to feel compassion for the helpless victim. The scene crowns love triumphant. Following his anatomizing of the painfully introspective intellectual Hamlet, Shakespeare, at the height of his ability to probe human nature and to dramatize it in action and language, treats Hamlets temperamental oppositethe man of action. Another important influence was Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) who used the term archetype to what he called "primordial images". Let him command, And to obey shall be in me remorse, Shakespeare's play, Othello, the Moor of Venice, is a powerful example of a tragedy and its main character, Othello, is an excellent illustration of what Aristotle constitutes as a tragic hero. What makes Othello so unique structurally (and painful to witness) is that it is a tragedy built on a comic foundation. This passage reveals how much Othello has deteriorated as far as his ability to reason. In addition, many powerfully heuristic Jungian concepts, such as synchronicity, have yet to be tested in literary contexts. At the center of the plays intrigue is Shakespeares most sinister and formidable conceptions of evil in Iago, whose motives and the wellspring of his villainy continue to haunt audiences and critics alike. Thus criticism evolving from his work is more accurately named archetypal and is quite distinct from myth criticism. Othello demonstrates all of these characteristics in the play, proving him to be a tragic hero. The formerly self-sufficient Othello has now staked his life to his faith in Desdemona and their union, and she has done the same. But Jung's theory of the archetypes of the collective unconscious differs . After confronting Desdemona of her crimes he decides to carry out his overall plan to end his trues loves life. Shakespeare shifts the action from Venice to Cyprus. Northrop Frye, however, further developed this theory in his book Anatomy of Criticism and later in his essay 'The Archetypes in Literature . Succeeds in unknown fate. 1924) to move beyond clinical inquiry within the consulting room of psychotherapy to formulate archetypal theory as a multidisciplinary field (Archetypal 1). / Man but a rush against Othello's breast / And he retires." In this essay let us examine the various themes and determine which are dominant and which subordinate. Despite his deliberately selective focus on critical works written in English on literary texts that are, for the most part, also written in English, van Meurs, with the early assistance of John Kidd, has collected 902 entries, of which he identifies slightly over 80 as valid and valuable literary criticism. Further, Jung termed his own theory analytical psychology, as it is still known especially in Europe, but Jungian thought is more commonly referred to today in all disciplines as archetypal psychology.. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race. Using an archetypal literary criticism, Harry Potter can be analyzed by focusing on different archetypes, such as, symbols, images, and character types in the text. An archetype is the original pattern or . Frye frequently acknowledged his debt to Jung, accepted some of Jungs specifically named archetypes persona and anima and counsellor and shadow and referred to his theory as Jungian criticism (Anatomy 291), a practice subsequently followed in some hand books of literary terms and histories of literary criticism, including one edited by Frye himself, which obscured crucial differences and contributed to the confusion in terminology reigning today. At mid-century, Canadian critic Northrop Frye (1912-91) introduced new distinctions in literary criticism between myth and archetype. This way of proceeding had the effect of putting, and keeping, archetypal criticism on the margins of academic discourse and outside the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines and departments. Archetypal analysis is an appropriate model for customer heterogeneity whenever the underlying structure is best defined by the extremes. In Othello, the themes such as love and jealousy reflects on the characters motivation and their values. Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/an-archetype-criticism-of-othello-a-play-by-william-shakespeare-yJF4zltX. The tragic hero archetype is used in many different pieces of writing and with every character comes a different way of using it.

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