How does sexuality and self-awareness affect the characters success in Essay

How does sexuality and self-awareness affect the characters success in Othello and Alls Well That Ends Well - Essay Example The powerful and realistic portrayal of Shakespearean characters has been the result of several such essential elements which reflect the dramatist’s awareness of the world and human beings in real life. The relationship between sexuality and self awareness has an important role in the success of the Shakespearean characters. In other words, sexuality and self awareness have an essential impact on the success of the characters in Shakespearean plays and an analysis of the plays Othello and All’s Well That Ends Well is valuable in understanding the significant role of these aspects in the successful portrayal of his characters. â€Å"The tactics used by Shakespeare's female characters always seem appropriate to the level of a man's self-awareness. Rosalind need only present a negative picture of herself and suggest that as a woman, she is capable of deception and trickery in order to learn that Orlando is secure enough to trust her. Helena needs to interpose herself phy sically between Bertram and Diana, to become Diana, in a sense, in order for Bertram to accept her sexuality.† (Lewis, 147) Therefore, two of the most essential elements which influence the success of characterization in Shakespearean plays have been sexuality and self-awareness and these aspects of the characters are interrelated. This paper investigates how sexuality and self-awareness affect the characters’ success in the two celebrated plays of Shakespeare, based on an analysis of the characters Othello and Iago in Othello and Bertram and Helena in All’s Well That Ends Well. Sexuality and self-awareness are greatly interconnected in several of the in Shakespearean plays and most often it is sexuality which leads the characters to identify the individuality intrinsic within him/her. However, Shakespearean characters also illustrate how self-awareness of a certain character, especially female characters, can result in an awakening of their sexuality. Thus, critics argue that the main characters in Othello are able to recognize their individuality through an awareness of their sexuality. The identification with male sexuality helps the villain of the play in carrying on his treacherous plans and strategies. It is through the assistance of sexuality that Iago identifies his true role as a mastermind in the destiny of other characters. Through the merit of this identification of his real nature, Iago wins the trust of other male characters in the play which is helpful in carrying out his deceitful strategies. Male friendship is an essential tool used effectiv ely by Iago and he finds a sheer pleasure in fooling Cassio beyond the requirements of his strategy. There is a kind of intimacy between Cassio and Iago and there is an absolutely homo-erotic element about Iago's description of the sleeping with Cassio. Iago is the character who makes the best use of the relationship between sexuality and self-awareness. "Iago seems here to be fantasizing closeness to other men that his treacherous nature really prevents, but the impression we get is that Iago is making a real claim that he is intimate friends with Cassio. There is a definite three-way friendship going on between Othello, Cassio and Iago and it creates its own jealousies. Iago juggles Othello and Cassio, keeping them apart, partly because of this jealousy, and partly so that his version of the world and the nature of the friendships can be presented to the others. Apparently the lowest member of the trio, he takes control of its workings." (MacFaul, 184)