Comparative Study Between Othello and O the Movie Anonymous 11th Grade

Literature can be viewed as a manifestation of the context it is composed in, whilst retaining universal elements such as the human experience. Whilst human emotions such as jealousy remain universal despite context, attitudes and values must be continually challenged and questioned in order for society to progress and evolve. This is reflected in Shakespeare’s Othello and Tim Blake Nelson’s ‘O’ which both share universal elements whilst indicating the progression of society. While retaining Shakespeare’s intended reflection on the duality of human nature and the fallibilities one can succumb to when fuelled by darker aspects of one’s psyche, for instance, jealousy, Nelson shifts Shakespeare’s 16th Century views in order to communicate to a contemporary audience by exploring modern views regarding morality, hierarchy and gender.

During the Elizabethan Era, a non-secular environment fostered a blind trust in its authoritative figures, who were often involved with the church. Elizabethans valued clarity and believed in binary opposites such as a distinct line between good and evil, while modern day Americans valued truth or more specifically, justice. There was little room for interpretation of criminal actions, and in turn,...