Othello Essay - 1312 Words

The definition of a tragic hero is that an individual who has a mixture of admirable qualities and a tragic flaw which proves fatal. This suggests Othello is a tragic hero, though qualities such as nobility in thoughts or actions do not consistently portray Othello throughout the play. Despite his brave reputation as a soldier and characteristics of trusting and caring initially with Desdemona, his weaknesses in both his own character and his vulnerability to Iago ¡Ã‚ ¦ s lies, and the decision of killing Desdemona at last do not make Othello sufficiently noble in thought or action to attain the status of a tragic hero. Imperfections such as pride and jealousy are signs of an insecure personality. The Othello in the beginning of the play is†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Vulnerability to other people ¡Ã‚ ¦ s lies highlight insecurities and flaws in Othello ¡Ã‚ ¦ s character creating ignoble personalities. Othello ¡Ã‚ ¦s weakness in succumbing to Iago ¡Ã‚ ¦ s lies shows his ignoble in thoughts. Othello chooses to believe the lies of Iago even though Iago didn ¡Ã‚ ¦t earn his trust of becoming his lieutenant, instead of believing Desdemona, the woman he loves. This is the major fault that Othello had done. Right away after listening to Iago  ¡Ã‚ ¥s words Othello suspects Desdemona for her loyalty. This can be seen when Othello says  ¡Ã‚ § I have a pain upon my forehead here. ¡Ã‚ ¨ (III, iii, 286) Which means he already assumes Desdemona is disloyal to him. Another main reason Othello falls into Iago ¡Ã‚ ¦ s lies and traps is because even Othello sees flaws dee p inside himself because of his race, social graces, age difference and also as a foreigner of Venetian ¡Ã‚ ¦s culture. This can be seen in his soliloquy  ¡Ã‚ § Haply for I am black  ¡K I am declined into the vale of years. ¡Ã‚ ¨ (III, iii, 265-268) And also what Iago said to Othello,  ¡Ã‚ § I know our country ¡K but keep ¡Ã‚ ¦t unknown. ¡Ã‚ ¨ (III, iii, 203-206) These show Othello ¡Ã‚ ¦ s insecure personalities because he is black. Othello has not really think about what is the truth and who he should believe in because all of the jealousy and insecure personality covered his noble mind and makes up the fact thatShow MoreRelatedOthello And Othello By William Shakespeare Essay1304 Words   |  6 PagesDesdemona?† they ask. The differences that separate Othello and Desdemona do not perturb them, but are starkly obvious and unnerving to the judgmental citizens of Venice. While it was certainly rare in the 16th century for couples to have such disparities in ag e, social position and race, none of these differences diminished how Othello and Desdemona felt for each other, yet each spurred external obstacles that threatened their relationship. While Othello and Desdemona are separated by a considerable ageRead MoreOthello: Othello a Tragic Hero1478 Words   |  6 PagesOthello: Othello A Tragic Hero If one reads Shakespeares Othello, they can come to the conclusion that it might be one of the his most tragic plays ever written by Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet, is probably the most famous of his tragic plays, but Othello, has characteristics that, I think make it even more tragic then his other plays, and therefore for that reason, you can say that Othello is the most tragic hero. Othello is a noble man, one who has grace with the ladies but also possessesRead MoreEssay General Othello in Othello1267 Words   |  6 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare gave us a most moving drama in Othello. In this play we witness the demise of a â€Å"paragon† of a wife and a â€Å"valiant Moor†, Othello. Let us consider the Moor in detail, with professional critical input, in this essay. From the text of the play a number of clues can be gleaned which round out the description of the general. In William Shakespeare: The Tragedies, Paul A. Jorgensen describes the general in Othello: Though scarcely the â€Å"barbarian† (1.3.353) he is calledRead MoreOthello s Othello By William Shakespeare848 Words   |  4 Pages Desdemona’s Passivity [In the Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Othello†] Desdemona is a passive character in the Shakespeare play â€Å"Othello†. We can identify this as a fault in Desdemona, in various acts and scenes throughout the play. A critic had stated that â€Å"Desdemona is passive, acted upon rather than acting.† This is a valid statement which is noticeable in Desdemona’s character. When Desdemona argues Cassio’s position that Othello stripped from him. We see from this that she could have actedRead MoreOthello s Othello By William Shakespeare897 Words   |  4 PagesIago’s main reason to denigrate Desdemona’s character is his love for Othello. Consequently, he will do anything to gain Othello’s admiration. When Iago is putting his plan into action and planting in Othello’s mind that Desdemona is not faithful to him, Iago says: Othello kneels .............................................................................................. IAGO: Do not rise yet. Iago kneels Witness, you ever-burning lights above, You elements that clip us round above, Witness thatRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello And Othello Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesOthello speaks to Iago in Act Three of the play saying, â€Å"certain, men should be what they seem† (3.3.131). This excerpt foreshadow events in which Othello will begin to question the actions and morality of Cassio and Desdemona, all orchestrated by Iago’s scheming nature. This is a very important concept to showcase because Othello devoutly loves Desdemona and trusts Cassio until conniving language from Iago causes him to think otherwise. Drawing on Shakespeare’s source story by Cinthio and otherRead MoreMusical Characterization For Othello s Othello997 Words   |  4 Pages Musical Characterization for Othello In Verdi’s Othello, the music is used by Verdi to characterize each character in the opera. It is the music who describes the audience the personality traits of each character. Moreover, music accompanies every scene in the opera. In many cases, we can know what is happening or what the character is feeling through the music the orchestra is playing. This is an innovative way to characterize the characters in an opera used by Verdi that do not fit into theRead MoreOthello By William Shakespeare s Othello1209 Words   |  5 PagesOthello Down Shakespeare s Othello comprises of the subjects betrayal, affection and dishonesty. At the focal point of this play is the lamentable ruin of Othello because of his so-called friend Iago. In this paper I will be examining the explanations behind and against Othello being in charge of his defeat through taking a gander at critical interpretations of his character and activities. Othello was profoundly in charge to his own destruction as Iago demonstrating to him to be gullible andRead MoreOthello By William Shakespeare s Othello Essay1230 Words   |  5 Pages Previously, in Act 3.4, Othello begins to suspect Desdemona’s loyalty, as he continuously asks Desdemona for the handkerchief, yet she keeps on changing the topic. In Act 4.1, Iago continues to convince Othello of Desdemona’s faithfulness. In Act 3.4, Othello defended Desdemona when Iago accused her; but in Act 4.1, their position is switched. Othello becomes more aware of what Iago is saying and the anger that he has towards Iago has significantly reduced, while he begins to doubt Desdemona.Read More Free Othello Essay: The Disintegration of Othello590 Words   |  3 PagesDisintegration of Othello nbsp; nbsp;nbsp; Shakespeares Othello is a play with unique characters. One such character is the one for which Shakespeare names his play. In the play, Othello disintegrates from a confident leader to a homicidal murderer. Linguistic changes throughout the play attest to this theory. nbsp; In the opening scenes, Shakespeare portrays Othello as a noble character. When Brabantio seeks vengeance (for stealing his daughter) on Othello, Othello expresses his actions

Teaching Human Virtues Free Essays

Human beings grow and mature through their experiences in life. With the help of parents, friends and other people we get to know, human beings are able to learn many different lessons and knowledge. Human virtues are normally inculcated in our minds at a very young age, thought by no less than our immediate family members. We will write a custom essay sample on Teaching Human Virtues or any similar topic only for you Order Now Through time, we may or may not abandon the virtues that we believe in depending on our personal perceptions and our social environment. Nonetheless, human virtues can be taught not only because such virtues are ‘social constructs’ but also because human beings have the tendency to teach things by ostensive definition which can easily train people into believing many different things. John Locke proposed in Book II of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding that the state of human beings at birth can be compared to a tabula rasa or a blank tablet—the mind is basically empty of knowledge (Wood, p. 652). Conversely, we acquire knowledge through experience, specifically through sensory perception, as well as through our interactions with other people. One way of learning is through ostensive definition or defining what a concrete object or an abstract idea is by ‘pointing’ to the object or the manifestation of the idea. A child learns what a ‘chair’ is when somebody points an object chair to a child and tells the child that the object is a chair. Similarly, a person learns what the human virtue of kindness is when somebody points to a certain manifestation of the virtue and tells the person to observe the behavior. In essence, human virtues are abstract concepts that can be best understood in terms of their physical manifestations. For instance, the virtue of charity can be learned by observing a person who willingly donates some of his properties to charitable institutions such as orphanages. The virtue of bravery can be learned when a child sees a group of firemen trying to put out a fire from inside a burning building. There are also other ways to teach and learn different human virtues apart from ostensive definition. One of these ways is through formal education where students are taught what human virtues are with the help of books and other written articles. To a certain degree, learning institutions provide the theoretical framework for these human virtues. Thus, students learn the theoretical aspects of human virtues in the classroom while they learn the practical aspects of these virtues in real-life circumstances outside the school. From the state of tabula rasa, human beings progress into filling those empty slates with learning taught from experience, including human virtues. On the other hand, Aristotle maintains that human virtues can only be acquired by enacting the principle of the â€Å"mean†. According to Aristotle, virtues are the â€Å"mean† or middle values between ‘excess’ and ‘deficiency’ (Yu, p. 341). For example, courage is the mean of rashness—excessive courage—and cowardice or the deficiency of courage. How can an individual attain the human virtues or how can an individual live within the confines of the â€Å"mean†? To that question, Aristotle tells us that we should habituate our actions. Since every human being should strive to attain the good life or what he calls Eudaimonia, they should likewise see to it that they constantly practice the virtues so that they can be habituated. Following Aristotle’s theory, human virtues can be taught because virtues can be—as they should be—habituated. By performing virtuous actions to others and by habituating them, others are, in effect, taught about the value of these virtues. Those who are unaware of the idea that helping an old lady cross the street, for example, is an act of kindness can learn about the virtue by experiencing the act themselves. Children who are yet to fill their â€Å"blank tablets† with knowledge can be taught about human virtues through constant exposure to the action and by requesting them to do the same thing in their lives. In his book The Construction of Social Reality, John Searle argues that institutional facts are facts that have been socially constructed. That is, human beings and the society in which they live in are responsible for creating these types of facts. In that sense, human virtue can be considered as an institutional fact primarily because human beings have long proposed varying theories concerning the nature of virtues. Without human beings, one can hardly say that virtues will still exist. The fact that â€Å"human virtues† are called as such suggests that, without humanity, these virtues would not have come into existence. Following Searle’s argument, it does sound reasonable enough to say that human virtues can be taught. Like factual lessons taught to young people in classrooms and in the family, human virtues are also taught in almost the same manner. Some can even go to the point where they create their own virtue systems. The fact that there are varying conceptions of human virtues also points us to the idea that human virtues have been formulated across different cultures in different times. While one act may be considered absurd by one group such as cannibalism, another group may consider the act as virtuous. Among these varieties of groups, every respective virtue is passed on from one generation to another, making it survive through time or reducing it into inexistence or into another form. In highly traditional regions, virtues are taught either through word of mouth or through practice. For example, the virtue of â€Å"bayanihan† in the Philippines—the virtue where members of the community form a team to help a resident transfer his house to another location, typically through manual labor—is taught from one generation to the next through stories told to the younger members of the neighborhood and through the observation of the practice as it happens (Gibson and Zellmer-Bruhn, p. 283). In more modern countries, human virtues are taught through a number of ‘far-reaching’ ways; one of these ways is through mass media. For example, America is host to numerous television networks broadcasting hundreds of TV shows on a daily basis. Cartoons with a broad adult audience composition such as â€Å"Simpsons† and â€Å"King of the Hill† teach human virtues typically related to family matters through the stories of each episode and their characters. Children’s cartoons and puppet shows—for instance, Baby Looney Tunes and Sesame Street, respectively—are more likely to impart human virtues that can be easily understood and appreciated by children because they comprise the larger part of the audience share (Cross, p. 39). Those who think that human virtue cannot be taught may believe that human beings are incapable of teaching virtue in their pure form without alteration or bias. In effect, they might argue that what we consider as the virtues per se that we teach others are actually parodies of a seemingly endless string of parodies of parodies, ad infinitum. The response to that criticism is this: alterations only arise in specific contexts; virtues remain as they are in their general form. For example, a father may teach his children that it is only virtuous to avenge the death of their murdered grandfather when they become adults later in life. The father may have been given that impression about vengeance from the older generation of the family circle who also learned the â€Å"virtue† from those that preceded them, and so forth. And yet, the more general notion that causing harm to others is not virtuous remains. The more general notion that kindness and forgiveness are human virtues that should be practiced still remains intact. Others may also argue that human virtues cannot be taught because human beings are governed by their basic instinct for self-preservation. They primarily seek their personal interests and may or may not eventually promote the interests of others. Thus, they keep the virtues that can promote their personal welfare to themselves instead of teaching them to others out of fear of conflicting interests. The response to this argument rests on the very nature of human virtues; they are called â€Å"human virtues† because they presuppose that human beings naturally interact and share with others. Without sincere interaction and sharing, virtues can only be regarded as personal philosophies or personal guiding principles and not as what we know of them to be. They are called â€Å"human virtues† precisely because these virtues transcend individualism and selfishness. Otherwise, they would not be virtues in the first place. While it may be more or less likely true that human beings have a selfish gene, so to speak, it does not make them pathologically selfish beings. Neither does it totally prevent them from teaching human virtues to others, especially young children and those who need a lesson or two about them. It is through our daily experiences that we are able to learn human virtues as we observe them and, more importantly, as they are taught to us by those who know the virtues well enough. Although some people may decide not to teach others about human virtues, it does not consequently suggest that human beings are indeed incapable of teaching human virtues to others. The fact that each person can decide whether or not to teach human virtues to others also suggests that they can teach these virtues regardless of their personal decisions. A virtue taught to another individual may be in the form of an observed behavior, an ostensive definition or a theoretical example. Either way, human virtues can be taught. Not even the most selfish person in the world can deny the fact that human virtues have been passed on from one generation to the next. How to cite Teaching Human Virtues, Papers

Business Ethics Ethical Decision Making and Cases

Question: Discuss about the Business Ethics : Ethical Decision Making and Cases. Answer: Introduction: A professional is a person who has gained training and knowledge on a particular field of education. This knowledge and training helps the professional to perform a particular profession, a specified role within the particular profession. Professional is said to be a person who belongs to a community of a particular profession who performs his duty in order to earn his living from that. The professionals who engaged in particular profession owes a certain level of code of conduct, ethics and morality towards his profession. There are Professional Associations that maintain the professional standards of ethics and standards. The key element which comprises a profession is a following a strict code of conduct. All the professionals and agencies who need to follow a strict code of conduct must comply themselves to honesty, integrity, personal values and competence (Kauchak Eggen, 2016). Thus, an accountant has knowledge, skill and training in particular field of knowledge adheres to a strict code of conduct whereas a hair-dresser does not have professional training on their particular field and does not adhere to a strict code of conduct which is the key element as to professionalism (Levin Nolan, 2013). Professionals being member of a particular profession, who owes a certain level of obligations, code of conduct as to their profession. This criterion is important for the professionals to follow because they are given training and knowledge on the particular profession and they are to act ethically as being a part of that particular business. The professionals owe a sense of conduct towards the particular business. The non-professionals are not bound by a level of standard of conduct because they are not given formal training and knowledge on their particular profession. Doctors, Lawyers, teachers and others engaged in a particular profession are bound by both a professional code of conduct and also contracts containing standards of contract. Some of the obligations of a professional are (Pershing, 2016): Code of conduct- rules which forms the basis of social norms, the rules and duties that a person or business is supposed to abide by. It encompasses moral values, ethics, and honesty. Statutory obligations- a person engaged in a particular business or an organization is bound by certain statutory obligation. Bound by professional standards- level of diligence, skill, care practiced by a professional towards his particular profession. Professional development- the duty of the professional is to ensure development towards the particular profession. A person who does not abide by their professional obligations are held liable to be incompetent (Mintz, 2016). Understanding of ethics is important in business to ensure the professional to judge between what is right and wrong and act accordingly for the welfare of the business. It helps a person have a sense of moral judgment. The professionals working in a particular business or organization must have a certain level of ethical value to know what is right or wrong. Every business or organization has certain sets of standard of ethics. Globalization has lead to a lot of fraudulent behavior and professional issues at workplace (Ferrell Fraedrich, 2015). Ethical behavior in carrying out a business helps the goodwill of a company. When a company deals with another company, based on morals and ethical values it gives the investors a peace of mind. When moral values of the person in a particular profession are high it makes the business run in a good way without any unethical practices. Thus, it is important to follow or run a business based on ethical values to make the business run smoothly. The business which runs on ethical values attract investors makes the share pricing of the company high that in turn increases the sales and profits in the market (Halinen Jokela, 2016). The companies running their business abroad often face many legal and ethical issues in the course of their business. The multi-national companies face legal issue due to difference in the home country laws, host country laws, regional directives and regulations, certifications and international standards. The MNCs even face ethical complexities based on the local norms and customs. Failure to abide by the ethical and legal norms can result in reputational effect. The crux of International law puts forth that MNCs are bound by multilateral and bilateral treaties and by the laws of the host countries. The MNCs often find the laws of the host countries much easier to abide by than that of the home country. Even when the companies are doing business in host countries, they are required to abide by the laws of the home countries. For example if a U.S based company do business internationally there are bound by the laws of the host countrys like the ones based on human rights, labor stand ards, health etc (Ferrell Fraedrich, 2015). Here we can apply the theory of Deontology applies. The Theory of Deontology was established by Immanuel Kant that was based on morals, science and history. According to this Theory a particular State is to act in accordance with the set of rules and principles without taking into consideration the outcome. Any person or organization is to base their conduct on morality in the way it seems right to us (Marossi, 2015). References: Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. (2015).Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases. Nelson Education. Halinen, A., Jokela, P. (2016). Exploring Ethics in Business Networks: Propositions for Future Research. InExtending the Business Network Approach(pp. 333-356). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Kauchak, D., Eggen, P. (2016).Introduction to teaching: Becoming a professional. Pearson. Levin, J., Nolan, J. F. (2013).Principles of classroom management: A professional decision-making model. Pearson Higher Ed. Marossi, A. Z. (2015). Unilateralism and Power of Revision. InEconomic Sanctions under International Law(pp. 165-177). TMC Asser Press. Mintz, S. (2016).Ethical obligations and decision-making in accounting: text and cases. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Pershing, J. A. (2016). Publishing: A Professional's Obligation.Performance Improvement,55(5), 2-3.