BACHELOR THESIS DEFENSE

The theme of love and appearance versus reality in

Shakespeare’s Othello and King Lear

Mentor : Prof. dr Hyreme Gurra

Student: Arbena Fejzullaji
 Introduction

 Background

 The historical context

 The characters in both plays

 Love and appearance versus reality in Othello

 Love and appearance versus reality in King Lear

 Comparison and contrast of Othello and King Lear

 Conclusion
 Introduction
 This research is done in order to analyze the love and appearance versus reality in

Othello and King Lear.

 In Othello the question “To be or not to be” is the main key issue, in fact, the real

question is: “To believe or not to believe” or obviously “To kill or not to kill.”
 In King Lear the main villains and antagonists : Goneril, Regan, and Gloucester’s

illegitimate son Edmund for the sake of heritage and ambition for the wealth they
dare to betray their parents.
 Background of Shakespeare
 Born on April 26, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, he was an English poet, playwright, and actor.

 The greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.

 Wrote about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses.

 Career: 1589 – 1613

 Tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.

 Portray ordinary English men and women.

 Great influence on the English language and invented many words that are still common today.

 Around 1613, at the age of 49, he retired to Stratford, where he died three years later, on April 23,

1616, at the age of 52.

 The Historical context of Othello and King Lear
 Othello is a story of a black and white, and Shakespeare represents the battle as racial on an

interesting level, calling the battle good versus evil which is always seen in black versus white.
 It can also be said that in the Elizabethan era there would be no one who would look favorably on a

“black” man yet. Indeed, Shakespeare has placed him in one of the highest positions as the general of
the Venetian army in Cyprus. With Othello’s character, Shakespeare wants to change the stereotypical
ideology of “The Moor” by making him an Elizabethan hero.
 King Lear was written when the monarchy was in the center of the importance of the period of that

time, and the role of the monarch was under constant scrutiny and subject to the endless theorization.
Queen Elizabeth to justify her rule she marked the reign with continued efforts whereby her person
should be divided between body natural and the body politic.
 The characters in Othello
 Othello, the cursed lover of distrust - Othello is considered a man of nobility, confidence bus he is

seen as an outsider in the republic because of his skin, even though he chose to serve Venice.
Shakespeare’s skill has allowed him to make Othello as one of the greatest characters.
 Iago, the murky master of manipulation - As Othello is considered to be an outsider, Iago is the

typical insider, a native of the city, and very trusted by everyone. Iago is one of Shakespeare’s
greatest villains. Critics have always discussed Iago’s character because there is not a final
agreement concerning his motivation.
 Desdemona, the naive lover of no one - The character of Desdemona is portrayed by her spirit and

intelligence, she is the most direct and honest person in the play.
 The characters in King Lear
 Goneril, the scheming mirror of murderous treachery - the eldest and one of Lear’s wicked

daughters.
 Regan, the envious misfortune villainess - In the division of the kingdom, she makes a speech

trying to outdo her sister Goneril in expressing her love for her father.
 Cordelia, the innocent marvelous heroine - She has a pure love and meticulously honorable, even to

the point of facing terrible hardship in order to keep her integrity.

 Edmund, the unambiguous natural manipulator - the illegitimate and younger son of the Earl of

Gloucester and he is the type of person who uses any kind of opportunity to achieve his goals.
 Edgar, the moral peaceful maker - the legitimate son of Earl of Gloucester, honest and light, he is

tricked by his jealous brother Edmund into running away and disguises himself as “Bedlam beggar”
called “Poor Tom.”
 Love in Othello
 In Othello love is shown in difficult circumstances and the play shows both romantic love and

familial love.
 Brabntio expresses familial love to Desdemona because he wants her to marry someone of a higher

social state. He believes that Othello bewitched her.

 Othello and Desdemona both try to convince Brabantio that their love is mutual by saying: “She

loved me for the dangers I have passed, And I loved her that she did pity them.”
 Dedemona replies with: My noble father, do perceive here a divided duty, To you I am

bound for life and education. My life and education both do learn me How to respect
you. You are the lord of duty, I am hitherto your daughter, But here’s my husband .And
so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father, So much I
challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord.”
 The love of Desdemona and Othello is portrayed as lust through Iago’s perspectives.

 The love between Othello and Desdemona begins to go badly with Iago’s

manipulative ways towards Othello.

 Handkerchief, the most dominant symbol.

 Dedemona’s death by Othello.

 Othello’s regret and suicide.

 Othello: “I kiss'd thee ere I kill'd thee: no way but this; 

Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.”

 Appearance vs. Reality
 Common theme in Othello which Shakespeare gave characters two sides of personality.

 Iago the antagonist of the play which is the clear example of appearance vs reality.

 Iago’s hate towards Othello: “I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that

’twixt my sheets, He’s done my office. I know not if’’t be true, But I, for mere
suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety .”
 The manipulation with other characters.

 The climax of Iago’s villany: “This is the night, That either makes me or fordoes

me quite.”
 Love in King Lear

 The love test Lear has for his daughters: “Which of you shall we say doth love us

most?”
 Goneril: “Sir, I do love you more than words can wield the matter, Dearer than

eyesight, space, and liberty, Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare.”
 Regan: “I profess Myself an enemy to all other joys, Which the most precious

square of sense possesses. And find I am alone felicitate, In your dear

highness' love.”
 Cordelia: “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave, My heart into my mouth. I love

your majesty, According to my bond, no more nor less.”

 Gloucester a thoughtless parent.

 Glouctester’s blind love for his illegitimate son Edmund.

 Gloucester is a parallel character to Lear with his blind trust: “Love cools,

friendship falls off, brothers divide This villain of mine comes under the
prediction, there’s son against father The king falls from bias of nature,
there’s father against child.”
 Edgar’s love for his father: “Here father, take the shadow of this tree,For

your good host. Pray that the right may thrive, If I ever return to you
again. I’ll bring you comfort.”
 Appearance vs. Reality
 In King Lear are many characters that appear to be what in reality they are not, for

instance, Goneril, Regan, Edmund and The Fool.

 Shakespeare contrasts appearance versus reality with numerous examples, in order to

signify the importance of perception.

 Goneril talks about her father as a self-conceited man that reveals some serious bitterness

and dissatisfaction.
 Regan, on the other hand, is influenced by this attribution just like her sister and her

personality shifts over the play. She calls Lear “old” which means that Lear is old enough
that his life is almost to the end and that his old age makes him unfit to rule a kingdom.
 Edmund ‘s horrendous plan made his father believe that Edgar wants to kill him.

 The illegitimate son Edmund confronts Edgar : “Brother, I advise you the best.

Go armend. I am no honest man if there be any good meaning towards

you.”
 Appearance and reality can be discussed from Edgar’s point of view as he disguised

himself as a mad beggar, “Poor Tom.”

 Both Gloucester and Lear are blinded to the appearance of their deceiving children.

Their rejection of truth and reality as represented by Cordelia and Edgar is

responsible for their poignant suffering and traffic death at the end.
 Comparison and Contrast of Othello and King Lear

 Over time critics have seen Shakespeare’s “Othello” and “King Lear” as the most painful

and exciting tragic deaths.

 Othello and King Lear are presented as men of high rank and importance.

 Shakespeare explores love in both Othello and King Lear by sharing similarities and

differences of the love for a significant other, the love a father holds for their children,
and the love a daughter has for the father.
 The similarity between Iago and Edmund. They both justify their evil deeds against

innocent characters by their negative attitude.

 Othello’s and Lear’s tragic flaws lead to their downfall.
 Conclusion
 Othello is always classified within the limits of the repressed homosexuality, and in King

Lear the oedipal love which can be attributed to Lear in connection with his daughters,
especially Cordelia.
 Lear’s test for his daughters is something that brought chaos and disturbance in the play,

while Gloucester’s foolishness brought his blindness.

 Othello and King Lear are Shakespeare’s most profound tragedies. Both contain studies

of murder, jealousy, ambition and self-consuming evil and both seem to raise the
question of whether the human disorder is mirrored in the natural world.
Thank you for your
attention!
Any Questions?