The Domestication Of Civilization

Othello, since the moment of its naissance, has kept arousing zealous attention from a lot of domestic and abroad critics. Nowadays, there are still many critics who insist on expressing their own views, affirmative or negative, around such aspects as the contents, meanings, achievements and so on. Especially in the study of the tragedy essential of Othello, a few critics also have expatiated this tragedy, but they cannot reach an agreement. This thesis is a tentative endeavor to probe and elaborate the tragedy significance, with focus on the humanity and development of civilization, upon the achievements thus far made in China and western countries.To start with, the thesis probes into the essentials of tragedy. Since several centuries ago, lots of famous critics have deeply felt perplexed about the morality concealed under Shakespeare's tragedies, because anyone of Shakespeare's tragedies can be called " A disaster story that can leads the prelatic into death". Tragedies are usually produced in the special historical period or circumstances. Shakespeare's tragedies are the same and Othello can be the splendid representative among them. The essentials of Othello lie in the conflict, which is the contradiction between the humane natural desire and lofty moral standards in the heart and also the contradiction between the new and the old civilizations.A thorough analysis of characters in the tragedy is of the vital importance for the theme of the thesis. No doubt, Othello is the hero of the play. He is Shakespeare, and is also every sensitive reader. He is the person who has experienced the special period of the development of civilization and the transition from a hero to a lover, with torture and anguish. lago and Desdemona are a gorgeous decoration, which are on the edge of platform, but lago and Desdemona are absolutely necessary. By the reason that lago and Desdemona are demonstratedin front of the audience as the external manifestation of the devil and angel inOthello's humanity, the tragedy's significance rises naturally-various conflictsdeeply inside human result in the tragedy, in the process of which humanity is distilled and civilization is promoted.What on earth leads to Othello's tragedy? To answer this question is also the object of the thesis. Since the first time he grandly narrates his love story, the devil and angel alternately occur ia his heart. From the most intimate love and most infinite faith to the torture of jealousy and the frantic animosity, the contradiction of two kinds of nature brings out the struggle between the new and the old civilizations. As the herald of the new civilization, Desdemona allures the conceited hero to take off armour and attend the ablution of the new civilization. The ablution attendee temporally cannot endure the tribulation during the ablution of new civilization. He loses his humanity, becomes frantic, and makes the new civilization pay miserable expense. However, he will finally obtain rebirth and humanity during this process, so that the civilization can make great progress. The most important significance is that the hero's humanity collapses in the process of this cruel ablution of the new civilization.