Othello is a man of action. Hamlet is an idle man. If Hamlet were placed in Othello's world and vice versa, one might assume that both would function well in those circumstances. Othello is a man of action in a play that requires his hesitation and thought. Hamlet is a philosopher in a situation that requires him to act. The resulting drama of both plays is that neither character reacts to the situations in an orderly manner. The fact that both works end in tragedy may mean that neither choice of course is ideal. Hamlet and Othello represent the extremes of thoughtful inaction and reckless violence, respectively. To their detriment, both characters adhere to the logic of their world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Despite the differences of the protagonists, Hamlet and Othello have much in common. Both plays deal with the betrayal of a loved one and the protagonists' responses to that betrayal. The betrayals are similar in that they involve female characters in the play and the issue of their alleged infidelities. Both works also refer to ears, hearing, and the possibility of deception in speech. Ultimately, both works require their main characters to be something they are not. The texts push the characters to act and react in ways contrary to their natural habits. The challenge for both Hamlet and Othello is to accept these demands by stepping outside of their constructs. The problem is that neither is able to transcend the logic of their world to successfully avoid tragedy. Othello is not a character inclined to philosophize. He is not even the “barbarian” that Iago calls him. Othello presents the main character as a brave soldier, a loving husband, and a respected statesman. The only thing he isn't is a critical thinker. On the contrary, his lack of thought is blatantly evident. Iago convinces him too easily and Othello acts too quickly on those doubts about Desdemona's faithfulness. He has the skills to "love deeply" and fight courageously, but these tools ultimately do not help him. The text seems intent on portraying him as a dull madman, all muscles and no brains. Hamlet is presented as a courtier and a scholar. He is not a valiant warrior, yet he lives in the shadow of his father, a famous war hero. When his father's ghost comes to tell him to avenge his death, he dons his military dress. The philosopher Hamlet must face his inadequacy as a soldier in the same way that the soldier Othello reveals his inadequacy as a philosopher. Othello exudes freedom of action. He has a depth and intensity that separates him from the rest of the characters in the play. That depth is closely tied to his history as a warrior. His history in battles gives him a sense of self. His actions redeem him in the face of his opponent. Othello has the confidence that comes from knowing respect is well earned. When Iago tells him that Brabantio speaks against him, Othello confidently replies, "Let him do his spite; / My services, which I have rendered to the lordship, / Will bring out his complaints." (1.2.17-19) Othello's calmness signifies his confidence in his own nobility. He knows that his "services" accredit him in the world of Venetian nobles. In the economy of honor in the play Othello has accumulated enough to resist attacks on his character. The only tools he has to "interpret" Brabantio are not words, but a lauded history of actions. Those experiences form his narrative. His ability to shape his own narrative, to be in control of the story of his past iswhat Desdemona finds so attractive. Although Othello, in his own words, is "little blessed by the sweet phrase of peace," he redeems himself by telling his "unvarnished story." He is in control of his own narrative; his past speaks for him in a way that a clear-headed pontificate cannot. Desdemona and Brabantio appreciate him for what he has done and what he can do. They "questioned me the story of my life/ From year to year? the battles, the sieges, the fortunes/ That I have been through." (1.3.130) Othello's person is the sum of those experiences. The story of his life is the story of military successes and exotic locations. His story is clear and "unvarnished" by complexities and complications. Not only does he show mastery of his life through storytelling; the narrative itself is a testimony to his action. If Othello's self-narrative is clear and pristine, Hamlet's is full of contradictions and inconsistencies. This is evident when Hamlet promises the Ghost that he will avenge his father's death. Declare that it will sweep away all the futile fond memories, all the book saws, all the forms, all the pressures of the past, which youth and observation have copied there, and your commandment, all alone, will live in the book and in the volume of my brain. (1.5.99-103) He so easily erases the years of grooming, training, and formal education that prepared him for a life in court society. Yet he can only elaborate his conduct using the language of education and civil society. He replaces “fond documents” and “books” with a commandment that will exist in the “book” of his brain. Its language belies its purpose. If he really had to replace his revenge for culture, he wouldn't need to articulate it. Violence implies a refusal of the word; the act speaks for itself. His commitment to avenge his father's murder is therefore problematic. Contained in its promise of violence is fidelity to culture and civilization. In his eagerness to appease his father's ghost, does he swear wholeheartedly the only way he knows how? referring to the "book" of his brain. The only way he can express true resolve is to offer the power of his mind. The point of this promise is that it should be translated into action, not thought. Hamlet's promise of revenge contains a contradiction in content and practice. Not only does he rename the promised violence as a “commandment” to be contained in a book, he also refutes the promise while making it. He is talking to a Ghost, a representation of the past. This is a past that is told until it is resolved. The Ghost's narrative is one that asks to be told and remembered, echoed in the Ghost's request to "Remember me." At the same time that Hamlet swears revenge, he sweeps away "all forms, all pressures of the past." Included in those “past pressures” is the memory of his father. He is telling the play of his father's past that will erase every trace of that past. His promise is then meaningless. This speech, which expresses a sincere loyalty to the Ghost, is full of conflicting ideas. Hamlet's idea of ​​his self-narrative could not be more confusing. The intellectual preparation of his past is so unpleasant to him that he rejects it and starts over again. He replaces his narrative of books and records with a narrative of revenge. But the logic of his promise collapses in on itself when examined closely. He thinks he has to erase the past to commemorate it. Hamlet actually wants to commemorate the Ghost in a meaningful way. The irony is that when he attempts to narrate his decision, Hamlet's speech is thoughtful but lacks clarity of thought. Despite the pitfalls of overthinking, Hamlet is confined by his thoughts, whileOthello is not burdened by the chains of thought. The text repeatedly uses the word "free" when describing him. Othello tells Iago after he emphasizes his love for Desdemona and is about to face Brabantio's anger that, "I would not have my condition free without lodging / Put in confinement and confined / For the worth of the sea." (1.2.26). He affirms the value he places on his freedom and his determination not to let the opinions of others "circumscribe and confine" him. And when Othello asks Desdemona to accompany him to war, he only wants "to be free and generous to his mind." (1.3.266) Their relationship is built on the foundation of free minds.Othello loves his freedom and enjoys the freedom that his love for Desdemona offers him. Since Othello is a former slave, it makes sense that his sense of freedom is important to him. He earned his freedom, further underscoring his sense of independence. Othello embodies the freedom to act that Hamlet lacks. If for Hamlet "Denmark is a prison", for Othello Venice is a place where he can assert his autonomy as a decorated soldier. He is not bound by the hesitation and drive for constant reflection that plagues Hamlet throughout the play. Iago takes this aspect of Othello's character and uses it against him. “The Moor is of a free and open nature/ Who thinks men are honest but it seems they are,” (1.3.397-398) Iago observes after the ordeal with the Senate. Iago understands that Othello's "free and open nature" makes him susceptible to the suggestion of betrayal. Othello's freedom also includes freedom from thought. His mind is free and open in the sense that he has no fixed notions about the characters of others. Just think about the honest ones who "seem to be like that." Once those individuals no longer "seem to be" honest, Othello's world collapses. Even when he convinces Othello of Desdemona's infidelity, Iago emphasizes his loyalty to Othello's sense of autonomy. “I would not that your free and noble nature/For generosity should be abused,” says Iago (3.3.202-3) in an attempt to allay Othello's fears. It creates a situation of dependency by emphasizing Othello's "free nature" in evaluating these matters. Othello is too free and generous with his affections; he needs Iago to protect him from the abuse of others. Iago also alludes to Othello's "free nature" because he knows that Othello possesses the freedom to act when resolved. Othello's freedom to act prevents him from stopping to think; he appreciates his action too much to allow a moment of reflection. Othello's mistake is that he looks to Iago to think. Being a man of action, he has little confidence in his deductive abilities and is therefore susceptible to the nagging doubts that Iago sows in him. The scene where Iago begins to convince Othello of Desdemona's disloyalty is a flurry of "thoughts". More: What do you think? Iago: Think, my lord? Other: Think, my lord! By heaven, do you echo me as if in your thoughts there were some monster too horrible to show? If you love me show me your mind.Iago: My Lord, you know that I love you.Oth: I think you do. (3.3.106-20)Othello begs Iago to share his thoughts. He turns to Iago to process the information for him. He has so little faith in his own ability to think things through and so he appeals to his best friend for this. If Othello does not trust his own thoughts is he justified in this? this passage demonstrates his flawed thinking. Iago clearly does not love him, yet Othello "thinks" he does. If Iago needed further proof that Othello is easily deceived, he gets it in this scene. By asking Iago to "show" his thoughts, Othello confesses that he lacks mental acuity. Any "thought" Othello has is useless because it is obviously wrong. The texthe constructs Othello as an actor and not as a thinker. The moment he alludes to his thought process is the moment Othello reveals his true weakness. Hamlet's initial resort to violence, like Othello's manifestation of thought, contributes to worsening his situation. The scene in which he kills Polonius is the only one in which he gives in to his violent impulse and acts impetuously. This act of uninhibited violence is also utterly clumsy. The image of Hamlet stabbing through the tapestry, unaware of his target, trying to convince himself that it is Claudius when there is no possibility that it could be Claudius since he has just left him inside another room, is so emblematic of his business. When Hamlet resorts to violence, he stabs in the dark, killing gracelessly and not fulfilling his purpose. Killing Polonius also works against him as he commits the injustice to Laertes that Hamlet himself tries to avenge. It perpetuates the cycle of violence and undeserved death that it rails against at every turn. Hamlet's first moment of action equates him to Claudius; becomes what he hates. Hamlet wants to prove his courage as a warrior of justice, but he cannot break away so easily from the "glass of fashion and the mold of form." When he tries to act against his natural inclinations, he achieves nothing. Even when both characters do what they're used to, it doesn't help their situation. Hamlet's philosophizing is his way of decoding and revealing the political truths of the court. In Hamlet's tortuous approaches to the act of revenge there is the constant presence of an unsuccessful attempt to deal with Claudius' sins by talking about them. His pontificating never leads to a solution; rather it serves to frustrate the action. He will never be able to openly acknowledge the evil he knows Claudius has committed. Hamlet is verbally castrated; he is free to soliloquise, but only in a limited capacity. He never gets to address the issue by talking, but for most of the game this is his choice of defense. Philosophizing becomes a comfortable position for Hamlet. Validate his inadequacy to act. The only scene where Othello shows his ability to maintain resolve and carry out his goal is the time when he should act against his nature. When he kills Desdemona he maintains a stoic determination to kill her, no matter how much she professes her innocence. At first he seems to hate killing her, the only thing that works in Desdemona's favor are Othello's residual feelings of love for her. Yet these emotional attachments cannot influence his decision that “She must die, or else she will betray other men.” He has already made up his mind about his guilt and all he knows is his commitment to his own decision. This is the moment when the text implores Othello to listen, stop and think. Desdemona herself asks him to "have mercy" on her. He asks him to be the arbiter of something he is not capable of; she wants him to be something beyond himself. Othello's confrontation with his tragic loss is simple. When Emilia enters the room, Othello reasons: "If she enters, she will surely speak to my wife. My wife, my wife! What wife? I have no wife." Othello's simplistic thought process is shown in this statement. At the same moment of realization occurs the simultaneous acceptance of a new reality. The desperation of the second "my wife" is matched only by the calm resignation of the truth "I have no wife". He is a man accustomed to war and violence; his wife's death elicits a second cry and he finally meets the resolution of his despair. In the same way that Hamlet is forced to think his way through the world, Othello is resigned to take action to reach a solution. When these characters come out of their.