The Comparison between the Themes of Othello and The Winter’s Tale.

Othello, the tragedy play by Shakespeare, was written in the year 1603, yet it is still one of the most popularly read and staged play even in current times. Meanwhile another play, which came to prominence twenty years later, The Winter’s Tale, is still a puzzle for readers of the reason why it was classified as a comedy when it starts out as a tragedy. The only difference with the plot is that in Othello, it ends in a tragedy when the title character kills his wife and himself, while in The Winter’s Tale, the family is reunited and they live happily.

Although they belong to different genres, they share many common themes among the two of them. One of the prominent themes in both of the plays is trust. In the first play, Othello’s lack of trust for his own wife causes him to kill her himself and suicide after finding out the truth. He chooses to believe the words of a lesser man over his wife’s fidelity. Othello’s last words are in Act 5 Scene 2, when he says “I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.”

On the contrary, the excessive trust Othello has for Iago is also one of the causes for the tragic ending. Othello trusted Iago when the latter accused Desdemona of adultery with Cassio, without realising that it is all just a part of Iago’s plan to take revenge on him. Othello went to the extent of murdering his wife without having a proper investigation done on the allegation. Othello is so hurt with Iago’s actions that in Act 5 Scene 2, he stabs Iago but does not kill him for he wants to suffer: “I am not sorry neither. I’ld have thee live; For in my sense, ‘tis happiness to die.”
As it is in Othello, the lack of trust a husband has for his wife is what drives the play. King Leontes develops a self-provoked fit of jealousy in his mind that his wife, Queen Hermione, is having an affair with his best friend, King Polixenes. This drives him to persecute her with an adultery charge and even doubt that the child she was carrying to not be his own. He even has doubts whether his previous son, Mamillius is his own. This is apparent  when he asks the boy in Act 1 Scene 2 Line 144 “Art thou my boy?”

The potentially dire consequences that could have been caused by his jealousy is countered by Paulina’s strong trust towards her friend’s fidelity. She believed her friend and fought for her when Hermione was falsely accused and punished. Her words in Act 2 Scene 3 Line 64 are: “And, I beseech you hear me, who professes myself your loyal servant, Your physician, Your most obedient counsellor, yet that dares less appear so in your comforting evils, than such as most seem yours. I say, I come from your good queen.”

The second common theme that Othello and The Winter’s Tale share is love. In Othello, Desdemona and Othello fall in love before eloping. When confronted by Desdemona’s father, Othello is confident with the love that they have for each other until he is willing to give up his position. In Act 1 Scene 3 he says “Send for the lady to the Sagittary and let her speak before her father. If you do find me foul in her report, The trust, the office, I do hold of you not only take away, but let your sentence even fall upon my life.”

Meanwhile in The Winter’s Tale, love is shown as the relationship between Prince Florizel and Perdita. Love in this play brings two families that were apart back together. In Act 4 Scene 4, Prince Florizel declares his love for Perdita: “I think you have as little skill to fear as I have purpose to put you to’t. But come, our dance, I pray. Your hand, my Perdita. So turtles pair, that never mean to part. Perdita replies: “I’ll swear for ‘em.” The love that Hermione has for her daughter is what kept her going through life in exile in the hope of seeing her again.

The third theme that is shared by both of the plays is family. Family plays an important role in Othello as well as The Winter’s Tale. In Othello, Brabantio, Desdemona’s father loves her very much to the extent of becoming heartbroken and dies of grief when she chooses her new husband over him. The confrontation happens in Act 1 Scene 3 when Brabantio asks Desdemona “Come thither, gentle mistress. Do you perceive in all this noble company where most you owe obedience?” To this Desdemona replies “I do perceive here a divided duty. To you I am bound for life and education; But here’s my husband; So much challenge that I may profess due to the Moor my lord.

In The Winter’s Tale, the family ties that are shown are in both the family of King Leontes and King Polixenes. The strongest tie though is shown in the family of King Leontes when he reunites with his wife and daughter at the end of the play. He realises how important family is when Maumillius, Hermione and his daughter are not with him anymore. In Act 5 Scene 3 Line 180 King Leontes tells Paulina to help him “Lead us from hence, Where we may leisurely each one demand, and answer to his part performed in this wide gap of time since first we were disserved. Hastily lead away.”

From the many similar themes that both of them share, we could see that although they belong to different genres, they are not much different from each other. They are one of the most popular plays by the great playwright Shakespeare and they deserve all the praises and compliments given to them. Not only are they entertaining, they contain important moral values and life lessons for everyone to learn from.

References

Shakespeare, William. Othello.

            Wiley Publishing Inc: United States, 2003. Print.

Shakespeare, William. The Winter’s Tale.

            Modern Library: New York, 2009. Print.


By,
Vimalesvaren.