Literature can be seen as a manifestation of the context in which it is composed, while retaining universal elements such as the human experience. While human emotions such as jealousy remain universal despite context, attitudes and values ​​must be continually challenged and questioned for society to progress and evolve. This is reflected in Shakespeare's Othello and Tim Blake Nelson's "O", both of which share universal elements whilst indicating the progress of society. While maintaining Shakespeare's intended reflection on the duality of human nature and the fallibilities one can succumb to when fueled by darker aspects of one's psyche, such as jealousy, Nelson shifts 16th-century views of Shakespeare to communicate with a contemporary audience exploring modern visions. about morality, hierarchy and gender. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayDuring the Elizabethan era, a non-secular environment fostered blind trust in its authority figures, who were often involved with the church. Elizabethans valued clarity and believed in binary opposites, such as a clear line between good and evil, while modern Americans valued truth, or more specifically, justice. There was little room for interpretation of criminal actions and, in turn, little interpretation of textual characters, such as Iago who is portrayed as the quintessential Machiavellian villain, depicted as implacable and inherently evil through his dialogue. Iago's plans are revealed to the audience in the form of soliloquies and digressions, where he is often in the shadows or participates in a clandestine meeting with Roderigo. Iago exclaims “Gods of hell! When devils take away the darkest sins, they suggest at first with heavenly spectacles, as I do now.", which accompanies the current religious imagery and shows that it is aware of its inherent darkness but does not seem to care. Shakespeare fuels insular belief of the Elizabethans by openly creating villains without any motive for cruelty and without a desire for redemption. The explicit line between good and evil appreciated by the Elizabethans is blurred in the modern American context, in which Nelson's antagonist, Hugo, provokes sympathy from the audience, in contrast to Shakespeare's purely evil Iago who lacks a plausible motivation for his actions Nelson allows the audience to empathize with the villainous Hugo, when he provides a voiceover close-ups of white pigeons in the opening scene he gives begins the sustained bird motif throughout the film. Hugo confides to the audience: “All my life I have always wanted to fly. I've always wanted to live like a hawk. I know, you shouldn't be jealous of anything, but... taking flight, soaring above everything and everyone, this is living.”, expressing the desire to be noticed and understood. Nelson humanizes the villain by painting a sad, broken picture of the typical American teenager, further fueling 21st century audiences' thirst and curiosity about the motivations for crime and the truth behind criminal actions. This provides insight into his character and captures the human emotion of jealousy which inevitably brings out ferocity especially in the most vulnerable people, sympathized in a world that values ​​rational thought over blind faith. Shakespeare embraces his Elizabethan audience's belief in the Great Chain of Being, an archaic concept that consecutively promotes white superiority over animals and ethnic minorities. Interracial marriage, like that of Othello and Desdemona, is welcomed withcontroversy from the Venetian public, foreshadowing the impending fate of the two characters who interrupted the Great Chain of Being. Their class difference is illustrated through the recurring black and white images, which juxtapose Othello and Desdemona and promote the idea that they are binary opposites and do not belong together. Despite the respectable "moor noble" status he achieved in Venetian society, it has been insinuated that his "blackness" was a sign of inferiority as Othello is considered "much more handsome than black". Othello's supposed racial inferiority is taken advantage of by a spiteful Iago who taints Othello's noble image with racist slurs such as "thick lips" and animalistic images such as "black ram" in an attempt to establish Othello's place at the bottom of the hierarchy. This racial prejudice is mocked in O, when Odin and Desi exchange sexual comments, "would you let me dress you up and play Black Buck loose in the big house." which offers a cynical view of slavery decades earlier in America. Parallel to the Elizabethan era, the modern American context in which O is set has its own hierarchy and racial prejudices. Odin, Nelson's equivalent of Shakespeare's Othello, is the only black student at a prestigious South Carolina academy. Parallel to Othello, Odin is also depicted as a respectable man who holds a lot of power, being the captain of the team of basketball. Although O is set in a secular society where insular beliefs like the Great Chain of Being are defunct, there are persistent racial undercurrents in early 21st century American society. Odin is represented as different in terms of appearance and mentality through Hugo's perspective, who compares Odin to a lone hawk, while comparing the rest of the students to a flock of white pigeons. The images of the birds are supported throughout the film with close-up shots of the falcon juxtaposed with shots of Odin, attributing their resemblance. Before committing suicide, Odin makes a speech similar to Othello's soliloquy: “I am no different from any of you. My mother is not a drug addict. I wasn't a gang member…. Telling him where I'm from didn't make me do it” to acknowledge his awareness of the negative connotations surrounding black culture and as a final appeal to the audience to understand that his inherent ferocity was a part of who he was, and is also a part than everyone else and that it was not his culture that pushed him to act violently. Both texts, despite being set in different contexts, address hierarchy and status within their own settings. While criticizing blind prejudices and judgment of villains and sympathetic heroes, the message remains the same about humanity's ability to achieve greatness but also unleash our inherent barbarity when triggered by jealousy, leading to inevitable death. In contrast to the submissive role expected of the Elizabethan housewife woman in a patriarchal society, Shakespeare creates two slightly more outspoken, if still limited, intellectuals and female characters who do not naively follow men into their lives. Desdemona challenges the Elizabethan female archetype by openly denying Othello's accusations: “I never offended you in my life, I never loved Cassio but with the general guarantee of heaven I could love. I never gave him a token” but without questioning her husband's masculinity. This is in contrast to the characters of Desi and Emily, who often defy their boyfriends in the name of self-respect or righteousness. "What? If you're asking me if I'm cheating on you, get some balls and ask me! You're the only person I've ever been with and you're the only person I want to be with! And if you want.