Othello Speech Topics
"Othello" offers a wealth of topics that can provide rich material for a speech. William Shakespeare's play about jealousy and the willingness to believe the worst in those you love covers many different themes and is filled with a number of memorable characters. Speeches covering the topics in "Othello" can also easily touch upon symbolism or debate whether the title character is really the central personage of the play.
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Character Analysis
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One topic for a speech on "Othello" is an analysis of the major characters in the play. Othello represents pride and nobility, but also the flaw of judging complex situations according to simple appearances. Iago presents ripe material for a section of a speech that deals with the corruption of affirmative values such as honesty and justice. Desdemona is a more complex character than she may appear; although honest and innocent, she also has a streak of rebellion as exemplified by her decision to marry Othello against her father's wishes.
Jealousy and Envy
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The themes at play in "Othello" offer ample sources for topics to be covered in a speech. One overriding theme of the play is the influence of jealousy. Not only is Othello moved to murder as a result of jealousy, but Iago's motives are driven by jealousy of Cassio's promotion and an integral element of envy against every other character who seems capable of happiness.
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Appearance vs. Reality
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Another theme that offers plenty of material for a speech about "Othello" is the battle between appearance and reality that permeates the story. Othello demands real proof of Desdemona's infidelity, but acts upon the basis of appearances arising as a result of rumor. One of the central paradoxes of the play that rests upon a disconnect between reality and appearance is Iago's behavior which appears entirely honorable to Othello, but which the audience recognizes as entirely ironic.
Symbolism
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Symbols abound in "Othello" and they can be collected into a series of points to be touched upon in a speech. The handkerchief that Othello believes to be charmed is a symbol of the bond between him and Desdemona and its loss is symbolic of the lost love between them. The setting of the play on an island communicates a symbolic association of the isolation experienced by the main characters from the reality of the situations that drive their actions.
Who is the Main Character?
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As with "Julius Caesar," an argument can be made that the titular character of "Othello" is not truly the primary focus of the play. Tailor a speech that examines the question of whether Othello's jealousy and thirst for revenge situate him as the main character or whether Othello is really a supporting character to the main thrust of Iago's jealousy and vengeance. If you look at the play from the perspective that even Othello's most cruel and vicious actions would not have resulted without the intrusion of Iago, it is easy to form an argument that it is actually Iago who is at the center of the tragedy.
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References
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