Area of Study: Change 'Factors contributing to change can be internal or external and have varying effects:' Othello, What Women Want (2002)and The Door (Miroslav Holub)

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Is this true for the texts you have studied?Othello by William Shakespeare, What Women Want by Nancy Myers and The Door by Miroslav Holub, are three texts which all explore the concept of change. Although they have used a different medium of production, all three texts clearly show how factors contributing to change can be external or internal and have varying effects.

Othello by William Shakespeare, is a play which portrays the growth of unjustified jealousy in protagonist Othello, a Moor serving as a general in the Venetian army. Othello shows how changes in environment and culture can affect the behaviour of people. The setting is used as an external aspect to contribute to change. The play begins in Venice, Italy; a highly sophisticated, socially harmonic civilisation, where reason and law are embodied. It is here with epithets of high praise; 'Valiant Moor,' '... (Othello) is far more fair than black' (I.iii.289-290)

that it is established that Othello is a highly respected man, who is governed by his reason rather than emotion. However when the setting changes from Venice to Cyprus, an island of military outpost close to raw nature, Othello's collective life changes to one of the solitary individual. The danger of isolation confronts the characters as they have nothing to do but prey upon one another. In Cyprus Iago (Othello's ensign) triggers Othello's flaws, leading to a dramatic change in behaviour, this results in Othello's ultimate downfall. However whilst Othello is manipulated by Iago, the changes that occur are driven by an internal factor. Shakespeare uses a dramatic contrast to show how intervening emotions can transform an individual's nature. The destructive effects of jealousy arise as Iago falsely hints that Desdemona (Othello's wife) has been unfaithful. Othello becomes consumed by the 'green eye monster' and Shakespeare...