chaos vs. order

In my opinion, this is an issue that is present in all 4 of the plays. The idea of some sort of new variable coming into society and causing uproar. Specifically, in Othello, the main character of Othello is black, and the issue of race and the notion of integration causes the world around him to come unhinged. The character of Iago is threatened by this thought of racial integration and takes it upon himself to do whatever necessary, no matter how morally wrong, to keep Othello from infiltrating their society. He belives that all his actions, be they negative or positive, serve the greater good of protecting society and restoring order to Venice. And because of this, Othello kills his wife and the chaos is never truly resolved, even if the characters would like to believe everything has fallen back into place.
In my opinion, this theme of chaos versus order seems to reflect London and the death of Queen Elizabeth. She was a strong monarch for the country, especially in terms of leading the country to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588. Her successor, James I, was a new variable however. He attempted to seriously change the way that England’s society was run, specifically with his focus on absolutism and the Basilikon Doron. Also, he had many issues with Parliament and under his reign, the country suffered financially. He instilled chaos in society by presenting all these new changes. And in turn, society reacted chaotically. A group of Catholic extremists attempted the Gunpowder Plot, which was a plan to literally explode Parliament and James I. Extremists were so fed up with the current situation of society and the monarchy that they were willing to take drastic measures, much like the characters in the plays. Their desire to overthrow the ruling classes overshadowed their concepts of morals, or what was right. Like Iago in Othello, they were willing to do whatever it takes to manipulate the situation so that they could save the country. They believed their plan would benefit the whole city and restore order, and it was worth the small sacrifices that their radical plans would cost.

Ashley Wynn
Ian Hoch, Section 1E