Truth and Deception in Othello

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  • Iago is the champion of deception - he manipulates Othello's beliefs, while doing so behind the facade of the character "honest Iago"
  • It can be argued that Othello was susceptible to 'deception' due to his character, and so Othello is to blame for his downfall.
  • In Act 3, Scene 3, Iago's manipulation becomes clear. First Iago repeats Othello when he says "honest?". This repetition emphasises the work of Iago as being associated with honesty. this repetition also allows Othello to become irritated ("By heaven, he echos me, as if there were some monster in his thought"), meaning he will accept the lie more easily.The result is Othello 'somewhat begging for the thought in Iago's mind ("If thou dost love me, Show me thy thought") - there is an irony in this quote. Othello appears to lack the power in the situation, as only Iago harbours the knowledge, however Othello still refers to Iago as "thou" showing his lack of status compared to Othello. Iago toys on the fact he is successfully drawing in Othello - "Men should be what they seem;" not only is this ironic as Iago is completely the contrast of this but it directly mirrors a line from the beginning of the play, where he states "I am not what I am" this mirroring adds to the irony. it can be argued that by doing this he is 'toying with his food'
  • Act 3, scene 3, Othello proclaims "if she be false, o, heaven mocks itself! I'll not believe't",(the use of 'o' emphasises the passion of Othello here, though this passion may be more the signification of heartbreak as he is already beginning to believe that she decided him) however he then goes on to treat Desdemona poorly, forcing her to drop the napkin, "Let it alone. Come, I'll go in with you." The use of short sentences here emphasises Othello's anger indirectly aimed at Desdemona.
  • Act 3, scene 3, "Iago: I should be wise; for honesty's a fool and loses that it works for. Othello: By the world, I think my wife be honest, and think she is not; I think that thou art just, and think thou art not..." here Othello uses antithesis, showing his lack of sense. It can be argued that Othello has not been given any proof yet, and already he is beginning to question Desdemona. this can suggest that it is in Othello's nature to be jealous, making him easy to deceive. Already his constant questioning shows that Iago has got into his head.

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  • morality plays - as shaskeperae came to prominence, the common morality plays that enjoyed popularity were bringing to die out. Shakespeare appears to take some of the key themes that are in these morality plays, with many of his characters personifying some of the key moral features. Iago is an example of a personification of deception.
  • 'next to the devil' - legitimate Elizabethan belief that the Devil can walk among them as a fellow being, causing havoc and being evil.
  • Women in this society had to be obedient, for your woman to cheat, the man would be humiliated. For Othello this would be amplified due to his race and high rank.
  • cockald - word comes form the cuckoo bird, who lays eggs in other birds nest. the word came to mean the husband of a adulteress following the medieval period. Shakespeare loved cuckolds - many of his characters suspected they had become one. Cue anger, jealousy, murder and, of course, comedy.
  • Many Elizabethans believed that Black people were likely to hold a jealous nature. There was an aura of mystery surrounding them due to the only information available being travel narrative, one of the most popular being "The Travels of John Mandeville". These depicted a 'fantasy' image of the black community (because the more fantastical the story, the more books sold)
  • "next to the Devil" & "motiveless malignity" - Coleridge
  • "Othello's tragic flaw is that he is human"- Rosemburg -- is it? Could he not have tried to keep a level head? Be reasonable and talk to Desdemona?
  • Othello is a "pathetic figure" because he "ceases to think about Desdemona" - Eliot - true in one sense, but was it his love for Desdemona that was holding him back? All he did was think about her - he was heart broken? Or did he? Was he more interested in protecting his honour and reputation?
  • "Othello does not kill Desdemona in jealousy, but in a conviction forced upon him by the almost superhuman art of Iago" - Coleridge - was Iago really that good? Or was Othello just gullible? or was it a mix of two? Was Iago good at manipulation and Othello blinded by his emotions making him more gullible?
  • "Iago manipulated Othello, but Othello is no mere puppet... by the middle of the play, his thoughts and feelings echo Iago" - Warnken - strong argument - Othello became so stuck within the web of lies, that he began to think under the belief that they were true, meaning he echoed Iago. Likewise, Iago's hatred for life takes part in Othello, who once felt he lost Desdemona had "hell come again".
  • "The tragic protagonists is responsible for his own downfall: Iago's role is subordinate and merely ancillary" - F.R. Levis - this supports the main argument. Othello's nature mean he was predisposed to believe Iago's lie, but Iago had to work him in, nevertheless Othello took the lead, Iago just pushed him onwards.

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