Shakespeare's Use of Language to Convey Othello's State of Mind
Iago's manipulative ways has Othello convinced that Desdemona has
deceived him.
"Villain be sure thou prove my love a whore."
Here Othello speaks violently, using derogatory language to criticize
his wife's actions. This shows his erratic state of mind. This quote
also contains irony as for a brief moment, Othello suspects Iago to be
a villain. This is ironic because Othello has always said Iago is
trustworthy, but for a moment, he reveals his true nature without
realizing it.
Throughout the act Othello becomes very confused by his wife's actions
and starts to loose trust in her.
"I think my wife be honest and think she is not."
Here Othello is showing confusion. Shakespeare shows this by using
syntax. Because the sentence in unnatural it portrays the image that
Othello's mind is also unnatural. By using the word 'think' he is
showing that he is not sure what to believe. This sentence emphasizes
his confused state of mind by using a paradox.
He uses words relating to hell.
"Death and damnation. Oh!"
Syntax has been used to make it sound more dramatic. His reference to
death, and damnation, shows the violence that is overtaking his mind.
It is also reference to hell, which shows the unnaturalness of his
thoughts.
He uses strong words that portray how he is feeling. He also sighs
'oh' a lot.
"Oh monstrous! Monstrous!"
The repetition of the word 'monstrous' shows how in pain and evil he
is. The exclamation marks show that he is shouting in anger or
distress, which shows the violent nature of Othello. The word 'oh' is
dramatic...
... middle of paper ...
...
Othello has become. It also shows lack of conscience, which shows that
Othello is turning into a psychopath.
Othello realizes how he has changed and will not give in.
"Like to the Pontic Sea, whose icy current and compulsive course ne'er
feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on."
Othello is saying that he is like the sea that is cold. Othello
confirming his new bitterness shows that he knows that he is being
destroyed and hurt. He also says that he is to keep going on, which
now shows that there is no confliction left inside him and he has his
heart set on revenge, and nothing will stop him.
Othello has accepted Iago's accusations.
"Farewell the tranquil mind; farewell content."
Othello believes life is at its end, the repetition portrays he is
convinced and it also implies and image of his distraught.
Iago’s Use of Rhetorical Strategies to Manipulate Othello in Shakespeare’s Othello. Rhetorical strategies are continually used to get a point across, or to manipulate another. Iago uses many devices to put false accusations into Othello’s head. In lines 330-447 in Act 3 scene 3, Iago uses rhetorical questioning, imagery, and sarcasm.
Shakespeare’s use of rhetoric by his characters is clearly used effectively in Othello through Iago’s and Roderigo’s conversation with Barbantio. The two make use of double meanings, animal imagery, Devil and God comparisons, the use of sexual references, and descriptive insults to confuse Barbantio and make him angry towards Othello. Through Iago’s initial torment, continued by Roderigo, they are able to force Barbantio to do exactly as they wish.
In a passage from William Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago dramatizes a subsequent conflict between Othello and Desdemona when he warns the former of a green-eyed monster, the manifestation of jealousy. As the play progresses, Othello becomes more like this beast that Iago told him about. Instead of being the honorable and respectable character he was, Othello now displays a more questionable personality, one that causes him to doubt his wife of infidelity. Even though Iago does play a role, it is mostly due to Othello’s insecurity that transforms him into a monstrous person.
In the light of the various descriptions of an unstable person, Iago is a psychopath with his manipulative choice of words. He tells people things that they want to hear and he says it in a manner that makes him appear exceptional. “ I humbly do beseech you of your pardon, For too much loving you.” (3.3.106) In act three, Iago pretends to be Othello’s confidant, and he wants Othello to suspect his wife is having an affair. Iago has a pseudo relationship with Othello the entire duration of the play.
This paper contains 237 words of teacher’s comments. What one perceives is influenced by one’s environment. The setting and commentary surrounding events changes our perception of them. Any innocent gesture can be perceived in the wrong way with enough persuading from someone else. Even if someone has total faith in another person's innocence, they can be persuaded to doubt them through the twisting of events. Once just a small amount of doubt has been planted, it influences the way everything else is seen. This occurs throughout the play, Othello. In this play, Iago influences Othello's perception of events through speeches and lies, making him doubt Desdemona's fidelity. Iago uses his talent of manipulating events to exact his revenge on Othello. Iago's twisting of events in Othello's mind leads to the downfall of Othello as planned, but because he fails to twist Emilia's perception as well, he facilitates his own eventual downfall.
Emilia is excited that she finally is in possession of the handkerchief. It has been something that Iago has been urging her to steal, and the fact that she did not explicitly steal it makes her feel a bit relieved as well.
Debra Winger had stated once that “Most bad behaviour comes from insecurity”, this could not hold anymore truth in Shakespeare’s “Othello” as the story progresses only due to the insecurities of the characters. For starters, Othello is the protagonist so we get to see his internal conflicts about societal standards and judgement on display. Meanwhile, Iago’s vulnerabilities as a villain are only showed during his monologues as he is hinted to having a superiority complex against Othello, and a complete reverse of Iago, Cassio’s issues are visible from the readers perspective and the characters as his reputation is slandered and used against him. These are all prime examples of how insecurity was used as a primary plot device to advance the
His 'blood begins safer guide to rule', he is ruled by his blood, his 'passion', not his rational thinking brain, as if he is thinking in an instinctive fashion. This part of the passage is proleptic of Othello's gradual downfall, his loss of mentality, and his clear and definite change in language. His linguistic degeneration is also seen when he uses the blasphemous phrase 'Zounds!' Othello calls this a 'private and domestic quarrel', but this event all adds up to the eventual tragedy of the story. This can support A.C.
Picture this- William Harold Shakespeare, the most coveted playwriter in the history of the world, sitting at his desk, perspicaciously pondering over what shall become his most prominant and delicated tragedy of yet. Of course, given what little is known about Shakespeere displays, such deepseated imagery cannot simply be accomplished without first the propriety of haste and vinction.And yet, his very own rhetorical vibe displays allows such a vague pictoration to be concieved. Throughout the whole of Othello, the great Shakespeare remarks through an astounding displays show of pronouns, allitteration, and cacophonous diction his own resentment of both the King of Italy and the poor conditions of the said novelist.
Texts and their appropriations reflect the context and values of their times. Within Shakespeare’s Othello and Geoffrey Sax’s appropriation of Othello, the evolution of the attitudes held by Elizabethan audiences and those held by contemporary audiences can be seen through the context of the female coupled with the context of racism. The role of the female has developed from being submissive and “obedient” in the Elizabethan era to being independent and liberated within the contemporary setting. The racism of the first text is overtly xenophobic and natural, whilst the “moor” is unnatural whereas the updated context portrays Othello’s race as natural and racism as unnatural. Therefore these examples show how Shakespeare’s Othello, and it’s appropriation, Geoffrey sax’s Othello, reflect the context and values of their times.
Diction is the author's choice of words, taking into account correctness, clearness, and effectiveness. Shakespeare's works focus on human problems and resolving them. The use of Shakespeare’s diction throughout Othello is very unique because he is very clear in the emotions and the plans of characters. He lays out what a character's plan is before he acts it out. He also has a tendency to retell the recent events. These subtle hints allow the reader to foreshadow and develop a feel for each character. The intimations of what’s to come is prominently seen through Iago’s soliloquies. He often speaks openly of his plan for revenge that only the reader will know. This in turn creates dramatic irony. The effect of this type of diction is that the reader has a clearer and comprehensive understanding of what exactly is going on. He uses imagery several times in the describing of various people as animals or in terms of comparing things. Most of the imagery pertains to Othello and his various travels or especially his jealousy. This use of imagery and diction is effective because in addition to having merely an idea of what is going on the reader can have a mental picture as well. These strong bouts of imagery are beneficial to the work as a whole because they give strong pictures in which the general action of the work can be amplified, which is something Shakespeare strives for. The women in the story: Desdemona and Emilia, play an important role in the theme of the story. It is possible to establish a clear relation behind Shakespeare’s diction towards each of these women and the theme of ignorance behind a man’s view of the women in his life, and misconceptions of what love truly is.
The play “Othello” by William Shakespeare was written in 1604 during the Elizabeth era. Othello is one of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s dramas. He enjoyed unheralded success in the combat zone, which gave him the reputation as one of Venice’s most competent generals. Even though he has great success in the battlefield, he has a dramatic flaw that causes a downfall in his life. The dramatic flaw that causes his downfall is jealousy. This was brought on by a simple persuasion of Iago, the evil character in the play. Even though Iago used extreme manipulation to get Othello to be jealous, Iago did not really have to try very hard to get Othello in a jealous state of mind. Othello was blinded by his jealousy which led him down a path of constant questioning of his wife and his friend Cassio. Throughout the play we see his dramatic flaw sink him deeper and deeper into a cloud of doubt which eventually leads him to kill not only his love of his life but also himself.
similar to his earlier use. Shakespeare was trying to display a woman, who in the mind of her husband, was. crying tears of deception. Othello had let his mind be so altered by Iago’s lies, that he had even begun to. believe everything he said.
Othello is a man who is respected as a General in the Army. Brabanzio even considered him a friend. Thanks to Iago planting a seed in Brabanzio ear about his daughter, Desdemona, Brabanzio accused Othello of taking his daughter away from him by means of drugs or poision. Othello has fought on the battle-field and now finds himself on a very different kind of battle-field. He finds himself in a position of being forced to defend his honor, friendship and his love. There has been accusations made against Othello, so in a room filled with signors, masters, the Duke, and Brabanzio, Othello has a strategy of battlement in his own way. He tells the Duke to send for Desdemona, “Send for the lady to the Sagittary, And let her speak of me before her father” (1.3-115-116).
So, he invents and elaborate scheme to destroy Othello through his woman. When Othello demands proof of her infidelity, Iago says: “I do not like the