Theme Of Betrayal In Othello

Betrayal is a wound that cuts the deeper than any blade. In Othello, a play written by William Shakespeare, the reader is led through a drama in which several characters fall victim to acts betrayal by a villainous man. Iago, who is a master manipulator exploits the weaknesses of characters around him while maintaining own reputation. In this Shakespearean play, religion has a significant role due to the reoccurring elements of hell in the nature of betrayal. In like manner, the actions of Iago, Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo can all be attributed to the infamous, Seven Deadly Sins: Iago and Cassio embody the sins of wrath, envy, greed and gluttony; while Othello and Roderigo succumb to pride, sloth and lust. To begin, Iago exhibits wrath,

After failing to realize Iago had been lying to him over the duration of the play, Othello says in his final soliloquy: “Speak of me as I am… One that loved not wisely, but too well; Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought. Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand, Like the base of Judean, threw a pearl away” (5.2.402-407). Othello smothered Desdemona to death to maintain his sanity, reflecting pride and sloth. Drowning in his pride, Othello tells himself that the only option was to send Desdemona to heaven, rather than allowing her to continue committing infidelity. In addition, Othello reflects the actions of sloth after he blindly listens to everything Iago tells him and fails to use any conclusive, logical reasoning. On the other hand, Roderigo falls into the hands of lust. His obsession with Desdemona is taken advantage of by Iago, who says to him: “Come hither. If thou be'st valiant,-- as, they say, base men being in love have then a nobility in their natures more than is native to them--list me" (2.1.214-216). He consistently allows Iago to convince him that there is a chance of winning Desdemona’s love, but Roderigo ultimately ends up throwing his life away after Iago disposes of him. In this aspect of betrayal, Iago targets the passion Othello and Roderigo

Iago literally betrays Othello and the inhabitants of Cyprus with his compelling lies; while Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo all betray their own values as they unknowingly capitulate to each of the Seven Deadly Sins. Shakespeare takes advantage of human follies by developing events inextricably entangled with the sins. The nature of betrayal in Othello contributes to the work as a whole by introducing the aspect of religion. This gives the meaning of the play a link between virtue and sin, as the reader learns that good and evil and two sides of the same individual. Othello, who converts to Christianity to become “good” in his society, turns “evil” again when he goes against all of his moral values and kills his innocent wife. Othello depicts the act of betrayal by blaming it on the tragic flaws of