The Use of Dramatic, Situational, and Verbal Irony in Shakespeare's Othello

In the play Othello, Shakespeare uses many literary devices to help the reader understand the theme of the story. One of those many literary devices used in the play, is the wide range of irony. Throughout the pages of the book the reader will see the use of dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. Shakespeare does not use irony in an understated way, it is very direct, and can be found on almost every page of the book. The use of irony creates suspense, and adds interest as to what will happen.

There are many examples of situational irony in Othello. One big example that went throughout the story was the triangle of Cassio, Othello, and Iago. Iago wanted Cassio dead, while Othello promoted Cassio to a higher position, and later in the story also wanted to have him killed. What is ironic is the fact that in the end, both Iago and Othello end up dead, while Cassio comes out on top. Another example was the use of the handkerchief. Iago used his wife to obtain Desdemona’s handkerchief given to her by Othello. When Iago received the handkerchief, he made it look like Cassio had...