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Manipulation of language in othello act 1
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Othello centers around the two conflicting characters of scheming, deceptive Iago and the honorable, but often times faithless Othello. Despite the fact that these men are completely opposite in character, Iago commands such persuasive powers that he literally starts to affect Othello’s thinking, altering the figures of speech he uses and his perceptions of those close to him. Both Othello and Iago use many of the same literary devices and much of the same language to express not only their opinions of those around them, but also their general conceptions of the workings of the universe.
Othello opens with Iago giving an idea introducing his plan to make Othello lose faith in his wife. These choice of words reveal Iago to have an incredibly materialistic and conceited nature, as he reduces everyone mentioned to an object easily capable of manipulation. Roderigo becomes Iago's purse, Cassio is simply a handsome, nobleman who can be used to make Othello jealous. Even Iago's own wife, Emilia, is referred to as Iago's “office,” an item that he has earned, rather than a woman he has vowed to love. He concludes this speech by saying “Hell and night/ Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light,”
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comparing Othello and Desdemona's marriage to a “monster birth,” while equating himself and his deceptions to Satan. Iago continuously makes comments about how hell is superior to heaven. In a later soliloquy near the end of Act II, Iago continues to relate the people he is manipulating to objects, this time also comparing the entire scenario to a game in which he plays the villain and Othello is a prize to be won. Iago mocks himself and his feigned innocence in this speech, exclaiming “Divinity of hell!/ When devils will the blackest sins put on. Iago hates that he must play an innocent underling in his own plot, but at the same time he realizes that the easiest method to achieve his goals is to hide his true intentions under a cloak of innocence. Othello's soliloquy in Act V, before he kills Desdemona, bears many parallels to the speeches made by Iago throughout the play. Othello, like Iago, objectifies Desdemona several times, first refusing to spill her blood, for fear of ruining her “smooth as monumental alabaster” skin. He then says “Put out the light, and then put out the light” , trying to give himself the resolve to literally extinguish the room's light before figuratively extinguishing Desdemona's life. This comparison of Desdemona to an extinguishable candle, rather than granting conviction, serves to stay further action briefly while he fully considers the analogy. He muses that if he extinguishes a candle, he can always light it again, while if he “extinguishes” his wife, here compared to some object of intricate design, nothing can bring her life back. When Othello finishes the candle analogy, he repeats the same idea, this time comparing Desdemona to a rose that, once plucked, can never grow again. This speech is concluded with the very Iago-like statement “this sorrow's heavenly, It strikes where it doth love” . Othello believes he is doing the right thing by killing his wife because according to his Christian beliefs, his God tests those He loves. This is not exactly what Iago was referring to when he mentioned devils putting on “heavenly shows,” but it greatly increases the audience's sense of dramatic irony to know that Othello believes himself to be doing the right thing, even at this late point in the play. While Othello uses much of Iago’s own figurative language by the end of the play, he does so to achieve different results.
Iago degrades every other character by comparing them to objects that can easily be manipulated, while Othello, when he dehumanizes people, somehow makes them out to be more than human. Likewise, when Iago makes reference to heaven and hell, he always describes how hell comes out on top. Othello, on the other hand, knows that heaven represents all that is good and right on Earth and so eventually throws himself at the mercy of his God, making him the tragic hero of the play. Othello in my perspective had the opportunity to change his fate, by using Iago’s type of language, and use it against him, in a Battle Royal in the
end.
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.
ii, 275), so he is even at the end of the play linked to the
Everyone at some point in their lives attempts to convince someone to behave certain ways and to do specific things that ultimately will only benefit the person doing the convincing. Throughout the entire book, Othello, Iago attempts to convince numerous people in order to in the end only benefit and help himself. In this scene, Roderigo is explaining to Iago how he no longer wants to love because he is without Desdemona’s love. Iago then focuses on convincing Roderigo not only out of suicide, but also into getting Desdemona back. If Iago was unable to encourage Roderigo to go back after Desdemona, his plans would have been ruined. In lines 296-395, Iago uses many different uses of language in order to convince Roderigo to do what he wants him to do.
William Shakespeare has yet again created a world of good and evil. In his work Othello, the ideals and principles of this world are just like any other with a twist brought upon by two characters, Othello and Iago. These two characters along with many others employ the central idea of what good and evil entails. However, neither Othello nor Iago possess just one of these traits. Othello is not just the pure perfect guy he is perceived to be and Iago is not just the evil vindictive character he is believed to be but rather both of these men are far more interesting than that. They both have the necessary qualities that get them through life and potentially threaten their lives. Through their actions and interactions with the other characters that they really are is shown.
In Othello, Iago is Shakespeare’s most malicious character and serves as a vehicle to these two themes. Iago despises Othello; he has a strong will to destroy Othello’s life, yet the motive behind his plan goes unexplained. Iago is a great manipulator of the tongue and lies to everyone in order to advance his plan; however, every character in the play considers Iago an honest character, and Othello even associates Iago with light and eyesight. Othello continuously asks Iago to explain or make something clearer. Until the very end, Iago appears to be honest and helpful to the other characters, but underneath this seemingly harmless façade, Iago is a demon with the strongest will; he will stop at nothing until he ruins Othello’s life. Iago uses a positive appearance to enact his
Both Iago and Othello are emotional characters with a lot to offer. Othello is a gullible character who places too much trust in the wrong people. He trusts Iago over his own wife, Desdemona, allowing Iago to manipulate his mind. Iago instills doubt in Othello about anyone he has ever trusted, making them all seem untrustworthy. More than anything, Iago uses pathos to appeal to emotion.
Othello sends her off to get Desdemona and says to the audience “She says enough, yet she’s a simple bawd/That cannot say as much. This is a subtle whore,/A closet, lock and key, of villainous secrets./And yet she’ll kneel and pray, I have seen her do ’t.” (4.2.21-24) Othello is dismissing her statement under the principle that any woman would say the same story and the only truth he can trust would be what he is told by a man. Othello uses words such as “whore” and “villainous,” which are words first spoken by Iago. These are used only in the most demeaning way and this shows that he truly believes that no matter what evidence he is shown, or who claims she is a good wife, that she has just hidden her true nature from them as he has seen her “kneel and pray” just like any good wife.
Iago’s hatred for Othello has developed through the influence of not only his personal values, but the social and contextual values of the time. Thus, Iago is compelled to manipulate Othello and cause the tragedy. It is evident that Iago’s upbringing in the Venetian context of valuing and prioritising reputation and power, has caused him to have a strong sense of arrogance and selfish entitlement. Therefore, Iago is seen to be extremely greedy, as he not only seeks power, but also a better reputation and social standing. However, Othello denies him of this position, leading Iago to resent Othello and start his plan. Iago openly admits that he will “follow him to serve
Shakespearian tales always leave us with a plethora to ponder about the Elizabethan age and Shakespeare himself. “Othello” is no break in this mold, leaving us to ponder the roll of Iago within the harsh tale of love and murder. Iago is the one to tell Othello of his wife’s betrayal with Cassio, hence making up a story that will work to his favor yet betray those around him. Iago betrays his wife, Emilia, but not only her as he drags Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio into the mix of lies and the hatred he is spreading to improve his rank with Othello. But were Iago’s acts unjust and done for the sake of it? Is he a heartless man who’s only happiness is to bring sorrow upon others? No, Iago has a just reason for what he does, even though he causes the deaths of Cassio, Emilia, and Desdemona in his search for revenge; Iago is not a heartless fiend, just a man wronged.
Iago is straight away introduced as a dubious character. Having his fingers in Roderigo's purse show his interest in money. The language that he uses is vulgar and rude and he has no shame in his deceitful actions. In order to get what he wants, Iago will do anything. This includes insulting Desdemona, an innocent young woman who does not intend to harm anyone. Her sorrow at her divided loyalties shows this. Like her husband, Desdemona deals with situations carefully. Othello is the opposite of Iago in that he does not pride himself on killing people. It may be his strong point, but he feels that it should not be bragged about, especially in noble company.
“I am not what I am,” proclaims one of Shakespeare’s darkest and most enigmatic villains, Iago, in the tragedy Othello. Iago’s journey for revenge enables him to become capable of immoral acts, and whilst his malevolence excites us, we are no more intrigued by his attributes than we are of the play’s tragic hero, Othellos’. Rather, both characters’ confrontation with jealousy and their subsequent moral demise as a result of failing to control such an emotion provides the true excitement for audiences. Iago’s spiteful manipulation of Othello makes him a multifaceted character — whose corrupt attributes make the audience examine their own morality. However, the same can be said of Othello; his failure to withstand Iago’s ‘pouring of pestilence’
Iago has been excellent at saying the what is needed to get to people, he misleads them to get a reaction he wants out of them. He is clever with his words to avoid confrontation that can easily happen. “Othello 's confusion is the human experience of language. In other words, language itself, not the outside world, determines meaning” (Christofides 2). Iago uses his words against Othello to get him to do Iago’s doings. Iago has an eloquence with
Iago's Manipulation of Characters in William Shakespeare's Othello. Introduction The play 'Othello' was created by William Shakespeare. Othello is a tale set in Venice at the time when adultery was a hanging offence. It is a tale all about jealousy and manipulation by one of the main characters, i.e. the characters, Iago.
Othello and Iago Comparison Othello and Iago are different in their characters as well as in their colours. It could be said also, however, that they are similar because of their fallibility. Iago is overcome with his desire for revenge to such an extent that he puts it into action. Othello's love and possessiveness of Desdemona take over him until he eventually would rather kill her than allow anyone else to have her. In this way, despite their contrasts, Iago and Othello both represent the extremity of the same thing - human emotion.
Iago - a man endowed with remarkable powers of observation, which helps him to create an unmistakable representation of people around him. Very often, Iago was cunningly pursuing his hidden agenda. For instance, he knows that Cassio is not tolerant to alcohol and he makes him get drunk; he wants to use him as a wedge between Othello and Desdemona. Moreover, Iago brings up their prior relationship to show Othello that they knew each other, to plant the seed of suspicion. However, in the moments when he was alone on the stage, he speaks frankly about himself and the people with whom he has to face. Iago clearly and objectively expressed the innermost essence of the