Integrity In Othello Essay

There is a rare respect that everyone in the world possesses, and that is the respect of a person’s honor. A person’s honor is something that cannot be bought, sold, or traded, it is something that must be gained by the respect of your peers. An example of how honor is seen in everyday life is through a person’s words. A person’s honor is supported by their words, by being honest. In Othello, Shakespeare exhibits how dishonesty can be used as a form of manipulation on honest people, but also leads to self-destruction on the person using it.
Shakespeare uses Iago and Othello as the main characters of the play, showing how Iago manipulates Othello into believing his wife is cheating on him. Iago, or “honest Iago”, the villain of the play, a perfectionist at manipulation, that manages to influence people into thinking his deceitfulness is an act of honesty. He spends all of his time plotting against Othello and Desdemona, eventually convincing Othello that his wife has been cheating, despite the fact that Desdemona has been completely faithful. Othello, Venice’s most competent general, and the protagonist of the play. He was a noble and respected war hero, and a loving husband, however he was the target of Iago’s atrocities, which lead him to become an irrational, violent, and insanely jealous husband who murders his own wife at the end of the play.
The word “honesty” has been mentioned in Othello many times, each representing a different meaning of the word, the first use of the word is to describe chastity, the question of whether a women is honest or if she is loose. Iago uses his personal dishonesty to convince Othello that his wife is sexually dishonest, at the same time pretending to be looking out for his best interest, as...

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...first time she disobeys her husband’s orders” (Cassal 4). Even though she was killed in the end, her act of honesty opens Othello’s eyes that was previously blinded by jealously cause by Iago.
In conclusion, Shakespeare refers to honesty in different ways, each expressing and representing in people who were used by Iago. The first use of the word refers to chastiy, desdemona’s fidelity. At other times, the word refers to personal honesty, whether or not a person is telling the truth, Emilia who came clean at the end of the play. It can also refer to whether or not a person is a good and loyal friend, Cassio who stood by Othello’s side. Even though Iago manages to manipulate these honest people into doing things according to his plans, which sends Othello into a jealous frenzy, killing Desdemona as the consequence, his devices got out, which resulted in his arrest.