Othello's Irony

William Shakespeare wrote works that are typically known for their tales of love, drama, and tragedy. While there are a diverse number of themes in Shakespeare's many plays, it is not often that many of the works are associated with irony. One work in particular, Othello, is mainly recalled as a story of deception, jealousy, and even racism, but seldom is the story analyzed for its use of direct contradiction and cynicism. For example, the villain of the story receives more attention than the protagonist though it is named after him, the vocabulary within the dialogue is opposite of the theme, and there are multiple characters that are perceived as one way though shown as another. There is a large amount of various kinds of irony used in Othello,

While the main character and protagonist is Othello, Iago is given more lines and more attention. “With 1,097 lines, Iago has more lines in the play than Othello himself” (Markham). This is ironic because the play is named after Othello, but in comparison to his opposite, he is not as explained by either himself or other characters. Additionally, Iago's inner thoughts are often shown when there are no other characters, and readers can experience his inner dialogue, but this is seldom the same case for Othello. Besides focusing on certain characters to create emphasis, the dialogue gives other clues and examples of irony throughout the

Desdemona is the image of love of faithfulness, and even up until the moment her life is taken from her, she shows complete devotion to her lord, and gives her final breath to show it. "Nobody; I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord: O, farewell!" (Shakespeare). Another example is the respect and kindness displayed by Cassio, who only wishes to be a loyal soldier and impress Othello, but instead becomes one of his biggest foes. Lastly, Othello himself is prided on his calm demeanor and rationality but dies due to falling victim to