The Duality of Relationships in Othello by William Shakespeare

The plot pushes forward into the joyful and innocent love between Emilia and Iago. Even though their relationship is not mentioned enough as that of Othello and Desdemona, a reader can definitely interpret the psychological aspects of both relationships. Desdemona is one who would never consider cheating or being unfaithful towards Othello. Emilia however states it as a “ ...a great price. For a small vice.” Emilia has a different view of men: “They are all but stomachs, and we are all but food; To eat us hungerly, and when they are full, They belch us.” Iago’s views on love are motivated by extrinsic needs. He would much rather choose forbidden love over sacred love. He denounces true love in all its forms, he does not understand why Desdemona would truly want to love a black man. Iago's view on love is, “...merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will.” Iago’s cynical attituide and personality is such he will never experience what true love really is. In the end both Othello and Iago kill their wives. Othello is loses sight of imself and takes his own life. Iago reacts in childish manner and flees the scene in the play. Iago and Othello have been used to uncover the theme of love itself in Shakespeares play.

There was also another theme in Shakespeare's Othello, the concept of illusion. Through Iago's masterful deceptiveness Othello was tricked. Cassio and Desdomona will be used as the scapegoats to explore this theme of illusion. Iago begins to corrupt Othello in Act 3, asking Iago: “Think’st thou I’d make a life of jealousy, To follow the still changes of the moon with fresh suspicions?” just a few lines later he also says “I saw’t not, thought it not, it harmed not me.”, Othello becomes suspicious of Desdemona....

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...kespeare's Othello is a play of multiple themes. The human psyche itself is on display as well. The dualities of relationships is also prevalent. For example the relationships between Othello and Desdemona and between Iago and Emilia. The concept of illusion, of the difference between what is perceived in a person and what is real, is explored through the perceptions of key characters of one another in spite of overwhelmingly different realities. Finally, the theme of character reversal is also explored through the violent contrast between Othello as he was before and Othello as he is now; the complete reversal of character being summed up in Othello’s last, stirring soliloquy. In accordance with the central idea of duality and opposites inherent in the play, Shakespeare has encoded three of the play’s key themes through such contrasts of character and language.