Theme Of Betrayal In Othello

593 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Betrayal and deception in othello essay

Mobley 1
Taylor Mobley
Mrs. Scott
English 1302
20 April 2014

Drama Essay: Othello- Betrayal/ Manipulation

The topic of betrayal and manipulation is a common theme in the play Othello. A numerous amount of characters in the play betray others, and also themselves. From planning affairs that ruin marriages and friendships, to not trusting their significant other. Ways that the play Othello brings out the theme of betrayal is Othello and Desdemona being the one’s who were most affected by Iagos betrayal with their marriage, Iago plotting to put the handkerchief with Michael Cassio, and the death of those who either betrayed, or were betrayed.
Iago gave the impressions to betray Othello as a friend, and his marriage with Desdemona. Othello is given hints that his new wife Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio and is no longer loyal to Othello anymore. Othello once referred to Iago as “Honest Iago”, because he knew at the time that he co...

Show More
Related

  • Hidden Meaning of Shakespeare's Othello

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    The play Othello is a tale of jealousy, revenge, and deception. Iago, a disgruntled military officer, in a quest for revenge against Othello, lies, cheats, and bullys everyone around in order to get what he wants. He uses Roderigo, Brabantio, and just about every other character in the play to attain his goal of ruining Othello. This summary is what the play might seem like to the unseeing eye, but to the indepth and trained reader there is more to the story then first appears.

    Read More

  • Iago Vs. Moriarty: an Argumentative Comparison

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    Iago takes on many different persona’s to enact his plan of revenge upon Othello. He plays the friend, a trustworthy and credible source of information for Othello in his feat of drama with his innocent wife, Desdemona. He also plays the wingman for Roderigo who is madly in love with Desdemona, encouraging him to make advances towards her to woo Desdemona away from Othello. Iago even persuades Roderigo to kill Cassio with his lies about Cassio and Desdemona’s affair. “...you may take him at your pleasure: I will be near to second your attempt, and he shall fall between us.” Iago promises to assist Roderigo in the murder of Cassio and he will be rewarded with Desdemona’s love (Navigators.) Iago’s true persona, though, is a heartless, woman-hating villain who would go to great lengths to get revenge against Othello for preferring Cassio over him for the military promotion.

    Read More

  • Iago Logos In Othello

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    Othello is such a gullible character with so much trust in the wrong people. He trusts Iago before he trusts his own wife, Desdemona; he let Iago get into his mind. Iago arises any doubt Othello has for anyone he ever trusted making them all seem untrustworthy. More then anything Iago uses pathos to appeal to emotion. “ But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve For daws to peck at. I am not what I am” (Othello, Shakespeare, Act I Scene I Line 65-66). Iago talks about being open and honest; although this is not true it makes the other characters feel secure. Othello is a strong character, but Iago is his downfall. Blinded by jealousy and questions Othello will no longer trust Desdemona nor Cassio, because of this he will meet his

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Character Iago's Honesty in William Shakespeares's Othello

    404 Words  | 1 Pages

    During the play, Othello holds Iago to be his close friend and advisor. He believes Iago to be a person, "of exceeding honesty, (who) knows all qualities, with learnèd spirit of human dealings"(1029). At the same time, Iago tricks Othello into believing that his own wife is having an affair without any concrete proof.

    Read More

  • How Does Iago Change In Othello

    2005 Words  | 5 Pages

    Iago is a very strategic and clever person, and he despises Othello because Othello appointed Cassio as a lieutenant over Iago. He plans to ruin Othello’s life by ruining his relationship with Desdemona. He starts off by telling Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, of Othello and Desdemona’s secret marriage. Iago goes to

    Read More

  • Othello's Honor

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Tragedy of Othello, William Shakespeare tells the tale of the “noble Moor” whose honor and innocence bring about his downfall. Shakespeare writes of the power of jealousy, and the art of masterful deception and trickery. The story primarily takes place in Cyprus, during a war between the people of Venice and the invading Turks. In this play Shakespeare shows the feelings of Othello’s embittered right-hand man of, Iago, who feels he is passed over for a promotion and swears his revenge. He proceeds to manipulate his friends, enemies, and family into doing his bidding without any of them ever realizing his ultimate goal. He makes Othello believe that his new wife, the innocent Desdemona, is committing adultery with his newly promoted officer Michael Cassio. After this seed of jealousy has been planted, Othello’s mind takes its course in determining the true outcome, with a little more nudging from Iago. The course of action he proceeds to follow is one that not only ends his own life, but also the life of his wife and others. In Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Othello, Othello is a man who is still truly honorable, despite the course of action he takes to resolve his perceived problem.

    Read More

  • How Does Iago Use Pathos In Othello

    1696 Words  | 4 Pages

    Implicitly targeting Othello’s doubts about marrying Desdemona and insecurities about her actions with infidelity, Iago eventually impacts Othello enough that the General himself confides in Iago about his own wife. Earlier in the play, ‘honest Iago’ needs to first gain Othello’s confidence and he does so by expressing his loyalty to Cassio, “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/ Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio”, while Othello is present in a conflict (2.3. 203-204). Then, later in the play Iago baits Othello by suggesting that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. Immediately, Othello wants more information; however, Iago nervously responds with, “…vicious in my guess-/ As I confess…” and tries to calm Othello by saying, “My noble lord-” (3.3 46-47, 93). When voicing his devotion to Cassio, Iago immediately begins to play on his false reputation as ‘honest Iago’. He enables Othello, and his fellow characters, to think highly of him and to respect that even when his partner, Cassio, has not been following orders, Iago would even endure physical pain and have his “tongue cut from [his] mouth” and proves his locality (2.3. 203). This leads to when Iago responds to Othello’s queries, about

    Read More

  • The Dual Nature of Characters in Shakespeare's Othello

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    of being an honest man. Iago knew that an important man like Othello couldn’t ignore. the possibility that his wife was cheating on him. Nobody suspects that Iago is a deceitful man and would plot and plan to destroy Othello, Cassio and Desdemona in such a way. cunning way to go.

    Read More

  • Jealousy, Love and Betrayal in Othello by William Shakespeare

    1748 Words  | 4 Pages

    The role of jealousy, love and betrayal play a major role in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. The entire play is based on the human interactions of the characters as related to Othello and Desdemona. The characters’ personalities, their social status, and their relationships to each other control the story line and their fate in the play. Othello is portrayed early in the play as an outsider with animalistic characteristics by Iago and Roderigo because of jealousy. “Your heart is burst; and have lost half of your soul/Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/Is tupping your white ewe”.(531) Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, accuses Othello of using witch craft on his daughter. “If she in chains of magic were not bound/ Whether a maid so tender, fair, and happy/ So opposite to marriage that she shunned…” (535) This point is important because Othello must defend himself not only to Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, but to the entire Venetian Senate. “And till she come, as truly as to heaven,/ I do confess the vices of my blood./ So justly to your grave ears I’ll present/ How I did thrive in this fair lady’s love, / And she in mine.” (539) Othello proves himself to be an intellectual hero early in the play. He has worked hard to gain respectability and power, but because he has a different background, is from another country, is dark-skinned and is older than Desdemona, he becomes jealous very quickly of Cassio. Cassio is from the same social class, is compatible with Desdemona and is a young handsome man. Iago has also convinced Cassio to seek favor with Desdemo...

    Read More

  • Iago's Dishonesty In Othello

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    Iago’s dishonesty with Othello sparks significant tragedy in Cyprus. The more Othello trusts Iago, the easier it is for Iago to feed information to Othello. Iago drops hints to Othello that cause Othello to question his relationship with Desdemona. After Iago tells Othello to hide, his plan is to question Cassio as if he is referring to Desdemona, even though Iago is actually talking about a maid, Bianca. Iago shows his craziness in this moment because he is playing both Othello and Cassio at the same time. Aside to the audience, Iago says, “Now will I question Cassio of Bianca/…when [Cassio] hears of her, cannot restrain/ From the excess of laughter/ As he shall smile, Othello shall go mad” (Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 110-117). It was Iago’s plan all along to break up Othello and Desdemona to get revenge on Othello for promoting Cassio instead of Iago. The more Iago noticed the plan was working, the more the power went to his head, and he kept doing more to sabotage Othello’s

    Read More

  • The Revenge of Iago in Shakespeare's Othello

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Shakespeare's "Othello," Iago carefully and masterfully entraps Othello into believing that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with Cassio. He does this through a series of suggestions and hesitations that entice and implant images into Othello's head that lead him to his own demise. More importantly, Iago gives Othello the motive to murder his own innocent wife Desdemona, satisfying Iago's immense appetite for revenge.

    Read More

  • Tragic Hero's Downfall In Othello '

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the drama, Othello let Iago control him as if he was a puppet under his master’s hands. When Iago first brought up the idea that Desdemona and Cassio might be having an affair, Othello did not believe him, he had faith in his wife. After many lies that Iago planted in Othello’s ears, Othello started to believe him and he dropped most of the faith that he had in Desdemona. Iago told Othello that in his sleep, Cassio said “Sweet Desdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our love”. Cursed fate that gave thee the Moor” (III.iii.416-417).

    Read More

  • Theme Of Jealousy In Othello

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    (I,iii,395), and cause mistrust and grief for Othello and Desdemona, eventually causing a rift in their relationship (I,iii,339). Despite Iago’s ideal encapsulation of the “villain” persona, in which his nature is one of very untrustworthy and extremely manipulative, he manages to control his emotions and jealousy to a great degree. Even to such an extent that Othello calls him nicknames like “Honest Iago” and “Fair Iago”. Due to the secretive nature Iago possesses, his moves are precise and calculated which leads to unexpected and very harsh attacks. One example of the influence Iago’s jealousy had on his plans are shown in Act three, in which the character Cassio found a random handkerchief on the bed in his room. This exemplifies the deceitfulness

    Read More

  • Jealousy And Deception In Othello

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s Othello is a play about the downfall of the Moor of Venice induced by evil villain Iago. The characters are put into focus by their moral virtue, all except Iago because he is a Vice. The English Oxford Dictionary defines Vice as immoral or wicked behavior (OED). The motive of being passed over for a promotion is not enough to pin the cause of Iago’s wickedness. It is Othello who needs to be scrutinized, in terms of passion. Leo Africanus describes the Moor as honest, trusting, but jealous and given to passionate vengeful rage when wronged. (Vitkus, 161) This is extremely evident in Shakespeare’s play. Othello causes his own downfall being blinded by jealously. William Shakespeare’s use of jealousy and deception are partnered with the themes of appearance versus reality. Othello’s greatest conquest in this play is not Iago but his own vice, Jealousy.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Othello And Macbeth

    1593 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Othello, the main character Othello is newly married to his innocent wife Desdemona. They are a perfect couple, until Othello’s “friend” Iago, starts to

    Read More

More about Theme Of Betrayal In Othello

Open Document