Deception in Othello

Desdemona

• Hides her relationship from her father (Brabantio)

→ Brabantio - ‘O, she deceives me past thought.’

→ She loves her father and wants to protect him (delays the inevitable pain of her leaving)

Iago uses this for his own deception

→ “She did deceive her father in marrying you’

→ Trying to place doubt in Othello’s mind.

• Deception: tries to subtly persuade Othello to give Cassio his position back.

  → Iago uses this to further convince Othello that Desdemona loves Cassio.

• She lies to Othello about losing the handkerchief

  → “I have it not on me” … “It is not lost”

  → She knows it means a to to him - he will be angry

  → Wants to protect him, thinks she will find it (only misplaced)

  Iago uses the handkerchief as evidence to convince Othello of Desdemona’s infidelity.

Iago

• Deceives Roderigo

  → takes his money

  → uses him to get Cassio demoted

  → tries to get him to kill Cassio

  → Roderigo loves Desdemona (motivation)

• Iago pretends to be loyal to Othello

  → “a sign of love” - appearance vs reality

• Uses language to plant seeds of doubt in Othello

  → “I like not that”

  → Implies he knows more than he says

• Uses body language when talking to Cassio about Bianca

  → Othello reads it as laughing about Desdemona (aside)

• Emilia calls Iago out for his deception

  → “You told me a lie, an odious damed lie: upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie.”

• Othello is affected by Iago’s deception

  → “I think my wife be honest, and think she is not”

  → Wants proof

• Iago’s defence

  → “I told him what I thought, and no more than what he found himself what apt and true”

  → He planted the seed, and Othello interpreted what he saw as proof

• Dramatic Irony - through soliloquies

  → a dramatic technique

  → Audience knows Iago’s true motives

• Language technique - Epiphet

  → “Honest Iago”

  → Other characters believe he is honest

• Emilia is the only one who doubts / suspects him.

Desdemona hides her relationship from her father, and this causes Othello to doubt her.

“O, she deceives me past thought.”

‘She did deceive her father in marrying you”

“It is not lost’

Iago pretends to be loyal to Othello

‘I must show out a flag and sign of love- which is indeed but a sign’

‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him.’

“Honest Iago’

Manipulates Othello into believing Desdemona is cheating

“Or to be naked with her friend in bed”

“I told him what I thought, and no more than what he found himself what apt and true”

In William Shakespeare’s tragedy 'Othello,’ deception is presented as a driving force for evil, and ruins the lives of all the characters which partake in it. This is elucidated by Desdemona’s deception, Iago’s disloyalty, and Iago’s manipulation.

Desdemona’s deception is what kickstarts the events of ‘Othello',’ and casts her fidelity into doubt. In the quote ‘O she deceives me past thought,’ Brabantio is hurt by her lies, although she had a good motive. All Desdemona was trying to do was protect both her father and her new husband, Othello. She wanted to delay the pain of her inevitably leaving her father. Iago twists this to his own agenda, saying ‘She did deceive her father in marrying you.” He suggests that if she has lied once, she could do so again, and is trying to place doubt in Othello’s mind. The quote ‘it is not lost’ shows once again that her deception is for a good purpose, as she is trying to protect herself from Othello’s erratic and perhaps violent behaviour, as well as keep her relationship from falling apart.

Iago’s deception is his act of loyalty to Othello. In the quote ‘I must show out a flag and sign of love- which is indeed but a sign” he elucidates his true intentions, saying his loyalty to Othello is a farce, and his actual motive is not nearly as honourable. Another quote which proves this point is “I follow him to serve my turn upon him.’ Iago is suggesting his disobedience to Othello’s orders, and suggests that he will try get revenge by doing the same to Othello which Othello did to him. Iago tries to break Othello and Desdemona up because he believes Emilia was not loyal, and attempts to strip Othello of his position because Othello did not give Iago the position he felt he deserved. However, Iago manages to hide his deceptions and true emotions, even earning the epithet ‘Honest Iago.’ This dramatic irony contrasts with the trickery and and jealousy Iago utilises throughout the play, and the fact that he is in no way honest.

Another way Iago utilises deceptions through his manipulation of Othello into believes that Desdemona is cheating. Iago both uses implication and outright deception to convince Othello. In the quote ‘to be naked with her friend in bed,’ he demonstrates his deceit, and states that Desdemona was unloyal, while it is in fact himself that is actively working against Othello’s best interests. When called out for his deception, Iago says ‘I told him what I thought, and no more than what he found himself apt and true’ and this exemplifies Iago’s cunning and sly mind. He manages to completely convince Othello that Iago is the only reliable and honest person, and that Iago is the only person that Othello can rely on.

In conclusion, in the play ‘Othello,’ William Shakespeare portrays deception as a negative authority, and this is demonstrated by the deceit by Desdemona, Iago’s treachery and Iago’s negative influence.