Theme of Deception in Othello

DESDEMONA

• ^^Desdemona^^ → deceives her father (Brabantio) by hiding her relationship with Othello

→ ^^Brabantio^^ “O, she deceives me Past thought.”

→ She loves her father + 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

• Desdemona 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 lot 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 <3 Desdemona^^ (motivation)
• Iago pretends to be loyal to Othello “a sign of love” = appearance vs. reality (see Iago’s first soliloquy)
• 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 a lie, an odious damned lie: upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie!

→ Iago’s defence - I told him what I thought, and no more than what he found himself was apt + true” = he planted the seed, Othello interpreted what he saw as proof

• Othello is affected by Iago’s deception

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

→ wants proof

• Dramatic Irony = a dramatic technique

→ audience knows Iago’s true motives

• Language technique - epithet

→ “honest Iago” = other characters think he is honest

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