Desdemona As Iago And Othello example essay topic

Shakespeare's Use of Opposites in Othello Contrast is a principle element in every form of art. Painters use cool colors to push warm ones forward, dark values to accentuate the lighted areas, and soft edges to give focus to the sharp edges. Writers use calm tempos to make the apex of their stories more powerful. In William Shakespeare's Othello (reprinted in Thomas R. Arp and Laurence Perrine, Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 6th ed.

[Fort Worth: Harcourt, 1993] 1060), Shakespeare uses opposites in character, plot, and language for similar purposes. Desdemona and Emilia serve as opposites to each other. Desdemona is a beautiful young Venetian woman. She has a very sheltered perspective of the world that leads her to fall in love with Othello's adventurous past. This sheltered view also extends to her perception of most women. In act four, Desdemona reveals her innocence and purity of thought.

In scene two of act four Othello wrongly accuses Desdemona of being a strumpet. Desdemona is so naive to the world that she doesn't even know what a strumpet is. She replies, "No, as I am a Christian", and goes on to insist that she will be saved (4.2. 83). She thinks Othello is referring to her religion instead of her chastity. In scene three of act four, Desdemona underscores her purity of thought in a question to Emilia.

She asks, "Dost thou in conscience think - tell me, Emilia - / that there be women do abuse their husbands / in such gross kind?" (4.3. 59-61). She believes all women to be as chaste as she is and doesn't think that it is even possible for a woman to do such a thing. Desdemona then asks Emilia, "Wouldn't thou do such a deed for all the world?" (4.3. 62). Desdemona thinks this is such a horrible act that only "the world" would be proper compensation.

This question gives Emilia the chance to reveal a principle difference between her and Desdemona. Emilia replies, "Why, would not you?" (4.3. 63). This conversation shows their misjudgment of each other. Emilia thinks her question is silly because she thinks that cheating on one's husband is something that any woman would do.

Emilia thought Desdemona shared her views and would do the same. Desdemona replies, "No, by this heavenly light!" (4.3. 64) Emilia then says that she would do such things by heavenly light either, but that she would definitely do it in secret. She goes on to say that she would cuckold her husband for his own benefit. Emilia is suggesting that she would do this for her own benefit though, because her notoriety would increase with her husband's if she could advance his rank.

Emilia's lighthearted view of infidelity juxtaposed with Desdemona's innocence and purity of thought gives the audience a saintly view of Desdemona. The structure of this contrast makes the play more interesting and suspenseful. The viewer knows that Othello means to do her harm for the pain she caused him by making a cuckold of him, but it seems impossible that any harm could befall such a character pure in heart as Desdemona. A smaller character foil can be found in the characters Iago and Roderigo. Roderigo's stupidity and his inclination to be easily led in mind and action compliment Iago's cleverness and ability to ensnare the minds and wills of others.

In the opening lines of the play, Roderigo tells us that Iago has "had my purse / as if the strings were thine" (1.1. 2-3). Roderigo's desperate plot to win the affection of Desdemona has blinded his concern for money. He loses all of his money by funding Iago's attempts to win Desdemona for him.

Iago displays his conscious plan at the end of act one saying, "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse" (1.3. 169). His manipulation of Roderigo shows that he is very capable of twisting another's will for his own benefit. Roderigo's character also compliments Iago in the respect that Roderigo wears his heart on his sleeve while Iago's motives are always hidden from the people he interacts with. Iago outwardly admits to this twice in the first act saying, "I must show out a flag and sign of love, / which indeed but a sign" (1.1. 155).

He also gives a summary of his character saying, "I am not what I am" (1.1. 65). This relationship establishes early on that Iago is anything but honest. In the same way that Iago said "I am not what I am", opposites in plot structure are situations that are not what they seem to be. Othello is full of plot antithesis from beginning to end. Shakespeare uses this plot device to increase the drama and suspense in his play, and to evoke a wide spectrum of emotions in his listeners.

The first sign of this device can be seen in act one when Desdemona marries Othello behind her father, Brabantio's back. Brabantio was deceived by his daughter, Desdemona, thinking she was so calm in nature that she "blushed at herself" (1.3. 96). Upon discovering their marriage, he delivers a line that echoes throughout the play: "Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters' minds / By what you see them act" (1.1. 67). This small use of plot antithesis foreshadows Iago's deceitful plans.

In scene three of act three, Iago turns a harmless situation into a soar in Othello's mind. Cassio is leaving the scene after taking with Desdemona as Iago and Othello enter the scene. Iago had instructed Cassio to ask Desdemona to speak to Othello on his behalf, yet he immediately insinuates that Cassio was wooing Othello's wife by suggesting that he had " [stolen] away so guilty-like" (3.3. 40). This is the first seed of jealousy that Iago plants in Othello's mind.

At the beginning of act four Iago sets another jealousy trap for Othello. He tells Othello to hide himself and listen to Cassio confess his affair with Desdemona. In truth, the conversation he overhears is about Cassio's relationship to Bianca. Iago knows that Cassio "cannot refrain from excess laughter" when he speaks about Bianca, and he uses this to mold Othello's jealous thoughts (4.1. 96-97). Othello eavesdrops on the conversation and interprets it as solid evidence that his wife is having an affair.

The audience knows that he is misinterpreting the conversation, and as they watch the event unfold they are made to feel like direct witnesses to Iago's scheme. The impact of experiencing Iago's knavery first hand, after he explains to the audience how he plans to ensnare his victims, makes the audience feel like they too are Iago's victims, being "led by the nose as asses are" (1.3. 377). The handkerchief ordeal is another use of opposites in the play. Desdemona thinks she has lost her handkerchief and Othello thinks that she has given it to Cassio. In truth, Iago had his wife steal it so that he could use it to weave his web of deception.

Shakespeare also uses opposites in language, through oxymoron, in this play. These combinations of contradictory or incongruous words linger in the listener's ear, and cause them to contemplate the circumstances further. Two oxy morns exist in this play. Both of which, are spoken by Othello.

In scene two of act five Othello murders his wife in their bed. Doing this he says: What noise is this? Not dead? Not yet quite dead?

I that am cruel am yet merciful, I would not have thee linger in thy pain. (5.2. 85-86) To the immediate circumstances he is saying that he doesn't want to cause her pain in her death, and he aims to end her life quickly. But further examination leads to Othello's truth motives in this murder. By killing Desdemona now, he insures that she has a place in heaven. He still loves her very much at this point, and shows mercy to her soul by allowing her to confess her sins in prayer before she dies. Shakespeare's use of this oxymoron is a very efficient way of describing the complexities of this murder.

Shakespeare uses another oxymoron as Othello confesses the murder to Lodovico. Othello tells Lodovico that he is "an honorable murderer, if you will. / For naught did [he] in hate, but all in honor" (5.2. 293-294).

The extreme opposition of the terms, honorable and murderer force the audience to reconsider their judgment of Othello. In Shakespeare's time it was considered lawful to kill ones wife if she made a cuckold of her husband. Othello is tells Lodovico that his deeds were honorable by law, and he tells the audience that his actions are justified by his wife's abuse. Shakespeare's usage of opposites in language, bind seamlessly with the opposites in characters and plot structure. The contrast of these opposites gives the viewer a point of reference from which to judge the individual parts. Together, they intensify the drama of the play and involve the audience mentally and emotionally..