How Is Language Used In Othello

The ability of passion to bring destruction upon the lives of the unsuspecting is illustrated in Shakespeare’s Othello with the use of both manipulation and deceit. The curse of fierce passion fell namely on Othello as he transitioned from a respected general to an unstable murderer. His downfall is demonstrated through his increasing self-doubt, lack of ability to articulate, and violence. In the start of the play, he is an accomplished general and happy newlywed, and has yet to be significantly held back due to his being a Moor and outsider in Venetian society. As passion overtakes him, however, Othello truly ingrains the idea that he is less than, and those around him begin to blame his actions on the nature of his ethnicity. He has completely lost his identity to his desires and is unable to think rationally. Shakespeare juxtaposes this version of Othello with his initial composed self in Venice to demonstrate the damage of ignorance to logic and heighten the sense of tragedy. The effects of an overwhelming passion involving love, jealousy, and revenge are shown through Othello’s degradation and loss of stability.

To start, Iago uses rhetorical questions favorably to cause Othello to question Desdemona’s love for him. When Othello finishes with “…Than answer my waked wrath!” Iago comes back with

   In Othello, Shakespeare explores the relationship between words and events. Spoken thought, in the play, has all the power of action; speaking about an event will make that event become reality for those who hear - it will affect reality as if that event had taken place. Shakespeare demonstrates the power of words poignantly through Othello's monologues. Othello struggles with the reality that Iago creates for him. When Othello speaks, he reveals that he is unable to stop himself from carrying out acts that Iago's and his own words have prophesied and initiated. Othello's monologues further demonstrate that even the knowledge of the power of words cannot protect the characters from the

Shakespeare was very specific, in 1603, about his choice of words when he wrote the play, “Othello”. The three language devices – “words as power”, “words as character” and “words as conversation” with the audience – are used to create characters’ identities and fates, and also to drive the plot of the play (Krieger, 2012).

The basis of Othello is that words play a crucial role in the downfall of the character Othello. The audience is left to interpret Shakespeare’s language. This is what gives the play its beauty. In ‘O’ the power of words is lacking, and the director has created a film which involves the audience not being left to interpret the film for themselves. This immediately destroys the beauty and literary value of the play. In the play Iago only has to say one word and Othello makes grand presumptions completely unrelated to the that sole word. For example when Iago says ‘Lie’ to Othello, Othello replies with ‘Lie with her? Lie on her?’. Iago knows that ‘lie’ has two meanings and knows that Othello will instantly relate it to Desdemona’s affair. However, in the film there is no evidence on power and manipulation of words, which causes the film to look bad compared with Shakespeare’s version.

It is essentially the summation of the characters’ predisposition to accept Iago’s distortion of the truth that leads to Othello’s downfall. Iago’s manipulation of Othello, who he recognises as being “of a free and open nature” in his descriptive soliloquy, is enhanced by the direct juxtaposition between Iago’s duplicitous nature and Othello’s complete honesty. In order to prompt Othello’s downfall, Iago exploits Desdemona’s unwavering innocence to turn her “virtue into pitch”, where the racial imagery accentuates Iago’s deceptiveness, thus foreshadowing Othello’s downfall. Iago’s acknowledgment of his immoral intents heightens the sense of dramatic irony created as he sets “down the pegs that make this music”, which metaphorically reinforces

However, by the formal introduction of the rumoured moor in Act 1 Scene 2 and his monologue in Scene 3, our previous doubts of Othello’s character diminish. The magnificence of Othello shines through through his behaviour and rhetoric, becoming a juxtaposing image of a ‘Valiant Othello’ both the Duke and senators speak of. “Rude am i in my speech” proves Othello’s confidence and elegance in his language. The use of the rhythmic Iambic Pentameter within his monologue suggests a well thought out and educated response from Othello, Shakespeare decides to gift his character with eloquent and virtuous speech in order to highlight his composure as a hero and admirable character. His measured language is a sign of his confidence, self-discipline and virtue, thus agreeing to his admirability of being the tragic hero.

There are many instances where Othello is respected for his position within the Venetian military, but is often spoken about negatively behind his back. This is most apparent through the conflict of the play involving Iago and Othello. Iago goes about telling lies about Othello as a result of his frustration from not being promoted. He goes along spreading false news that Desdemona is being unfaithful and keeping things from Othello. While Othello slowly falls into a spiral of rage and jealousy from these lies. Iago slowly turns Othello from the noble Moor into the jealous beast that the Elizabethans would be afraid of. One can infer that the white man, Iago is believed because much of the other society is white as well. However, when Othello makes his plea and searches for truth, no one hears him because he is a Moor, which ultimately leads to his downfall. Even in the earlier parts of the play, Iago berates Othello by calling him an old black ram bewitch a white ewe (Desdemona). The dichotomy between black and white is apparent here and Othello’s military ranking does not allow him to evade this racial remark. His color is more recognizable than his rank and that does not save him from the prejudices of Iago and the rest of the other characters aside from Desdemona. In further instances, Iago tells Brabantio that Othello is like a barbary horse that will corrupt his pure daughter. Iago says

Words embody power, giving people enough credibility to destroy or uplift others. In Othello, words are the prime weapon used to destroy Othello and his future. Iago refers to Othello as “Such a thing as thou…,” “knee-crooking knave,” and “abuser of the world” (Shakespeare I.ii.57, I.i.22, I.ii.62). Iago uses these words against Othello, even though he is simply Othello’s advisor, to create a power over him. Iago manipulates people and situations with words, destroying them in the process. Iago uses his words to make people feel a certain way. Iago tells Othello, “I see this hath a little dash’d your spirits…In faith, I fear it has . . . But I do see you’re moved. (III.ii. 166ff). Iago wants bad news

(I.ii.70) of Othello, and Iago plays the part of honest and loyal friend, but secretly despises Othello and crafts an intricate and devious plot for his ruin. The various opinions of Othello in the beginning of the play show that despite the fact that he can hold a position of power in Venetian society, it is nearly impossible for him to obtain universal respect from the people who will never accept his exotic appearance and heritage.

The language and literary techniques used in William Shakespeare's Othello enrich the settings, plot, characters, and themes. Othello is a complex tragedy about good versus evil, loyalty, love, sexual jealousy, appearance versus reality, and intrigue, told in a first person point of view. The play takes place during the Renaissance in Venice, Italy and in Cyprus over three days. It is written in blank verse, usually unrhymed iambic pentameter. The protagonist, Othello, is a Moor well respected by senators for his valiant service in war and married to Desdemona, a Venetian woman. The play is entitled Othello and the plot and action encompass him, thus supporting his position of

   The Shakespearean tragedy Othello contains a number of themes; their relative importance and priority is debated by literary critics. In this essay let us examine the various themes and determine which are dominant and which subordinate.

One of the major components in Othello, that Shakespeare incorporated throughout the play, is relationships. These relationships are driven by different motivations and give each individual something unique. Each character contributes disparate factors to their relationships and change from scenario to scenario. The presentation of different relationships in Othello represents many of the underlying motifs of the play.

Othello is one of the greatest plays due to its variety of character and themes. The immorality seen in Iago, the gullibility in Othello, and the desperation of Desdemona make the story. The theme of social status plays a huge role in the story. In addition, the theme of appearance versus reality also plays a huge role in how each tragedy happens. In the critical essay “Othello” it discusses the idea that the characters are cast as outsiders due to false interpretation of what is happening or what is being said. On the other hand, the piece “Othello Character Analysis” emphasizes how characterization reflects the greatness of the piece.

captured the hearts of men and women with his tragedies. His plays explore human existence and raise questions about what it means to be human; allowing the audience to relate to his characters despite the era in which the play was produced. Good morning students, today I am going to discuss what role the human condition plays in the plot of Shakespeare’s play, Othello.