William Shakespeare 's Othello - Power Of Words

“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thoughts” Author George Orwell said this in 1984, justifying the idea of how words can be used for deception and planting untrue thoughts in peoples minds. Identically, the play Othello uses this similar power in language with the antagonist Iago, who uses speech to poison the minds of his enemies, and shape the inevitable and fatal outcome for all concerned. By many techniques and devices, Iago is able to deceive and manipulate himself and every other character in the play which in turn develops each character and determines their fate.

Othello trusts Iago and now Iago is trying to take his wife from him for someone else. Furthermore, “He takes her by the palm...sir in.” (pg. 71). Iago watches Cassio and Emilia because he thinks they had an affair he watches them carefully so he can figure out how to convince Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. Another example involves the plan to help Othello kill Desdemona. “Do it not with poison. Strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated” (pg. 185). Othello believes that Iago is most honest, thus he believed killing his wife Desdemona was the right thing to do. Iago brainwashed Othello into believing the wrong thing was the right thing. The characterization of Iago is created by the use of dramatic irony. The audience knew how devious Iago is, but the characters fell for his mischievous acts.

   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

In Shakespeare’s Othello, the lack of a narrator, empowers the words spoken by the characters to such an extent that it directs the drama to the desired destination of the play. This essay will serve as proof as the power of words will be discussed by, firstly, explaining the effect that words, and the lack thereof, have on characters and ultimately on the plot. Thereafter, the use of certain words to form perceived impressions of characters will be argued. Lastly, an elaboration on how words are used to involve the audience in the play.

Good morning/afternoon year eleven. Today, I will be speaking about how the power of language is explored in Shakespeare’s “Othello” through the complex characters and their speeches throughout the play. Othello and Iago, the protagonist and antagonist, both have moments in which they use language to speak directly to the audience. They convince us to feel or think a certain way, despite the underlying truth in their speech. Iago’s speech in Act 1, Scene 1, Line 42, detailing his feelings towards Othello, and Othello’s speech at the beginning of Act 5, Scene 2, prior to murdering his wife Desdemona, both use language to convey a manipulated truth and intent. These speeches inflict emotions onto the audience, as though we are being spoken to and tricked just as the characters in the play are.

Iago’s indignation arises from knowing that someone with no experience received the position. The bitterness is left unchecked and quickly turns into hate. Instead of going to Othello, he whined and pined over it and eventually he says, “...I hate the Moor” (1.3.369). His hatred toward Othello drives him to become deceptive and manipulative. Iago advises Cassio: “confess yourself freely to her; importune her to help you put you in your place again” (2.3.282-284). Although this seems to be sound advice, Iago plans to deceive Othello by leading him to believe that Cassio and Desdemona are in love. In an aside, Iago says, “I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear, / ...So I will turn her virtue into pitch, / And out of her own goodness make the net / That shall enmesh them all” (2.3.316,320-322). Through deception Iago aspires to bring Othello and Cassio to their knees and achieve the position he so desired. With the first step of his plan complete, Iago now has to manipulate Othello into action. In an aside Iago sneers, “O, you are well tuned now! / But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music” (2.1.194-195). Essentially, Iago is going to manipulate Othello in such a way that Othello becomes a puppet acting based on Iago’s wishes. In Iago’s ideal world, he will make Othello love him more and hate Cassio:

In spite of the fact that Othello is brave and courageous, he still seems to show qualities of a malleable person. Othello is extremely easy to persuade and manipulate. Even though he tries to fight against the manipulation it still seems to gravitate towards him. When Iago told Othello the “truth” about Cassio and Desdemona,

People can perceive the words rightness and corrupt in different ways. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, Othello is manipulated by Iago which leads to Othello's tragic downfall. Using his words, Iago manipulates Othello causing the failure of his friendship with Cassio. Iago’s use of speech is the reasoning behind Othello’s jealousy and the unfortunate outcome of his marriage. Language is the form of manipulation that is the most significant in Othello’s downfall.

Othello’s character throughout the play demonstrates a skill and confidence in the art of language. From the beginning we see long, eloquent speeches that dazzle his audience – eloquently mixing complex words that help portray him as not only a strong warrior but also a fighter with a sound mind. However when Iago pressures him about the possible relationship between his wife Desdemona and Cassio, Othello’s passion for his beloved wife breaks down his self-control. In the next few pages I will demonstrate how Othello’s speech during the beginning of the play helps to strengthen his character, and by his death, he’s but a stuttering empty shell of a man. In addition, we’ll compare the language of the moor

In Poetics, Aristotle explains tragedy as “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude […] through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions.” Aristotle notes that a perfect tragedy must include the downfall of the prominent protagonist as a result of his own tragic flaw, a complex plot, and the use of catharsis. William Shakespeare’s Othello, concerns the downfall of a noble, but greatly flawed, black general in the Venetian army. Through the various elements present in the play, and in accordance with the criteria discussed in Poetics, it is evident that Othello is an excellent example of a tragedy.

William Shakespeare used various tactics of manipulation in his works such as in Julius Caesar and Othello. In Julius Caesar, one of the ways it's used is when Decius influences Caesar enough that his wife’s dreams have been “all amiss interpreted”, which eventually convinces Caesar to attend the senate where he’s later murdered (Julius Caesar 1.1.83; Albarran) Jealousy in the play Othello is a major driving force for the plot, but the use of manipulation is arguably the biggest theme that sets up the plot between all of the characters in the play. Manipulation and trust play a huge role especially in Iago as the trust between him and other characters trust forms a manipulative reputation that he builds. Shakespeare may have titled this play of a certain character, but this can be argued that this is Othello’s story but Iago’s play and that he actually the most important protagonist in the play. In the end, the story will ultimately showcases Othello’s downfall, but the main plots and themes are started and used to focus on Iago’s actions.

Power is commonly used to show one’s strengths and capabilities over others. As Kathryn Schulz would state based off of her work “Sight Unseen,” the powerful utilize scrutiny as a weapon to exert power, “punishing the powerless for any deviation.” This is especially present in societal standards. Those who own a company brand are to have more power over their employed workers. Being able to make company decisions and decide who to promote and demote for the better of the company grants power to the owners. The usage of power is as well present politically. Positions in the government are unique in its own ways and each position has its advantages and disadvantages in authority over others. Historically, power has transitioned through many eras of time. Well-known historical poet and playwright, Shakespeare displays the presence of power in his work of Othello wielded by his mastermind of a character, Iago.

uses his reputation to exploit and control the actions of others throughout the play. There is no better example of this than on pages 37 through 38, during one of Iago’s many soliloquies. No one can call Iago a villain, since his advice is, “free...and honest” (Oth.2.3.246). In truth, the advice Iago gives Cassio is good; Desdemona’s nature is full of passion, and she genuinely cares for those close to her husband. She knows that Cassio’s firing was a matter of politics, and that Othello misses his lieutenant. By Cassio approaching Desdemona to pled his case, she will help him. Othello’s tragic flaw is his wife after all, for her Othello would even, “renounce his baptism,” since he is, “enfettered to her love” (Oth.2.3.252-254). All of this will indeed help Cassio, but plays into Iago’s true intent to make Othello perceive Desdemona’s kindness to Cassio as unfaithfulness in in their marriage. But still, for even if Iago had Cassio’s best intention at heart, this is the advice he would have given him, based on his knowledge of his general. Though Iago does give good and honest advice in this situation, he

Iago’s relationship with Othello becomes a power struggle where Iago attempts to degrade Desdemona in order to position himself so he can ‘poison’ Othello. Here Shakespeare is showing how powerful and manipulative Iago can be with his use of words, and how powerful they can be. This power struggles is exemplified

Shakespeare’s Play Othello is one of the more notable plays produced during his playwright tenure, the play starts off with Othello who is a moor but the general of the Venetian Army. In this particular play Shakespeare placed several different themes throughout the play but two of the main themes were Love and Race. Othello is strong, confident man he is the head of one the most prestigious armies in all Europe. But with all that success Othello had envious people watching gain all this success, one of the people’s name is Iago who. The straw that finally broke the camel’s back is when Othello eloped with the beautiful Desdemona daughter of Venetian senator Brabantio. She disappoints her father by having wed the moor Othello and he disowns her for having done such a deed. Brabantio even said to Othello that Desdemona would betray him just like she betrayed her father.