Othello

Othello

In this speech, Othello lets his mind take over all his self control. A usual cool tempered person Othello is inflicted with rage about the possibility of his wife sleeping with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago has the ability to cloud the head of Othello with lies about the Desdemona and Cassio causing suffering and tragedy. A tragedy is a serious action or event that always turns out the worst way possible. Iago has setup Othello just enough for Othello to create his own disaster.

The literary devises that William Shakespeare uses in this play help us understand the many themes and symbols in the play. Alliteration is the repetition of the same starting letter to help the line have a smooth sound and good flow. In this play, it isn't as used as much as some of the recent plays that we have read, but it can still be found. All the minor fights between Desdemona and Othello start a pattern that foreshadows the tragic ending of this story. "Tis destiny unshunnable, like death" (275). Foreshadowing are sometimes symbols or signs that usually predict events or overcomes in the story. The most prominent symbol is this play includes the image of the handkerchief. The handkerchief shows the love of Othello for Desdemona. Since she dropped and lost the handkerchief she no longer can understand the pain that Othello is enduring. The stress that Othello goes through because of the handkerchief tells of the faith and commitment of Desdemona. These literary devices help us interpret the play as it is meant to be understood.

Several lines in this speech suggest that Othello starts to blame himself. One in which is "Haply, for I am black/ And have not those soft parts of conversation/ That chamberers have, or for I am declined/ Into the vale of years" (263 - 266). He thinks because he is of a different color that his wife is no longer in love with him. This bring into the subject of interracial marriage. To this day many oppose the marriage of blacks and whites. Not knowing what to think at this point in the play, Othello conjure ups the idea that the being blacks has caused his wife, Desdemona, to cheat on him with a younger, fit soldier. Not knowing that this is false he asks his wife many times if this is true. Every time she denounces these false accusations, but still he does not believe her. This shows that how much Iago has corrupted his mind.

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