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Allusions In Othello

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Essay that I did not finish….”I promise I knew this beforehand”!!! Just didn't have enough time to type it. I guess I just took too long on the quotes.. :(
Discuss the use of Biblical allusions throughout the play. Why does the author include Biblical allusions when he does and what purpose do they serve within the story?

In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, the playwright connects with his audience by using many different literary devices, but he specifically uses biblical allusions in a very clever way. By using these allusions in the play, Shakespeare adds a new level of depth to probably his most wicked villain, Iago. One of the most obvious biblical allusions in Othello is in one of Iago’s speeches when he says to Roderigo, “I am not what I am.” This is a direct allusion to God saying to Moses …show more content…

At the time this quote is said by Iago, Othello is having an emotional breakdown over his supposed cheating wife. At this moment, Iago is ecstatic at how well his evil plan is unfolding. This quote is important because it shows the audience that Iago is very clever, and has actually come up with a very well thought out plan that is slowly going as he wanted it to.

And on the matching handkerchief part……I left the last one blank because I was going to come ask you about it when I was finished with everything else. I was confused because I thought the handkerchief switched ownership 9 times and not 8. :(

= (1. The Witch. 2. Othello’ Mother. 3. Othello. 4. Desdemona. 5. Emilia. 6. Iago. 7. Cassio. 8. Bianca. 9. Cassio.)
- I guess I thought I needed to put nine because we did nine in class. You can see that I didn’t know what to do by the fact that I didn’t put anything in the selection box. I was just going to move on and come back and ask you once I had finished everything

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The protagonist of the play is ostracized from his own audience. The severity of the irony in this first assertion and in his sheer ignorance intensifies Iago’s betrayal and solidifies his position as an antagonist in this story. One way that Shakespeare uses his language to amplify the dramatic irony of the situation is by using the words “exceeding” and “all” in Othello’s assertion. These words exaggerate Othello’s confidence in Iago. It is almost as if in this first part of the soliloquy, Othello is still trying to convince himself that Iago’s suspicions could be an accurate reflection of reality.

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Rhetoric is an incredibly powerful tool capable of seducing even the most obdurate of people. As one of the most illustrious playwrights ever, Shakespeare was no stranger to the power of rhetoric. Rhetoric served as the fountainhead of Shakespearian allure. We watch the dramatic works of Shakespeare because we enjoy having our emotions manipulated; we enjoy the catharsis and self-reflection that accompanies a trip to the theater. Shakespeare truly was a master manipulator, but his manipulation was generally beneficial.

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In the play, Othello, by William Shakespeare, the use of different sorts of animal motifs are used to differentiate between characters on or off the screen and to show mood.. To reference Othello, the use of beasts or gross animals are used to show the prejudice and racism throughout the play. In the beginning when Iago and Roderigo are talking to Brabantio they exclaim, "Because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse" (I.i.123-125). He references Othello as a Barbary horse, immediately telling the audience who they are talking about without them even having to see them.

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The following passage is significant to the play ‘Othello’ in retrospect to the plot progression, as it reiterates themes and introduces important facets to the plot development. Through Iago’s cunning manipulation and Shakespeare’s crafting of language, this passage is constructed as a pivotal point of the play, marking the transition of Othello’s personality and revealing his deepest insecurities that eventually lead to his downfall and tragic ending. Iago wields a lot of power over all the characters throughout the play, but in this passage in particular he is presented at his most powerful. The passage is riddled with subtle suggestions and insinuations by Iago to raise Othello’s suspicions of his wife’s fidelity, opening with the admonition to “beware, my lord, of jealousy!

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This statement is directed towards Othello, and is significant for many reasons. This statement directly relates to how Iago is targeting Othello’s major weakness, which is jealousy. However, this quote also adds dramatic irony to the play because Iago’s major motive throughout the tragedy is his own jealousy of Cassio. This statement also foreshadows how jealousy will ultimately be the cause of the demise of many characters throughout the

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The Power of Words is important in the play Othello. Words are used to show power in Othello, words are also used to show what the personality of the characters are and that is used to show the reader what the characters are like and lastly, words are used to have a conversation with the audience. Through the words in the play the audience can understand the play and also the audience knows most of the time what is going to happen before the characters know what is happening. Language that is spoken can be seen as power. The words in the play, Othello, are very powerful; the words in the play are used to express the lies and the truths in the play.

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Throughout the play, he would often talk about Iago in the same manner as in Act 2, scene 2, “a man he is of honesty and trust”( II,ii. 323-324). Given that Othello trusted who he thought was his best friend, it was easier for Iago to bring Othello down. The root of Iago’s evil intentions is jealousy, which he describes to be like a “green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on” (III,iii. 196-197). He speaks of it in a way that captures how it affects man because that is what he was going through after Cassio got the lieutenancy.

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Iago plants the handkerchief in Cassio’s lodging, and has a conversation with Othello about Cassio, saying: IAGO Nay, but be wise: yet we see nothing done; She may be honest yet. Tell me but this, Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief Spotted with strawberries in your wife 's hand? OTHELLO I gave her such a one; 'twas my first gift. IAGO I know not that; but such a handkerchief-- I am sure it was your wife 's--did I to-day

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Iago is a unique and complicated character. He is intelligent in that he is able to manipulate people and events in his favour, which he thrives on throughout the play, classifying him as the antagonist of the play. Driven by jealousy and hatred, Iago plots against Othello to destroy his character and reputation. Knowing that if he foolishly attacked such a respected man directly, he would be sentenced to death. As a result, he devises to use other people to obtain what he desires by influencing the characters in the play to suit his plan.

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Another obvious example of the handkerchief is Iago’s major tool in deceiving Othello, which symbolic meaning is largely subverted. Boose further explains this, writing that Iago makes use of the token of love to create falsity as he first puts the object in an erotic context and transforms the motif of marital consummation into an evidence of adultery

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