Deception In William Shakespeare's Othello

“Be not deceived with the first appearance of things, for show is not substance.” This proverb would’ve been crucial if Othello had heard this before he killed his wife, Desdemona. Although there were supposed signs that she was being unfaithful to him, it would’ve done him better to actively look into the situation first. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, deception is used to distort Othello’s perception of Desdemona from being a faithful wife to a shameless whore. But how did such a malicious image lead to such a tragic end?

The object at the center of Desdemona’s supposed unfaithfulness was the handkerchief. The white handkerchief with strawberry patterns woven into it was the first gift that Othello gave Desdemona, and it became a symbol

All she’s done with Cassio is talk to him to see if she can get Othello to reinstate him after he was demoted, because he came up to her and asked if she could help him win back favor with him. She knew that Othello and Cassio were very close friends, so she was just trying to do him a favor. She tells Iago that nothing in the whole world would make her cheat on her husband, and she doesn’t even want to say the word that Othello called her, as seen in Act four, Scene 2: “Good friend, go to him, for I swear by the sun in the heavens that I don’t know how I lost him. I swear on my knees that I never did anything either in my thoughts or actions to betray his love. Neither my eyes, my ears, or any of my senses have ever taken pleasure in anyone else. (...) I cannot even say the word “whore”. It revolts me to even speak the word. Nothing in the entire world could make me to that which would earn me the name.” Sadly, Othello doesn’t hear those words in time, and kills her for betraying him before he realizes the truth. However, she is also too passive-aggressive. She never once directly asked Iago and/or Cassio what was going on with Othello, so she’s also caught in the web of lies and

He’s seen by everyone as an honest and loyal friend, but it’s just a facade to hide the truth that he’s really evil and a cunning devil. Iago started the rumor that Desdemona was cheating on Othello with Cassio, and he’s also the one who orchestrated the events leading up to the murder of Desdemona. He convinced his friend Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman, to become a part of his plan by telling him he’d be able to help him hook up with Desdemona (Roderigo had a crush on Desdemona before she married Othello). Roderigo caused the commotion that started the brawl, then later tried to kill Cassio to cover for Iago (because Iago was ordered by Othello to kill Cassio once he had proof of the affair), but he ended up getting killed by Iago in the process. This happened because Iago thought Roderigo would betray him since he was beginning realize that he was only using him for his own purposes. Iago—knowing that Cassio can become extremely violent when drunk—gets him drunk enough to seriously harm Montano, causing his demotion. He then tells him to go to Desdemona and appeal his case to her so she can get Othello to reinstate him, and uses that as the starting base for the rumor that ruined Othello and Desdemona’s marriage and ended their lives. He uses his cleverness and good reputation to get away with horrible