Iago's Use Of Poison In Othello

Carol Bao

Literary Genres

Mr.Fisher

2/21/17

Poisonous idea, jealousy, death in Othello by William Shakespeare

It is not scary to have an idea, but it is scary when you are totally controlled by an idea. In Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago gets the idea in his head, which poisons his mind and leads to his jealousy, eventually cause the death of Roderigo, Desdemona and Othello. Poison is used to damage or kill something. Shakespeare uses poison in Otello to show the reader the progress of the destruction done by Iago’s words and actions.

In the beginning of the play, when Iago talks to Roderigo, he explains that he is jealous of Othello, the Moor, gets a higher position than him and choose Cassio as his lieutenant rather than him. Again

In Act 3 Scene 3, Othello first time uses the word poison, which proves that now he is thinking exactly what Iago wants him to think. Othello says “I think my wife be honest and think she is not; I think that thou art just and think thou art not. I'll have some proof. Her name, that was as fresh As Dian's visage, is now begrimed and black As mine own face. If there be cords, or knives, Poison, or fire, or suffocating streams, I'll not endure it. ”(3.3.440-445) He already thinks Desdemona betrays him but he still does not want to believe that so he asks Iago for proof. The poison here refers to death, he wants to kill Desdemona since she has sex with Cassio. This is also the first time Othello talk about his skin color. He says Desdemona is evil, and she is as evil as his black skin. Othello definitely does not think because he is a Moor so he is evil, but since the whole society thinks like that, he gets affected by it. This is only one of the reason why he can believe Iago’s word so quick without seeing the proof. He feels insecure in his marriage because their skin color plus many people around him don’t believe Desdemona truly loves him. He becomes so sensitive about a little thing that links to Desdemona and another

He is controlled by his jealous and the only thing in his mind now is use poison to kill Desdemona. Poison as a tool of death is mentioned again here,“Get me some poison, Iago; this night: I'll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unprovide my mind again: this night, Iago.” (4.1.223-225) Iago responses “Do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.” (4.1.226-227) This conversation here is really interesting because Othello says he wants to poison Desdemona but Iago refuses it. It is also ironic because Iago is the person who uses poison all long in the play. Although the real poison did not kill Othello and Desdemona, but they are already killed by Iago’s poisonous tongue. The last time poison appear on the play is not used by Othello or Iago, but Lodovico. He says “O Spartan dog, More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea! Look on the tragic loading of this bed: This is thy work. The object poisons sight, Let it be hid.”(5.2.424-428), these are the last lines of the play. Lodovico uses poison here to describe the terrible scene in the bedroom: surrounded by the dead body. Iago’s plan is done, all the jealousy leads to the total