Othello Figurative Language Analysis

Shakespeare 's Othello centers around the power of jealousy and how it can end up causing the death of a couple and some of those around them. Othello seems to grow incredibly jealous of his wife, Desdemona, and his lieutenant, Cassio’s fake affair that Iago, the villain, has convinced Othello of. As an act of jealousy, Othello decides to kill Desdemona to prevent her from hurting more men and then after realizing everything was part of Iago’s plan he kills himself due to the guilt he feels after having killed his wife. Shakespeare’s use of figurative language and symbolism in act 5 scene 2 reveals how even though Othello truly loves Desdemona, his jealousy for what he believes she has done has completely clouded his judgment and taken over

He seems to have his mind made up and determined to kill her, however, he still cannot say out loud. “It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,-- / let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!-- / it is the cause” (5, 2, 1-3). By repeating the words “it is the cause” Othello seems to be convincing himself that killing Desdemona is the right thing to do, he is unable to say that he is going to kill her out loud because he still really cares about her and loves her, however, he feels the need to kill her because his jealousy for her fake affair has overpowered those feelings. As he approaches his wife, he puts out the candle he is holding and gets ready to kill her. “Put out the light, and then put out the light” (5, 2, 7). Saying he is going to put out the light is a metaphor for killing her. By putting out the light of the candle he prepares himself to put out Desdemona’s light with it, that is he prepares himself to kill her. Othello spends a lot of time trying to justify his actions and provide excuses as to why he is doing what he is doing. “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” (5, 2, 6). By trying to provide justification for his actions he removes some of the guilt he feels and even though he still loves her even after believing she is being unfaithful, he does not want her to hurt more men. Through the use of figurative languages

Othello does not want to physically harm Desdemona because he think she is beautiful and does not want her skin to be flawed so he will kill her in a way that will not be make any damage to her body. “Yet I’ll not shed her blood; / Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow” (5, 2, 3-4). By Othello not wanting to harm her body Shakespeare symbolizes their love as he loves her but fails to trust her and learn the truth of Iago’s plans. Othello mentions that once roses are plucked they can no longer grow again and need to wither because that is how nature works. “When I have pluck’d the rose, I cannot give it vital growth again. It must needs wither” (5, 2, 13-15). Othello is comparing killing Desdemona to plucking a rose, since after plucking a rose there is no way it can grow or live again, just like there would be no turning back after smothering Desdemona, so in a way the rose is Desdemona. After making up his mind about killing Desdemona and justifying his behavior to the point Othello truly believes that killing her is rational, he comes to the realization that even dead he will always love her. “Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, / and love thee after.” (5, 2, 18-19). Othello believes that once he kills her his love for her will not die but by killing her she will not be able to hurt anyone anymore. This is also Othello justifying his actions as