When the play begins, the reader discovers that Othello and Desdemona have eloped. Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, does not approve of her marriage to Othello. Learning about the secret and unapproved marriage, he angrily declares that Desdemona “is abused, stol’n from me, and corrupted by spells…” In this outburst of passion, Shakespeare uses diction to subtly comment on the sorcerous power of love. Brabantio’s claim evokes negative connotations associated with witchcraft and black magic. Indeed it is commonplace to describe lovers as under one another’s spell. Under the influence of a spell, a lover loses all control over his or her behavior. Shakespeare observes that this characteristic of love exposes the lover to “corruption,” foreshadowing