Rhetorical Language In Othello

In Othello, the play by William Shakespeare, the story mainly follows the character of Othello under the influence of Iago’s manipulation tactics, alongside Desdemona’s reactions. Throughout the play, Iago persuades Othello into thinking Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio. Ultimately, Othello is convinced and he kills Desdemona before he realizes it was all false. In order to get to that point, Iago’s character excellently shows the power of rhetorical language by appealing to pathos, logos, and ethos to manipulate Othello into believing that Desdemona is betraying him.

Appealing to pathos, Iago plays on Othello’s emotions by planting images in his mind. Iago says to Othello, “One of this kind is Cassio. In sleep I heard him say ‘Sweet

Before giving Othello any information, Iago states, “As, I confess, it is in my nature’s plague To spy into abuses, and (-- removed HTML --) my jealousy” (III iii 172-173). This signifies how Iago reveals to Othello that he is uncertain rather than forcing the idea upon him. Iago casts doubt on himself to show Othello that he is being honest with him, therefore appearing more genuine with his words. When Othello asks Iago what he thinks of Cassio, Iago says, “I am not bound to (-- removed HTML --) Utter my thoughts? Why, say they are vile and false––” (III iii 158-160). Iago often uses hesitation to appear as if he is reluctant to give out information. In turn, this makes him seem all the more genuine when he eventually does tell Othello, since he portrays himself as someone who does not want to give out information unless he is sure it is based on truth. His apparent uncertainty makes Othello feel the need to drag the information out of him, rather than Iago excessively spilling information. As a result, Othello likely does not feel he is being persuaded or deceived. During the conversation with Othello, Iago says, “Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio; Wear your eyes thus, not jealous nor secure” (III iii 228-229). This reveals how Iago manipulates Othello into believing he is faithful and making himself appear less suspicious without outright accusing Desdemona. He is allowing Othello to observe the situation himself without making any biased assumptions, or at least he is presenting himself that way. If he were to fully blame Desdemona without any hesitation, his authenticity would be questionable. By appealing to ethos, Iago continuously builds his credibility to make his claims come across as more