The Word Deceive In Othello

The word deceive is very significant in the play Othello by William Shakespeare. According to the Oxford English Dictionary deceive means, “to ensnare; to take unawares by craft or guile; to overcome, overreach, or get the better of by trickery; to beguile or betray into mischief or sin; to mislead”. The first way the word deceive is used in the play is by characters believing and exploiting the worst in Desdemona. She deceived her father when she married Othello but the other characters use that fact to try and convince Othello she is not as she appears to be. Iago is actually the true character that deceives everyone in the play. He deceives Othello into believing the worst of Desdemona and deceives Cassio into drinking too much alcohol when he is supposed to be working. The significance of the word deceive is that it is used to describe the people undeserving of that character trait while actually describing the other characters around them To begin, it is Desdemona that other characters try to convince Othello who is deceiving. To start

Brabantio and Iago both warn Othello that Desdemona’s act of love what something else entirely. Brabantio warns Othello by voicing, “Look to her, Moor, if thou has eyes to see:/She has deceiv’d her father, and may thee” (1.3.289-290). Iago tells Othello a similar message but the meaning behind is is very different, “She did deceive her father, marring you” (3.3.204). While Brabantio is actually warning Othello Iago is actually the one deceiving Othello. Iago knows the true motivation for Desdemona’s actions but successfully manipulates Othello into believing that Desdemona is deceiving him by having an affair with Cassio. Therefore, the word deceive is significant to the play because the one who is believed to be deceiving is actually a victim of the one that is being