![]() ![]() But Desdemona pushes back the female role in society by defying her father and marrying Othello. Emilia married Iago and stayed dutiful to him by not questioning his unwillingness to say why he wanted the handkerchief as he says “Why, what is that to you?” (3.3.313), and Desdemona was a faithful wife to Othello. In terms of gender role, women at the time were expected to marry a man of their fathers’ choosing and to stay dutiful to their husbands. The loss of pride causes the jealousy seen throughout the play: Iago’s loss of the promotion, Iago’s loss of faith in his wife, and Othello’s loss of faith in his wife. But here’s my husband” (1.3.184) shows that Desdemona, as well as most women at the time, took pride in love and honor instead. Men’s pride is very materialistic and heroic, meaning that we can see, from quotes such as “That handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee” (5.2.48), Othello’s jealousy and hurt over a handkerchief, an object more materialistic, while “I am hitherto your daughter. ![]() ![]() While pride is an obvious theme, since it does cause jealousy, gender and race come up as separate, subtle themes. The most tragic moment of the play truly is when Othello realizes that he let his jealousy get the best of him. Cold, cold, my girls, / Even like thy chastity. After realizing what he has done, he stands in front of dead Desdemona and expresses regret by saying “This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, / and fiends will snatch at it. This jealousy, which does get to Othello, pushes him to kill Desdemona, the love of his life. Iago himself is consumed with jealousy and decides to make Othello jealous by making him believe that Desdemona is sleeping with Cassio. Iago is not sure whether this rumor is true, but will ruin Othello’s life anyway, just to make sure. Iago is also jealous of Othello because “it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt sheets/ … I know not if ‘t be true, / But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, / Will do as if for surety” (1.3.365-368) and that Iago “suspect the lust Moor/ Hath leaped into seat” (2.1.278-279), meaning that there are rumors of Othello having an affair with Emilia, Iago’s wife. The plot begins with Iago’s jealousy of Cassio, as seen in “I know my price, I am worth no worse a place…/ And what was he? / Forsooth, a great arithmetician, / One Michael Cassio, a Florentine/ … But he, sir, had the election/…He, in good time, must his lieutenant be” (1.1.10-30), because Cassio was chosen as military lieutenant, rather than Iago. Iago’s lies and manipulation fuel Othello’s jealousy, which eventually lead to death and regret. “The Moor is of a free and open nature,/ That thinks men honest that but seem to be so,/ and will as tenderly be led by th’ nose/ As asses are” (1.3.377-380) shows Iago’s intentions to lie to Othello to manipulate him. Iago employs miscommunication and dishonesty for his own benefit. The miscommunication can be seen between Emilia and Iago with the handkerchief when Emilia says “What will you do with it, that you have been so earnest/ To have me fitch it?” (3.3.311-312) and Iago refuses to answer. There is also a lot of miscommunication, meaning misconstrued or only semi-true content, throughout the play, which contributes to the unfolding of events. “My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago” (5.2.149) portrays that Othello believes Iago’s lies and can easily be manipulated, which Iago uses to make him believe that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him. Iago is often called “honest Iago” (1.3.293), which contrasts with his true personality and emphasizes his dishonesty to the audience. We can see when Iago says “O wretched fool/ That lov’st to make thine honest a vice! /…To be direct and honest is not safe!” (3.3.372-375) that he thinks of honesty as a harmful and foolish quality to have. By using a mix of dishonesty and miscommunication, Shakespeare sets up a tragic chain of events without those two main themes, there simply would not be a play. ![]()
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