Othello, animal behavior is used a lot throughout the story. The characters often compare other people’s action or their actions with the similarities of animals. The use of this language causes some major problems. Characters lose their faith in innocent people, become uncontrolled and have no ability to judge, which bring up the themes. Shakespeare uses animal imagery on the characters to show anger, jealousy and persuasion throughout the play. Iago is the person that uses the most animal imagery. He uses it in the dirtiest way to make people angry and achieve his goal.
In the beginning of the play, he needs Roderigo’s help to take down Cassio, so he does him a favor to make him on his side. They wake Brabantio up and Iago says “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe. ” (I. i, 89-90) and this shocking news makes him furious. Iago did not stop talking, he keeps on yelling to Brabantio ‘’you’ll have your daughter / covered with a Barbary horse, you’ll have your nephews / neigh to you, you’ll have coursers for cousins, and / jennets for germans” (I. i, 111-114), and even more ‘’that comes to tell you your daughter and / the Moor are making the beast with two backs Iago makes Brabantio think of these sick pictures with his words and make him want to kill Othello.
The Essay on Othello Iago Brabantio Pure
Different people have different opinions of the motives of Iago, in the play "Othello," by one William Shakespeare. Colerige famously said that Iago acted with a "motiveless malignity," or a pure hate of Othello and everything that he did. Others have disagreed with the author of perhaps the most famous critical analysis of Othello. They have suggested that he acted out of pure sexual jealousy, ...
The language used here are very racist, the audience can tell right away that Iago is referring to the Othello even though he have not show up in the play yet. Almost at the end of the play, Roderigo yells ‘’O inhuman dog! ’’ (V. i, 62).
He is the first person that sees Iago’s tricks when Iago stabs him, but because of his quick death he did not have time to warn other people. Lodovico also said ‘’O Spartan dog’’ to Iago at the end after all the people die and everyone found out the dirty truth. Both Roderigo and Lodovico describe Iago as a dog. Dogs are one of humans’ favorite pets. They are somehow closest to human life, so it is not surprising that Shakespeare’s chose to use the word ‘’dog’’ in any of his plays. The more important part is that Shakespeare did not just use ‘‘dog’’; he also added adjectives in front to describe Iago. Jealousy is one of the most important themes of this play. Iago takes advantage of natural human jealousy to set up his scheme.
After he triggers Othello’s jealousy, he keeps on telling him that ‘’It is impossible you should see this, / Were they as prime a goats, as hot as monkeys, / As salt as wolves in pride, and fools as gross / As ignorance made drunk. ’’ (III. iii, 403-406) Slowly, Othello becomes uncontrolled by his emotions in front of people. After a few acts when Lodovico came to deliver the mail, Othello said ‘‘you are welcome, sir, to Cyprus. Goats and monkeys! ’’ (VI. i, 261) At this point in the story, Iago had totally make Othello believe that Desdemona is not true to him anymore.
Even the good Othello said ‘’Goats and monkeys! ’’ (VI. i, 261) just like Iago. The characters had used goats and monkeys to release their anger just like the swear word now, but why are two harmless animal describe as evil things? There is a myth about goats visiting the devil to have their beard combed, and the devil often appeared in the shape of a goat on account its horns and tails. According to the infinite monkey theorem that an infinite number of monkeys sitting at an infinite number of typewriters would eventually reproduce the works of Shakespeare by some chance.
The Term Paper on "The Tragedy Of Othello" By William Shakespeare
In the play “The tragedy of Othello,” written by William Shakespeare, it can be seen that several of the main characters involved are subjected to the trials and tribulations in the spectrum of emotions experienced by human beings. The overall theme is a brilliant yet down to earth portrayal of frailties and strengths in the human condition–a condition that runs the gamut from a ...
Persuasion is a huge part of Iago’s scheme. He persuaded almost everyone in some way in this play in order to make people trust him and believe in his words. The first person Iago persuaded was Roderigo. Roderigo was once thinking about drowning himself because he could not gain Desdemona’s love, but Iago stops him. He told him “Ere I would say I would drown / myself for love of the guinea hen, I would change my / humanity with a baboon. ” (I. iii, 310-312).
He is convincing Roderigo not to give up his life for a prostitute, which is inferring Desdemona.
He continues to say ‘’Drown thyself? Drown cats and / blind puppies” (I. iii. 331–332) Iago stops Roderigo’s self-destructive talk not because he doesn’t want him to die, but because he is still useful so he wants to keep him alive. Another person Iago manipulated was Othello. He tried to persuade Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him, but Othello truly believes in his relationship so he said ‘’Exchange me for a goat / When I shall turn the business of my soul / To such exsufflicate and blowed surmises” (III.
He knows that Desdemona is an honest person, so he won’t believe in Iago’s suspicions easily unless he has evidence. In the previous paragraph, we know that goats were an evil sign so that is why Othello states that he would rather go to the devil than to believe in his words. Shakespeare uses animal imagery to show anger, jealousy, and persuasion in the play, which help to give the play its lasting power. Metaphors and similes are often use by writers.
They are more obvious and easier, so the audience can understand right away what the writer is trying to imply. In Othello, Shakespeare uses a lot of animal imagery. Iago is the character that uses this the most. He often makes people angry at first and then persuades them a lie is the truth. At last, this lie is going to turn to jealousy. Shakespeare uses this concept a lot to show the theme. People already have some background ideas about animals, so it is even easier for the audience to make the connection in Shakespeare’s play.
