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Rahma Mohamed Mostafa Embaby

Dr. Randa Khattab

Shakespeare

23 December 2023

A Comprehensive Study of Shakespeare’s Language in Othello: How Figurative Language Is

Used to Dramatize Themes, Characters and Setting

1. Introduction

For a renowned playwright such as Shakespeare, language was not a mere medium for

communication, but rather an expressive poetic tool used to set the entire play in motion. One

can go as far as to argue that language in Shakespearean plays is to be considered as a standing

character in its own right. This paper aims to explore how Shakespeare’s articulate use of

language manages to illustrate the play’s major themes, distinguish various characters and their

dominant traits, as well as render the play a scintilla of social commentary –especially regarding

the setting. The paper will also focus on pointing out significant keywords and imagery, essential

to understanding the play’s main motifs.

2. Themes and Characterization

2.1. Appearance vs Reality, Deceit and Manipulation –Iago

The dichotomy between appearance and reality is evidently traceable amongst all

Shakespearean plays. The plays’ tragic events and endings are all predicated on the characters’

conceits and concealment of their true nature. In Othello, this theme is predominantly instigated

through Iago. Throughout the play, Iago is repeatedly referred to as “honest” and “good” by

almost all other characters. Nevertheless, Iago makes his true intentions known from the very

first scene. Iago confesses his pure hatred towards Othello and declares that he is only adopting
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the pretense of loyalty as a means to realize his own ends. He infamously concludes his speech

with the quote: “I am not what I am.” (I.i.71)

As the play unfolds, Iago continues to unveil to the audience his masterplan and his

methods of executing it. In the very same scene, Iago targets his first victim, Brabantio, and upon

his instructions to Roderigo on how they must manipulate him into avenging Othello on their

behalf, he reveals his unbridled faith in the power of the spoken word and the impact it is bound

to have on others as he goes on to say:

Call up her father.

Rouse him. Make after him, poison his delight,
Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen,
And, though he in a fertile climate dwell,
Plague him with flies. Though that his joy be joy,
Yet throw such chances of vexation on ’t
As it may lose some color. (I.i.74-80)

Iago deems the spoken word to be a “poison” which, once poured in one’s ears, will inevitably

“incense,” “plague” and “[vex]” its victim. Iago repeats the same notion as he says:

to abuse Othello’s ear (I.iii.438)

I’ll pour this pestilence into his [Othello’s] ear: (II.iii.376)

The Moor already changes with my poison;

Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons, (III.iii.373-374)

Although Iago is the play’s leading puppeteer, constantly conspiring and plotting against

all other characters, and bidding them against one another, he masterfully conceals his true

intentions, allowing no one to suspect his complicity in all their tragic misconducts. Ironically,

he is also the one to state that “[m]en should be what they seem.” (III.iii.147) Thus, Iago gains

the characters’ trust, inducing them to grant him the role of the angel when indeed he is the true

villain.
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Despite the fact that other characters have been accused of falsity and deceit, the theme

of appearance vs reality is substantially depicted through Iago’s own use of words in order to

steer the course of action in his favor. In the play’s concluding scene, Lodovico induces Iago to

look upon his “work.” (V.ii.427) Indeed not only is Iago responsible for other characters’ tragic

fate through his scheming and plotting, but the entire play is rather Iago’s own “work” of art; he

has singlehandedly carved out the paths leading everyone to their doom, including his own self.

2.2. Jealousy, Passion and Rashness –Othello

Iago’s schemes introduce another major theme in the play. As Iago declares his will to

avenge Othello, whom he believes to have seduced his wife, Iago resorts to giving Othello a taste

of his own medicine; “wife for wife.” (II.i.321) As a true Machiavellian, Iago is aware of

Othello’s fatal flaws of “unbookish jealousy” (IV.i.120), passion and rash; and pivots his revenge

on abusing said flaws, affirming that “Trifles light as air/ Are to the jealous confirmations strong/

As proofs of holy writ.” (III.iii.370-372) Iago also extends the poison imagery, expressing that

the thought of Othello with his wife is “like a poisonous mineral, [that] gnaw[s] [his] inwards.”

(II.i.319) Moreover, once Othello is exhaustively hoaxed by Iago’s stratagem and is “eaten up

with passion” (III.iii.446), he initially contrives on poisoning Desdemona to death, which

reciprocates the corresponding psychological poisoning he was compelled to endure upon news

of her alleged betrayal.

In addition, while the audience has been assured of Othello’s passionate and jealous

tendencies on multiple occasions –namely, as Othello himself affirms that “passion, having my

best judgment collied,/ Assays to lead the way. Zounds, if I stir,/ Or do but lift this arm, the best

of you/ Shall sink in my rebuke;” (II.iii.220-223) his own wife appears to be utterly ignorant to

his true nature. When asked about her husband’s jealous disposition, Desdemona asserts that “the
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sun where he was born/ Drew all such humors from him.” (III.iv.31-32) Shakespeare’s use of

irony in such an instance works to intensify Othello’s and Desdemona’s tragic deaths as they

both fall victim to Othello’s noxious hamartia.

Another imagery associated with jealousy is that of the monster which devours its victim.

The concept is first introduced as Iago notoriously remarks, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It

is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on.” (III.iii.195-197) The image is

then further extended as Emilia explains that jealousy “ is a monster/ Begot upon itself, born on

itself.” (III.iv.182-183)

Furthermore, the theme is vastly explored through different characters as each character

experiences a variation of jealousy at one point or another. While Othello is sexually jealous of

Cassio, Roderigo sexually jealous of Othello, and Emilia matrimonially jealous of Desdemona;

Iago is the one to experience jealousy in all its shapes and forms. Not only is Iago sexually and

matrimonially jealous of Othello, but he is also politically and morally jealous of Cassio. As

such, the theme is discernibly depicted through various perspectives, figures of speech and

imagery.

2.3. Alienation and the Other –Othello

For Shakespeare, alienation is intrinsic to the tragic hero’s journey. Although most

Shakespearean tragic heroes are initially well-integrated into society, it is their destiny to grow

patently removed from their subjects and loved ones in anticipation of their tragic falls. Such a

notion was seen with Macbeth and Hamlet who were both reputable noble figures in their

respective societies, yet were eventually alienated from everyone around them. Othello, on the

other hand, experiences alienation in a different light; one sight upon his visage is enough to

identify him as the Other. In the play’s opening scene, Othello is first referred to as “the Moor”
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(I.i.42) and “thick-lips.” (I.i.72) As such, the audience is introduced to Othello’s moorship prior

to any knowledge of his own character; or even his true name.

Shakespeare also prudently conveys Othello’s alienation through animal imagery. As

Iago informs Brabantio of Othello’s marriage to Desdemona, he discloses that “an old black ram/

Is tupping your white ewe.” (I.i.97-98) Thus, Othello is depicted as a filthy animal whose

blackness is fated to contaminate the fair Desdemona’s whiteness and purity. Iago seeks to

further infuriate Brabantio by dramatizing the marriage’s ramifications upon his honor and

descendance:

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.125-127)

Othello, though to some extent accepted in the Venetian society, is perennially perceived

in an exotic manner. Brabantio, Desdemona and the Venetian nobles alike are all fascinated by

Othello’s origins and history, regarding him as a pilgrim and a traveler with endless amusing

stories to unfold. Othello’s speech emphasizes how he stands in stark contrast to the Venetian

society as his narratives are imbued with African references to “slavery,” (I.iii.160) “cannibals,”

(I.iii.166) “Anthropophagi,” (I.iii.167) “Egyptian[s],” (III.iv.66) “magic,” (III.iv.81) “sibyl,”

(III.iv.82) “mumm[ies],” (III.iv.86) and “Arabian trees.” (V.ii.411) In addition, as a Moor,

Othello is persistently accused of extreme passion, rashness, lust, villainy and even witchcraft.

Thus, Othello’s integration into the Venetian society is restricted to his war expertise and exotic

storytelling; however, having “a lascivious Moor” (I.i.141) marrying into a noble Venetian

family is deemed rather blasphemous.

While Othello is racially alienated from the Venetian society, there remain other forms of

alienation in the play to be discussed. First and foremost, the Turks are politically alienated from

the Venetians. The term “Turk” itself is used derogatorily throughout the play in description of
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one’s vulgarity and immorality. Wrathfully, Brabantio refers to Othello, whom he believes to

have bewitched and abused Desdemona into marrying him, as “the Turk of Cyprus.” (I.iii.241)

Likewise, upon being aroused to galling fighting noises, Othello himself questions whether his

gentlemen have “turned Turks” (II.iii.182) since such rascality is only distinctive of the Turks.

Additionally, Cassio is socially alienated from the Venetian gentlemen since he is a decorous

Florentine whose sole form of soldiership is that of refined books and knowledge. Subsequently,

a decorated soldier like Iago disdains Othello’s choice of an inadequate Florentine who has

“never set a squadron in the field” (I.i.23) as his lieutenant.

2.4. Nobility vs Wickedness –Othello, Iago and Desdemona

As Shakespearean plays are saliently preoccupied with the juxtaposition between good

and evil, the characters’ language is the audience’s primary indication of their true nature.

Subsequently, each character is armed with its unique arsenal of words and imagery, granting the

audience an insight into its inherent moral compass. Upon investigation of Othello’s language,

his nobility and moral superiority are thoroughly conspicuous. Othello’s language “holds a rich

music all its own, (…) a peculiar chastity and serenity of thought.” (Knight) Othello’s use of

figurative language, for instance, “rocks, and hills whose heads/ touch heaven,” (I.iii.163-164)

induces the audience to believe that Othello’s boundless greatness has transcended earthly

confines, reaching to heaven itself. (jwpblog, November 22) As a tragic hero, Othello’s speech is

remarkably intertwined with nature as his inner agonies are resembled in both heavenly and

earthly realms. As he confronts Desdemona with her alleged treachery, Othello explains that:

Heaven stops the nose at it, and the moon winks;

The bawdy wind that kisses all it meets
Is hushed within the hollow mine of earth
And will not hear ’t. (IV.ii.88-91)
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Consequently, Othello’s “poetic use of heavenly bodies serves to elevate the theme” (Knight)

and establish his moral integrity.

Conversely, Iago’s use of coarse, exploitative and colloquial language cements his

wickedness into the audience’s perception. Iago’s condescending tone towards others and use of

disparaging words such as: “snipe,” (I.iii.428) “ass” (II.i.331) and “quat,” (V.i.12) are

emblematic of his own moral degeneracy and corruption. Subsequently, Iago’s moral inferiority

is severely threatened by those of a true benevolent character, such as Cassio. Echoing

Macbeth’s fear that his “genius is rebuked” (III.i.61) due to Banquo’s “royalty of nature,”

(III.i.54) Iago also states that Cassio “hath a daily beauty in his life/ That makes me ugly.”

(V.i.20-21) As a result, Iago deems true virtue a vulnerability to be abused. Moreover, Iago’s

excessive use of soliloquies and asides allows the audience to witness “the Iago medicine, at

work” (Knight) as well as emphasizes the villainous role of “motiveless malignity” (Lectures

1808-1819 On Literature 2: 315) which he embodies in his own play; further extending the “play

within a play” motif. Iago also denounces virtue in and of itself, asserting the Shakespearean

belief in the character’s sole control over its own destiny, saying:

Virtue? A fig! ’Tis in ourselves that we are thus or

thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our
wills are gardeners. (I.iii.361-363)

Desdemona is another pillar of nobility in the play. She is representative of the fair

Venetian maiden who is “Of spirit so still and quiet that her motion/ Blushed at herself.”

(I.iii.113-114) Desdemona’s noble nature is evident throughout the play towards all those around

her. She proves herself to be a loyal and loving wife to Othello as she refuses to leave his side,

affirming that she did “love the Moor to live with him.” (I.iii.283) In addition, as she is never

void of sympathy, she spares no effort into pleading for her dear friend’s, Cassio’s, cause to her
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husband. Indeed, it is her own nobility and sympathy that lead her to her fatal death. As Othello

sets his mind into killing her, Desdemona is described as “a fine woman, a fair woman, a sweet

woman,” (IV.i.200) as well as being “an admirable musician” (IV.i.209) Othello also explains

that she is extremely virtuous to the extent that “she will sing the savageness out of a bear!”

(IV.i.210) Shakespeare relies on such description to heighten her death’s tragic impact, proving it

to be a most unrequited murder.

3. Setting

For Shakespeare, setting plays a significant role in dictating the play’s social customs,

religious tone, and overall course of events. As Othello takes place in Venice and Cyprus, the

audience is presented with a dichotomy of morality: the supposedly gracious Venice and the

barbaric Cyprus. Although sixteenth-century cosmopolitan Venice was known for its incredible

literary and artistic supremacy, it was also a symbol of “political intrigue, decadence, and moral

depravity that were unfortunately typical of Italy during the same time period.” (“The Moral

Geography of Othello”) In the play, Venice stands as a symbol of love, justice and nobility while

Cyprus stands for war and violence. Although, Othello and Desdemona emerge from Venice as

“well tuned” (II.i.218) musical instruments, Cyprus’s vile nature gradually unscrews the lovers’

romantic ties, pushing Othello to regard Desdemona as the “cunning whore of Venice”

(IV.ii.104) and vow that “Chaos is come again.” (III.iii.101) As such, Othello’s journey from

Venice to Cyprus is one from nobility to moral degeneracy.

Furthermore, Shakespeare provides his audience with another dichotomy within Venice

itself. While noble figures such as Brabantio and Lodovico disprove of malicious acts which

violate Venice’s moral conventions, refusing to believe that a house can be robbed, or that a

woman can be assaulted in such a civilized state like Venice; Iago offers the audience an entirely
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opposite perspective, suggestive of his own character. For Iago, it is in “this poor trash of

Venice” (II.i.325) where duplicitous wives “do let God see the pranks/ They dare not show their

husbands.” (III.iii.233-234) Hence, Shakespeare establishes the concept of the character and

space’s interconnectedness, leaving no room for doubt of the setting’s utmost importance to the

plot.

4. Conclusion

Othello is a play centered around love and war. However, the play’s tragic end is

anticlimactic regarding the aforementioned aspects. Considering that Othello and Desdemona’s

marriage consummation was never actually proven, and that the play’s long-awaited war has

ended without even coming to a start, the play’s primary themes were on no account truly

fulfilled. Furthermore, as Shakespeare has conceived Iago’s words to be the sole driving force of

the play, Iago’s final vow of eternal silence culminates in a most tragic and cathartic ending.

While most Shakespearean villains end up dying, Iago’s true destruction is being deprived of his

only true power, that is his own speech. Finally, Shakespeare’s use of imagery, poetic and

figurative language in Othello renders the play another dimension to be appreciated, apart from

the common focus on the plot itself.

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Works Cited

Colderidge, Samuel Taylor. Lectures 1808-1819 On Literature.

Ed. R. A. Foakes. Volume 2. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1987.

(Lectures 1808-1819 On Literature is Number 5 in The Collected Works of Samuel

Taylor Colderidge. Ed. Kathleen Coburn. 13 numbers to date. Princeton, New Jersey:

Princeton University Press, 1969—.)

Jwpblog. “Othello and Iago: A Comparison of Speech in 1.3.” English Teaching Resources, 22

Nov. 2021, jwpblog.com/2021/11/22/othello-and-iago-a-comparison-of-speech-in-1-3/.

Knight, G. Wilson. The Wheel of Fire; Essays in Interpretation of Shakespeare’s Sombre

Tragedies. Methuen, 1956.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine. Folger Shakespeare

Library, [20.Nov.2023]. Macbeth – Entire Play | Folger Shakespeare Library

Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine. Folger Shakespeare

Library, [1.Sept.2023]. Othello - Entire Play | Folger Shakespeare Library

“The Moral Geography of Othello | Utah Shakespeare Festival.” The Moral Geography of

Othello | Utah Shakespeare Festival. N.p., n.d. https://www.bard.org/study-guides/the-

moral-geography-of-othello/