Animal Imagery In Othello

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Kim Jong Il, the former totalitarian ruler of North Korea, died two years and three months to this day, passing along his fear-based, militarian country to his son, Kim Jong Un. Throughout society, fear has been used by rulers to control their citizens and manipulate them to get what they want, just like with Kim Jong Il in North Korea. Niccolò Machiavelli, known as the founder of modern political science, once said in the Italian political novel, The Prince, “since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved” an idea Iago takes to heart in the play. In Othello, Iago uses imagery, mainly animal imagery, to exhibit how humans can be more scared of their imagination, rather than the reality at hand, which is evident with Brabantio, Roderigo, and Othello within the play.
Iago uses the imagery with Brabantio to create conversation with him and ultimately persuade him into searching his home. First, by contrasting Desdemona and Othello with the use of “old black ram” and “white ewe” (1.1.86-97) Iago is contrasting the vast difference between Othello and Desdemona. This is significant because he is telling Brabantio about how low of a social class Othello is. Within the quote, …show more content…
Iago’s first usage of “prime as goats, as hot as monkeys” and “fools as gross / As Ignorance made drunk”(3.3.403-405) with Othello shows how Iago’s imagery can affect even the seemingly most logical of men, such as Othello. On , Iago is using the imagery to convey to Othello that any evidence is greater than the non-existent, visual evidence, he is longing for. This is representative of animal because of how it denounces Desdemona and Cassio’s “affair” animal like. Othello asking for “one good reason” (3.3.409) proves to us man’s denial, the first step of grief, and inner fear of unloyalty by

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