Othello Flaws

Words: 1388
Pages: 6

We are often defined by how we use, or misuse, our emotions. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago and Othello's contradicting character flaws build the groundwork for the play, as the use of deception, betrayal and jealousy develop expertly.This essay will argue through reference to Lord of the flies, how emotive language sets the tone for a novel, and how it can be manipulated to give the reader deeper understanding of the text. It is through these character’s flaws that we are able to see how literature is often dealt with using emotions rather than events.

Jealousy in Othello is one of the defining themes that either consumes or ends up consuming the majority of the main characters. Othello’s appointing of Cassio as his first
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Iago’s cunning nature allows him to use deception as a tool to exact his revenge. He plants the seed of doubt in Othello's head about Desdemona being unfaithful and persuades Roderigo to go with him to convince Desdemona’s father that Othello has used witchcraft to woo her. “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is topping your white ewe. Arise, arise; awake the snorting citizens with the bell, or else the devil will make a grandsire of you: Arise, I say.” (1.1.89-93.1) Iago’s use of foul language to try sway Desdemona’s father’s opinion of Othello, is a great example of how he uses his cunning to deceive people to get what he wants. Shakespeare uses this quote because it demonstrates to us how truly evil Iago is at his core, it doesn’t matter the effect his deception has on others, only what he gains from it. Equivalently in Lord of The Flies, the beast deceives the boys into thinking that they have something to fear, even though it doesn’t exist as a physical being, but rather a flaw of all of their characters. “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his Blood!” this quote, chanted by the group as they approach Simon and kill him, shows how the theoretical beast used deception to trick the boys into committing evil acts. Golding used this quote because not only does it show anger towards the beast, but also fear. He wanted to show us that deception often causes people to have a range of different emotions, and causes them to act out of impulse rather than logic. This impulse acting is also seen in Othello, as Iago tricks Othello into believing that Desdemona is committing infidelity, so he murders her after being given false evidence. Both Othello and Lord of the Flies use deception as a tool control the actions and emotions of others. Through characters like Iago and the beast, we are able to see how dangerous deception can be,