The play Othello. Act I, scene iii, has basically started all of the drama to come
The play Othello was written by William Shakespeare. It was written during the peak of his
career, during the time period of 1600 to 1606. Act I, scene iii, takes place before the military fleet
travels to Cyprus. It takes place in 16th century Venice, around midnight in the middle of a street, while Iago
and Roderigo are socializing amongst each other. Roderigo has found out that Desdemona and Othello have
been wed, and he feels that he is never going to have a chance to be with the lovely Desdemona. He
informed Iago that he feels his life has become worthless, and he will not be able to live because of the
strong torment by love and by his strong feelings of wanting to be with Desdemona. This passage reveals
Iago's true color and his duplicity as a human being. During Iago's narrative, he comes up with his plan of
making Desdemona look as if she has cheated on Othello, to break up their marriage. The passage has
been built upon the strong tension existing between Desdemona's father, Brabantio, and Othello. Brabantio
has found out his daughter had been stolen from him and wed, assumed whomever wed her used magic,
spells and potions. Brabantio accuses Othello, and Othello admitts he had married Brabantio's daughter,
but not by using magic. The part of the passage that sticks out the most is Iago speaking from lines 29
until 38, this was during his soliloquy. This is when Iago is talking about how he is going to create a
terrible lie about how Desdemona has cheated on Othello. In Iago's soliloquy in Act I, scene iii, imagery,
diction, motif, dialogue, foreshadowing and theme are used throughout it.
In Act I, Scene iii, ...
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spells and potions. Brabantio accuses Othello, and Othello admitts he had married Brabantio's daughter,
but not by using magic. The part of the passage that sticks out the most is Iago speaking from lines 29
until 38, this was during his soliloquy. This is when Iago is talking about how he is going to create a
terrible lie about how Desdemona has cheated on Othello. In Iago's soliloquy in Act I, scene iii, imagery,
diction, motif, dialogue, foreshadowing and theme are used throughout it.
In Act I, Scene iii, theme and motif are used greatly, especially during Iago's soliloquy. Iago's
soliloquy is also written in blank verse. The theme and motif of the play are within Iago's soliloquy
which helps set up most of the play.
"...After some time, to abuse Othello's ears
That he is too familiar with his wife.
He hath a person and a smooth dispose
To be suspected, fram'd to make woman false" (I, iii, 29-32).
This quote from Iago, lines 29 to 33, helps to show how the literary device theme and how it is used in the
play Othello, and how it is being set up. The theme is shown through Iago instigating Desdemona's loyalty
as the wife of Othello and to see if he can come up with anything that will make it look like Desdemona has
actually not been loyal to Othello. The theme can also be seen as being good vs. evil and appearance vs.
reality. With good vs. evil, we have good being Desdemona and Othello and their relationship vs. Iago .
With appearance vs. reality we have the appearance being all of the false things Iago is going to try and
make of Desdemona vs. reality, being Desdemona has been a faithful wife. The literary device motif is
shown through Iago stating how he wishes to make Desdemona the false wife of Othello, in hopes that
Othello believes him and all is ruined.
The literary devices, dialogue and diction are also used throughout Act I, scene iii. The literary
device dialogue is used as Iago and Roderigo are speaking to one another. Diction is also used while
Roderigo and Iago are speaking to one another. In this passage, diction is used with dark, evil and
commanding words. Iago speaks about how much he hates the Moor, how he wants himself and Roderigo
to get revenge against Othello. Iago also states, how he is going to be dishonest and how he is going to
abuse Othello and Desdemona's relationship. Iago uses commanding words such as:"-go make money"
(I, iii,1) and "...Go, provide thy money" (I, iii, 8). These quotes which help to show diction and show that
he is serious about wanting to create the lie about how Desdemona has been an unfaithful wife to Othello.
The final two literary devices found through this passage are imagery and foreshadowing. Imagery
is an important literary device to this passage and helped to better show what is being stated throughout
the passage. Imagery helps represent Roderigo's idea of wanting to drown himself because of his strong
love for Desdemona and helps show that without Desdemona, Roderigo will take his own life. Imagery
also helps show the idea that Iago has created about Desdemona being unfaithful to Othello.
Foreshadowing, the other literary device that follows along with imagery, is seen frequently throughout
this passage. "...There are many
Events in the womb of time which will be delivered" (I, iii, 6-7).
This quote from Iago uses foreshadowing by saying that many new events are yet to happen, but all in good
time. This foreshadows that Iago has come up with a plan and knows what events are likely to occur.
Iago also states:" I have't. It is engendered. Hell and night
Must bring this monstrous birth to world's light" ( I, iii, 37-38).
This quote also foreshadows how there is going to be a monstrous event, meaning the lie is going to come
out about Desdemona being unfaithful and everything is going to slowly go downhill.
This passage overall ,with all of the literary devices being used, is quite crucial to the rest of the
play Othello. Act I, scene iii, has basically started all of the drama to come, which is going to be
continually foreshadowed and shown throughout the rest of the play. Iago being the terrible character that
he is sticks with his plan of ruining Othello and Desdemona's marriage, and in the end, Desdemona is
murdered by Othello. Othello realizes what he has done, and soon after Desdemona dies, he finds out the
truth about everything and ends up killing himself.