Finally, the last theme is miscommunication, caused by Iago between Othello and Desdemona.
Iago leads everyone to believe that he is honest and caring, while he is truly a conniving evil spirit.
He intentionally misrepresents his feelings to everyone and intentionally communicates false information to Othello about Desdemona.
He implants the idea of Desdemona's disloyalty, pointing to her relationship with her father, Brabantio.
Othello's proof of Desdemona's disloyalty lies in the handkerchief. As soon as he is misled to believe that the napkin is in the hands of Cassio, Othello immediately believes all lies and miscommunications betold him by Iago. This proves extremely fatal in making this the pivotal scene.
The miscommunication between Desdemona and Othello, due to Iago's intentional lies, manifests in this scene.
His anger results in violence because of the information discovered through miscommunication.
Act 3, scene 3 is at the centre of the play, both chronologically and thematically.
It is the longest and most crucial scene of the entire play.
When it begins, Othello is a happy man and a loving husband, when it ends; he has committed himself to murdering his wife.
This scene is so powerful and compact that it could be a complete play in itself.
It is evidence of Shakespeare’s accomplishment of changing Othello's character so convincingly within the short space of time; it is a tribute to his genius as a dramatist and his ability to create a villain as complete and ingenious as Iago.
The play opens with a discussion of jealousy. Iago is upset because Othello selected Michael Cassio as his lieutenant. He is jealous of Cassio's position both in the military and with Othello's service.
“Nonsuits my mediators; for, 'Certes,' says he,
'I have already chose my officer.'
And what was he?
Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife”
This initial jealousy is the catalyst for the play's sequential plot of mixed jealousy and destruction.
Othello is unlike other Shakespearean tragic heroes, by placing him closer to the common man, Shakespeare makes Othello easier to identify with, more sympathetic.
His story could be our story, and his faults our faults.
He believes that others are honest and sincere, like Iago, which is ironic because he is the opposite of trustworthy; Othello refers to Iago as “A man he is of honesty and trust. This is crucial to Act 3 scene 3 being the pivotal scene, as Iago is able to lure Othello into a trap.
This open-hearted love of everyone makes Othello an attractive and generous friend.
However, it also leaves him susceptible to Iago's scheming.
Othello is also naive, particularly about women.
”For since these arms of mine had seven years' pith Tiff now some nine moons wasted, they have used their dearest action in the tented field”
His defence of his love for Desdemona is spoken with such heartfelt simplicity that we know the language represents a gentle and generous Othello.
”My story being done, she gave me for my pains a world of sighs. She swore, in faith”
There are many times when Othello openly shows his love for Desdemona, and she for him too.
The actions of the character such as Desdemona, Roderigo, Emilia and Cassio are typical of them and all in turn help Iago’s plot to gain pace.
Throughout the play Desdemona shows nothing but love for Othello and she is nothing but virtuous.
However she inevitably adds to Othello’s misconceptions as she attempts to have Cassio re installed in Othello’s life again.
“Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord,
If I have any grace or power to move you,
His present reconciliation take;
For if he be not one that truly loves you,
That errs in ignorance and not in cunning,
I have no judgment in an honest face:
I prithee, call him back.”
Desdemona pleads as a friend but ironically by doing this she will bring about her death.
Desdemona sees Othello as superior to her, and this proves to be a major downfall for her as she has no courage to fight back when accused of her infidelity.
Iago tries to plant the seeds of the affair and questions Desdemona’s and Cassio’s time together.
He manipulates everyone and is foreseen to be a major contribute to Desdemona’s death.
We see Desdemona defencelessly fall into Iago’s trap in many stages of the play, and are fully aware of ironic remarks she makes to Cassio.
“For thy solicitor shall rather die than give thy cause away”
Telling Cassio she would rather die than to abandon her commitment to plead for him.
As the scene progresses, and as Othello becomes more and more Iago's victim, he begins to lose the poetic gift that blessed him earlier. As evidence that he is being ruined by Iago, Othello begins to use the animal images that are typical of Iago's speech.
These are generally images of common or repulsive animals.
“Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise! Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you”
The imagery used by Othello throughout this scene becomes infected by Iago to include words of violence and disease.
“Exsufflicate and blown surmises.”
Iago feeds the green-eyed monster that lives within Othello, while ironically warning him about jealousy.
"O, beware, my lord of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."
Another unknowing contribute is Emilia because of the careless exchange of Othello’s handkerchief.
Emilia’s accidental co-operation with Iago’s scheme by pleasing him with Desdemona’s handkerchief allows him to achieve the crucial transformation of Othello’s views of Desdemona.
The handkerchief adds to the drastic effects of this scene as Iago is dependent on it to work his evil plan.
Iago uses Roderigo as a pawn in his plan, he is able to do this because Roderigo idealises Desdemona.
Roderigo produces plenty of plausible reasons for his destructive actions and we would see him as a psychotic person, especially when he determines Cassio’s death;
“He has a daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly.”
We see the brutality of his envious ways in Act 1, scene 1.
Iago is able to use Cassio’s insecurities to his advantage.
He slips away from Desdemona when Othello and Iago arrive; this is because he is embarrassed and cannot come face to face with Othello.
“Ha! I like not that.” Iago exclaims, this is the start of the temptation scene. Iago has many tactics which he uses to gain trust in people and to keep them wondering.
Othello asks what he means, but by refusing to answer questions directly, Iago is planting thoughts into Othello’s head.
This sentence is in many peoples opinion, the sentence that lights the fire, no longer does Othello only have thoughts of his wife’s infidelity, but now he is truly believing every word that Iago feeds to him.
Othello is unable to dismiss Iago’s words from his head, and when he sees Desdemona later on in the scene, the transformation in his feelings is evidenced by his cold manner.
Iago derives great pleasure from his ability to persuade people to confuse appearance and reality.
The audience realise that there is there is no pleading that can right the wrongs that have been done, and they can only watch in shock and horror as Othello turns violent.
“I’ll tear her all to pieces!”
Othello is transformed in this scene; from a man who would deny Desdemona nothing, to the avenger swearing an oath to murder.
By the end of Act 3, Othello is completely preoccupied with the mission of avenging himself on Desdemona and Cassio their supposed adulterous affair.
We can clearly see that he no longer trusts Desdemona;
“This honest creature doubtless sees and knows more, much more”
He is convinced that he must kill her because of Iago’s perverted manipulation.
Othello’s love for Desdemona is so great that it is better to die than to live without her.
She blames herself for even her own death.
The calculated destruction of her reputation ends in violence perpetrated against her when she is unjustifiably murdered.
However he immediately sees what he has done, but cannot take it back.
“Roast me in sulphur! Wash me in!”
At the outset of this scene, we as the audience are unaware of how the play will end, however by the end of the scene we are left in no doubt that whatever outcome it has, it can only end tragically.
The devastating scene comes to an end when Iago tells Othello;
“My friend is dead. ‘Tis done at your request.”
Therefore, it would seem to be that Act 3, scene 3 is the pivotal scene in which everything turns round, and nothing can ever be the same again.
