Shakespeare uses Act One to show the audience that Othello and Iago are polar opposites; one seeks to diffuse conflict while the other revels in it. Iago is a cynical malcontent. He despises men who wear their hearts on their sleeves and other ‘honest knaves’ who fail to look after their own interests. Shakespeare adds the image of the birds tearing at this heart; foreshadowing the great deceptions that Iago will engineer, and the sinister qualities that make up his core. His energetic speeches are full of egotistical indignation and it is Iago’s crude descriptions of Othello ‘tupping your white ewe’ which strike home. The animal imagery Iago employs when speaking of Desdemona’s sexual union with Othello is in keeping with his earlier sneering reference to Cassio bring ‘damned in a fair wife’ and his role as a matchmaker for Rogerigo. Shakespeare is perhaps suggesting that Iago is crude and unable to understand love, or loving relationships. Act one scene one establishes Iago as a powerful and manipulative figure, who instrigates and stage manages chaos.
To emphasise this, Shakespeare uses vivid imagery associated with images of hell and the devil for Iago. He forges the link himself at the end of his soliloquy in act one scene three. Outlining his evil intentions he says, ‘Hell and night/ Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light’. There is delight in these lines, a revelling in evil and deception.
In stark contrast to the imagery associated with Iago, the imagery commonly associated with the noble Othello in Act One is suggestive of power and bravery. Images of the sea and military heroism abound. Othello describes his illustrios career with dignity (see lines 82-90 and 129-46) Desdemona echoes him when she says: 'My downright violence and scorn of fortunes/ May trumpet to the world. My heart's subdued/ Even to the quality of my Lord' By using the terminology if the war to describe her love we see the heroine's love and loyalty for her husband.
Far from presenting Othello as a savage barbarian, Shakespeare uses biblical imagery when describing Othello’s character and implicitly compares him to Christ. When Brabantio and his men arrive with swords and torches, tipped off to Othello’s whereabouts by Othello’s disloyal friend, vividly echoes scenes from the Gospel, where Christ and his followers are met by officers carrying swords and torches, illuminating Othello’s sense of his own authority.
Shakespeare laces the opening scene with dramatic irony, all of which centres on Iago. For instance, Roderigo fails to see that a man who admits he is a selfish fraud might also be gulling him, and Brabantio is unaware of the aptness of his line, ‘Though art a villain’. But there is enjoyment to be had in watching the villain at work. He has revealed himself very early and we watched fascinated as he manipulates other. Later on, in act one scene three dramatic irony is yet again used where we receive two omnious hints about the future progress of Othello’s marriage when the senators leave; Brabantio warns Othello against trusting Desdemona, while the first senator tells Othello to ‘use Desdemona well’ (line 292). Not only does the dramatic audience hint to the audience the way the plot will develop, but the audience is forced into a position of feeling intimately connected with Iago’s villainy.
Already, the racial issues and themes which are at the core of Othello's story and position are beginning to surface. When Roderigo refers to Othello, he calls him "the thick lips"; singling out one prominent characteristic that highlights Othello's foreignness and black heritage, displays a racial distrust of Othello based on his color. Roderigo and Iago are not the only characters to display racism when referring to Othello; the issue of race comes to the fore, as Brabantio confronts Othello about his marriage to Desdemona. Desdemona never would have "run from her guardage to the sooty bosom of a thing such as thou," ;Brabantio assumes that Desdemona must have been "enchanted" to marry Othello merely because Othello is black; Brabantio ignores all of Othello's good qualities, and gives into his racist feelings.
Important to this scene is the fact that it is held in darkness; the situation is and eerie unsteady and mysterious, and a certain disorder rules over the proceedings. With Brabantio's call for light, there is a corresponding call for some kind of order; darkness vs. light and order vs. disorder are important juxtapositions within the play, and as themes they highlight the status of situations like this one. Light and dark are again juxtaposed in the Duke's declaration to Brabantio, that "if virtue no delighted beauty lack/ your son-in-law is far more fair than black." Black is associated with sin, evil, and darkness; these negative things are also associated to black people, merely because of the color of their skin. The Duke's statement is ironic, since Othello is black, but truthful, because his soul is good and light. Light/white/fairness all convey innocence, goodness, etc.; any symbol that is white has these qualities.
As the play progresses, Othello's pride becomes visible; he is exceptionally proud of his achievements and his public stature, and pride is an overarching theme of Othello's story. He is also proud of Desdemona's affection for him, which leads him to overstate the bond between them; he would not give her up "for the seas' worth," he says, certainly a noble sentiment (l. 28). Othello is very confident in his worth, and in the respect he commands; if the leaders of the city decide to deny a worthy man like him his marriage to Desdemona, then he believes "bondslaves and pagans shall our statesmen be." This statement of paradox betrays Othello's faith in the state and in the Duke's regard for him; hopefully, neither will fail him.
Shakespeare writes in blank verse and prose. Shakespeare uses this traditional form to create specific idioms for each of his characters. From his opening speeches in Act One, Scenes 2 and 3 it is clear that Othello’s characteristic idiom is dignified, blank verse. This is appropriate, given his status in the play. His use of blank verse also helps establish his heroism. Othello speaks clearly and purposefully. His authority also comes across in these lines, and there is a sense of both danger and beauty in his references to ‘bright swords’ and ‘dew’. We are immediately aware that the hero is an impressive character and a powerful speaker. This power is reinforced later when Othello uses words not just to defend his elopement with Desdemona, but also to enable him to keep her; if he does not speak convincingly the ‘bloody book of law’ may deprive him of his wife. Othello also speaks of his glorious career as a soldier in the same vein, thus establishing himself as a great military man. The orderliness of the verse suggests not just his confidence, but also the fact that we, and the senate are wise to trust his composure and reason.
Othello's appointment to Cyprus marks the true beginning of his tragedy; for, when he is away from Venice, which is a place of familiarity, order, and law, he will be much more vulnerable to Iago's vicious attacks on his love and jealousy. Shakespeare introduces the audience to the theme of the battle between order and chaos as Duke's words of advice to the couple also mark the beginning of their tragic story; the Duke's words foretell trouble between the couple if they do not let grievances go, which ends up being a reason for Othello's fall. Also, the change of the verse into couplets signals the importance of the advice being offered. The words of the Duke, and Brabantio's words that follow, are set off from the rest of the text and emphasized by this technique; the reader is notified, through the couplet rhyme, which hasn't appeared before in the text, that these are words that must be marked.
Act One is an exchange of contrasts and discord which sets the scene for the events that follow. The contrasts are reflected in the imagery and setting, which establish a number of themes and ideas that are going to be important in Othello: social disruption, class and power, delusion and knowledge, male and female sexuality and black and white. The rather chaotic feel signifies that disruption has already occurred and we know that Othello and Desdemona’s marriage is going to be the focal point for future disruption because these three characters react to it so strongly and describe it in such negative terms.