Othello Themes

Othello Themes

1. revenge

   • Iago's plot against Othello is particularly motivated by his want for revenge. He feels he has been wronged as he was not made lieutenant. He has become bitter and upset and wishes to punish Othello for his actions. Iago's plan then develops his elaborate plot of revenge by implanting a false sense of jealousy into Othello, therefore destroying Othello's relationship with Desdemona. Iago then explains his cunning plan of action as a web, in which he will 'catch a fly'. The intricate deception all comes down to revenge. Another instance of Iago's plot of revenge is when he uses his wife, Emilia,. Unbeknown to her, the web is growing to involve more family and people of importance.
   • Brabantio is yet another character that is craving revenge due to the loss of his daughter. He takes revenge by bringing Othello before the Duke to request his imprisonment. One other instance of revenge within Othello is with Emilia and Desdemona. They touch upon the theme of revenge lightly in an eloquent discussion. They talk about the necessary actions they should take if the worst was to happen.

2. appearance vs reality

   • This is especially relevant to the issue of Iago's character. Although he may be referred to as 'honest' by almost everyone in the play, he is treacherous. This can also be applied to Desdemona, as Othello believes she is deceitful and impure, however, she is really blameless and innocent.

3. honest

   • Although the word 'honest' is usually used in an ironic way throughout the play, most characters in the play go through a crisis of learning who and who not to trust. In fact, most of them, unfortunately, trust in Iago. This leads to the downfall of many characters, as this trust in Iago's 'honesty' becomes a crucial contributor to their undoing.

4. good vs evil

   • Though there is a bit of grey area between the two, Iago's battle with Cassio and Othello can certainly count as an embodiment of this theme. For example, Iago and his villainous battle to corrupt and turn the flawed natures of other characters does succeed to some extent. By the end of the play, neither has won, Desdemona and Emilia are dead and Iago has been punished.

5. pride

   • This is especially important in regards to Othello, he is defensively proud of himself and his achievements, and especially of the appearance he presents. The allegations of Dedemonna's affair hurt his pride even more than they inflame his vanity and jealousy, he wants to appear more powerful, accomplished, and moral at every chance he gets. Even when this is almost denied to him, his wounded pride ends up becoming even more powerful.

6. race

   • This is an extremely important theme, it has an overwhelming amount of influence over both the characters and the audience. Race also determines how Othello perceives himself as an outsider. Othello's race sets him apart and makes him very self-conscious. It leads to him wanting to work hard and look after his reputation, therefore leading to him being regarded as equal to the white people that surround him.