The Role of Lies in Othello Essay Example

In the Shakespearean tragedy, Othello, plans are conjured and lies are spread. The common link between all of these is the character Iago. Controlled by an obsession for power and insatiable jealousy, he plants false accusations and lies. He influences violence all to take down the one with the power and status that he craves. Through Iago, Shakespeare plants seeds of doubt and negativity hints to the future through premeditation and creates a layer of dramatic irony that aids to the progression of the play. A large piece of Iago’s character is his eye for manipulation and deception. The audience will watch as his master plan unfolds into a whirlwind of chaos. Shakespeare creates a character solely based around deception through a cynical tone, foreshadowing of Iago’s plan, and dramatic irony. 

Deception is born in Iago’s first soliloquy through the tone of cynicism. As a man with an obsession for power, his method of getting it turns negative. This soliloquy is the first impression of the snake-like character of Iago. He begins planting negative thoughts and lies to bring about suspicion in people around him. While talking with Roderigo– his friend is oblivious to the fact that Iago is using him– he proclaims, “I hate the Moor '' (1.3.324). Iago carefully chooses characters with insecurities that can be easily manipulated. In this case, it is Roderigo. Roderigo's obsession with Desdemona makes him an easy target. Throughout the play, Iago plants negative thoughts about Othello to Roderigo. As with any human, what is heard surrounding Roderigo can subconsciously take over and become real. Iago’s hate for Othello slowly is transferred to Roderigo. Shakespeare pairs this cynical tone with Iago to highlight his corruption. Cynicism then leads to suspicion without proof where Iago questions his wife’s fidelity. He goes on to say that he believes that his wife and Othello are having an affair. Immediately after he says, “I know not if ’t be true, / but I, for mere suspicion in that kind, / will do as if for surety” (1.3.325-327). Though he only thinks it to be true, he takes the extra step and decides it to be true. Iago believes the worst in people and that clouds his judgment. He yet again speaks poorly of others when he insinuates that all people are stupid “and will as tenderly be led by the nose / as asses are” (1.3.338-339). He is essentially talking about how easy it is to manipulate people. Iago’s frame of mind is so out of line that he cannot see straight. Clouded by his hate for Othello he turns to skepticism which transpires to manipulation. Deeply rooted in his hate it is the audience's earliest impression of Iago: tangled in lies, negativity, and manipulation.

A common trend for Iago is he hints at the future. Iago’s soliloquies can be viewed as a map or layout of the play. As the play progresses he adds on to his scheme and more people get involved. In the first soliloquy, the most basic plot of the play is outlined. The foreshadowing that takes place in Iago’s soliloquies exposes the seriousness of the plan and premeditation. He observes Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, and Desdemona, Othello’s wife, are close friends. Iago’s twisted mind wants to spin Cassio and Desdemona’s platonic relationship into an affair. He deceives others in an effort to carry out this scheme. He comes up with a plan where he mentions, “After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear / that he is too familiar with his wife” (1.3.332-333). After establishing his desire for power and thirst for manipulation he acts upon it. Repetition is found where he again begins to plant twisted or false accusations on others with no proof. Iago has a fine eye for seeing someone’s insecurities and using them for his benefit even if there is collateral damage. As mentioned previously, that foreshadowing leads to Iago’s real motivations and shows how evident premeditated actions are. The plan is exposed in the soliloquy as is Iago’s construction of the ruse. Carefully thinking over what to do Iago tells the audience his inner thoughts regarding Cassio. Iago says, “He holds me well… / To get his place and to plume up my will / in double knavery. / How?” (1.3.327-332). In planning anything, one must ask questions relating to the details. In this case, Cassio is shown as a pawn in Iago’s games. Iago himself refers to his plan as “knavery” which means that it is intentional and well thought out. This trend throughout the foreshadowing brings light to the future and premeditated plans. 

The audience is well aware of the lies that Iago spreads creating a layer of dramatic irony throughout the entirety of the play. The audience is aware of the plan far before the characters are informed of it. Iago outlining the plan creates a sense of humor when the characters do not know what is going on. The audience sees in Act One the first instance where Iago’s motivations are exposed. This layer created brings a sense of depth and adds to the progressing plot. Iago is seen in a conversation with Roderigo where he discusses his disappointment at not being promoted as Othello’s lieutenant. He goes on to say, “I know my price, I am worth no worse a place.” (1.1.11-12) Iago feels the need to reassure himself of his worth. Not being promoted becomes a driving factor in his hate towards Othello. The audience becomes aware of this far before it is revealed in the final act. This keeps the attention of the audience. Deception is spotted first hand because of the idea that the audience knows more than the characters know. It keeps the audience invested through the end to find out when all the lies will be exposed. At the end of Iago’s soliloquy, he proclaims that he, “Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light” (1.3.341-342). Referring to his scheme to get back at Othello, a level of sarcasm is uncovered in the final act. One of the main reasons behind the soliloquies is to allow the audience to see one character’s thoughts and true motivations. Iago’s grand scheme is all based upon deception. This soliloquy is about bringing this “monstrous” plan to life, and one of the main tools in that is deception. The audience is well aware of Iago’s intentions from the beginning. The essence of soliloquies is to give the audience more of an insight into the thoughts of other characters. To carry this out, these characters are found concealing plans and intentions from each other, this keeps the audience engaged throughout the play.

It is blatantly obvious that deception is an important part of Iago’s character development. Cynicism contributes to the overall tone of the soliloquy. It is the first time Iago’s manipulation begins to manipulate the entire plot of the play. He’s seen insulting people and through that, it boosts his ego. Another example of deception’s presence is through foreshadowing. Iago’s initial soliloquy hints towards his overall scheme to take down Othello with no regard for others in the way of this. Lastly, Shakespeare’s use of Iago's soliloquy brings an element of dramatic irony. This concept is where the audience has more information and knowledge of each character, in this instance, it focuses on Iago.

The audience's attention is drawn inside by the other characters' ignorance of each other's genuine intents and thoughts. Duplicity can be a tricky characteristic to portray. Through the cynical tone of Iago’s soliloquy, foreshadowing, and dramatic irony; Shakespeare has encapsulated the essence of deception.