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Honesty & Deception in "Othello"

Truth and honour are important in "Othello".

Iago makes others see what he wants them to see:

  • Talks to Cassio about Bianca but makes Othello believe they speak of Desdemona (4.i).
  • Makes Othello see more to Desdemona and Cassio's relationship than there is (3.iii).

As a result, Othello's perception is warped-he comes to see Desdemona's "beauty" and "sweet" smell as masking corruption and evil within her. He is angered by, what he believes is, her outward virtue covering up her betrayal.

In Shakespeare's time, honesty meant:

  • being truthful,
  • being honourable-having integrity,
  • for women, being chaste (faithful).
  • Desdemona deceives her father (eloping with Othello).
  • Emilia steals the handkerchief (although she doesn't realise the importance of the act).
  • These actions are motivated by love, however.

Othello is blind to Iago's manipulation, and Desdemona's true nature.

This deception is at the centre of his downfall.

By the end of the play, when he finally sees Iago for what he truly is, Othello realises he has been poisoned but it is too late.

  • Cassio says he "never knew a Florentine more kind and honest" (3.i.39).
  • Desdemona declares him "an honest fellow" (3.iii.5).
  • Othello repeatedly describes Iago as honest, even after he kills Desdemona: "my friend...honest, honest Iago" (5.ii.153)
  • This shows how skilled a manipulator Iago is-everyone trusts him and he uses this reputation to destroy others.

Ironically, Iago is the character most often referred to as "honest". This shows how skilled he is at deceiving others.

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