Othello


Shakespeare’s Language


when he remains mesmerised by the ‘hellish villain’ who still refuses to explain his actions.


Sea and storms


Patterns of imagery create atmosphere and emphasise major themes in the play. The initial feelings of mutual love between Othello and Desdemona reflect the calm before the storm. The Moor swears his devotion to ‘the gentle Desdemona’ and he uses the vastness of the sea as an appropriate metaphor for the extent of his love: ‘I would not my unhoused free condition/ Put into circumscription and confine/ For the sea’s worth’.


As the tragedy unfolds, however, sea images are increasingly used to signify danger and to foreshadow disaster. Throughout Act 2, storm and flood imagery represent Iago’s deceitful plans to bring about Othello’s demise. All the main characters make the perilous journey to Cyprus during a great tempest, clearly symbolising the disorder that is about to engulf them on the island.


The disharmony that affects the Moor’s unhappy marriage leads him to take revenge, ‘Like to the Pontic sea,/ Whose icy current and compulsive course/ Never feels retiring ebb’. In comparing the unrelenting force of his hatred to a torrential flow of water, Othello confirms that his relationship with Desdemona is already doomed. Once again, the threatening sea image expresses his intention of violent revenge.


Shortly before his death, Othello reflects on his ‘journey’s end’ and acknowledges the agonising moment as the ‘very sea-mark of my utmost sail’. This final glimpse of his former heroism is all the


more tragic as we witness the full extent of his downfall and the unbearable loss of his devoted wife.


Symbols


Some images have special symbolic significance. For example, the candle in Othello signifies the vulnerability of human life. Symbols appeal to the intellect, representing abstract ideas or qualities. Symbolism onstage can be achieved through characters, colour, actions, costume and props. Imagery and symbolism are often used together. For example, a storm at sea that has been described in great detail using imagery could also symbolise chaos or discontent among characters.


Shakespeare makes use of motifs (recurring symbols) to reinforce key themes. For instance, there are many references to the word ‘monster’ in the play. Othello also calls Desdemona’s apparent betrayal ‘monstrous! Monstrous!’ while he refers to Iago as ‘some monster in his thought’. The playwright’s choice of locations is also symbolic. To a great extent, Venice represents civilisation, while Cyprus symbolises the wilderness. Other key symbols are discussed below.


The handkerchief


We first see the embroidered handkerchief just after Othello begins to suspect his wife of being unfaithful. For the Moor, the love-token he gave Desdemona is a treasured family heirloom – a powerful symbol of the couple’s enduring relationship. Iago, of course, sees it as an opportunity to execute his vengeance. The handkerchief also signifies Othello’s mysterious


If after every tempest come such calms, May the winds blow till they have wakened death!


Othello Act 2 Scene 1, l.199–200


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