DECEPTION IN OTHELLO Essay, Research Paper

Deception, which by its definition is a bad thing and has merely one degree or grade, is genuinely non this manner at all. Deception appears many times in Othello, but in about every incident the grade of misrepresentation is different. There are merely a few characters that use misrepresentation, and those characters all use different grades of misrepresentation to acquire what they want in the drama. Misrepresentation is about ever used through verbal linguistic communication or organic structure linguistic communication because it is the easiest manner to lead on a individual. The grounds, or purposes, a individual has for misrepresentation determines the goodness ( or badness ) and ( or ) badness of the misrepresentation. If a individual deceives others with good purposes, so, in a manner, the misrepresentation is partly good. However, if a individual has bad grounds or purposes in lead oning others, so the misrepresentation is bad. There is besides, in contrast to the definition of misrepresentation, argument over what is misrepresentation because it is ever different in the eyes of different people.

Although misrepresentation is ever meant to lead on, the grade of misrepresentation varies upon the context of the state of affairs. Desdemona gives one illustration of misrepresentation when she hides her relationship with Othello from her male parent. Brabantio says, ? O, she deceives me Past thought! ? ( 1.1.166 ) Desdemona had grounds for lead oning her male parent. Her grounds were really simple, because she loved her male parent she wanted to protect him. Desdemona knew that her male parent would finally happen out the truth, but she felt that by concealing her relationship with Othello she would be detaining the inevitable hurting that her male parent was traveling to experience. Since Desdemona loved her male parent, she felt that by detaining his hurting she would be making him a service, and because Desdemona deceived her male parent out of love, this misrepresentation was non terrible. It was nevertheless bad, because there was no manner in which Desdemona could avoid aching her male parent. This shows that even though Desdemona deceived her male parent and the result was bad, it was non terrible because her purposes were good hearted. Another illustration of the grade of misrepresentation was when Iago said to Othello, ? She did lead on her male parent, get marrieding you? ( 111.3.205 ) . Iago? s misrepresentation, which in visual aspect expressions similar to Desdemona? s misrepresentation, is in fact really different. When Iago says this to Othello, he is seeking to anger Othello, and topographic point uncertainty in Othello? s head. Iago? s purposes are bad and hurtful, and that is why this incident is in fact much worse and much more terrible than the old 1. The definition of misrepresentation in? THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY? is,

DECEPTION-

1. The action of lead oning or rip offing

B. The fact or status of being deceived

2. That which deceives ; a piece of hocus-pocus ; a darnel, fake

This definition states that misrepresentation is a fast one, a darnel, or a fake, and this implies that all misrepresentation is of the same grade. However, it is clear from the old two scenes that in different state of affairss misrepresentation can hold different grades, and that one thing can be more fallacious than another.

Deception, which is described as hocus-pocus, a darnel, or a fake, is considered a really bad thing. However, it is possible for misrepresentation to hold good purposes, and this would do misrepresentation partly good. There are many occasions where a individual may lead on another and experience he or she has done a good title. When Othello asks Desdemona for the hankie, because he has intuitions that she is rip offing on him, Desdemona lies and says she has it.

Othello? Lend me your hankie. ?

Desdemona? I have it non about me. ?

Othello? Is? T lost? Is? T gone? Speak: is? T out O? th manner? ?

Desdemona? It is non lost? ( 111.4.52-83 )

Desdemona lies to Othello, and attempts to lead on him. This, harmonizing to the definition of misrepresentation is bad. However, it is non bad. Because Desdemona knew that if she told Othello the truth he would go really angry, she lied to him and said she had the hankie. Desdemona? s purposes for lying were good, because Desdemona loved Othello she decided to protect him from acquiring angry. Desdemona thought she had merely misplaced the hankie, and that she would shortly happen it, but if she told Othello she had lost it he would go ferocious. Since Desdemona thought she would happen the hankie shortly, she felt that lying about it would make no injury because she would shortly happen it and Othello would ne’er cognize that she had lost I

t. Desdemona? s purposes for lead oning Othello were good ; because she loved him she did non desire to up put him over a minor item like mislaying the hankie. Because Desdemona? s purposes were good, to protect the one she loved, her misrepresentation was hence good.

Misrepresentation can besides be wholly bad in it? s purpose. The individual who ever has bad purposes in his misrepresentation is Iago. Iago deceives many people in the drama, and one incident is in act 4 when he tricks Othello into believing that he is speaking with Cassio about Desdemona, when he is really speaking about Bianca.

Iago? Ply Desdemona good and you are certain on? T.

Now if this suit lay in Bianca? s power,

How rapidly should you rush! ?

Cassio? Alas, hapless caitiff! ?

Othello? ( aside ) Look, how he laughs already! ? ( 1V.1.106-109 )

Iago told Othello that he would discourse Desdemona with Cassio, and that he would speak about the matter. Iago does non make this, alternatively he talks about Bianca with Cassio and Cassio laughs at things Iago says, Othello seeing Cassio laugh thinks that Cassio is express joying at Desdemona, and this cholers Othello really much. In this scene Iago used both verbal and body linguistic communication to lead on Othello. Iago used verbal linguistic communication on Othello by stating him he would discourse Desdemona with Cassio, which he did non make, and he used organic structure linguistic communication to lead on Othello by holding Cassio travel his organic structure in ways that would upset Othello. This misrepresentation by Iago was bad because he had no good purposes and merely wanted to upset Othello, utilizing misrepresentation and semblance. It is clear that there is bad misrepresentation, but it is besides clear that misrepresentation can be good, because of its purposes, which is shown by Desdemona? s misrepresentation.

Misrepresentation is besides unfastened to debate, because what is misrepresentation to one individual may non be misrepresentation to another individual. At the terminal of the drama when Iago is discovered his married woman Emilia says that he has deceived Othello and told prevarications.

? You told a prevarication, an abominable blasted prevarication:

Upon my psyche, a prevarication, a wicked prevarication!

She false with Cassio! Did you say with Cassio? ? ( V.2.179-181 )

Emilia says that her hubby has deceived Othello and that what he did was incorrect. But Iago artfully defends himself by stating,

? I told him what I thought, and told no more

Than what he found himself was disposed and true. ? ( V.2.176-177 )

Iago says that all he did was state what he thought, and nil more. So Iago asks what he did incorrectly, he says he told no prevarications, merely sentiments and that there is nil incorrect with that. He said what Othello believed was non his mistake because all he did was state his sentiment and give advice. Iago tried to warrant himself to the other characters by this statement, but it did non work for Iago because he did non genuinely believe it himself. Earlier in the drama Iago asks himself if he does anything incorrect, he says, ? And whats he so that says, I play the scoundrel, When this advice is free I give, and honest, ? ( 2.3.326-327 ) this, one time once more shows that Iago feels that he does nil incorrect. He says that he gives good, honorable advice, and the advisee is under no duty to follow the advice. What Iago does is evidently fallacious, but because misrepresentation is different in each reading, Iago is able to inquire this inquiry and candidly believe that what he does is non fallacious.

Even though misrepresentation is defined as malicious, hocus-pocus, cheating, and as a fake, it is apparent that misrepresentation can be good through its purposes, can hold different grades, and is unfastened to debate because of different readings. Because Desdemona wanted to save her male parent from hurting, it was non every bit fallacious as when Iago lied to Othello to set uncertainty in his head. Desdemona? s misrepresentation to Othello was good because she did non desire to upset him when she thought that she could repair the state of affairs without him cognizing. Iago? s misrepresentation was bad nevertheless, because he tricked Othello by lying to him and wanted to ache him. Finally, Iago was able to believe that he was non a scoundrel because misrepresentation is unfastened to debate because it is different to each individual. Shakspere showed how misrepresentation is far different than it? s definition in the? OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY? by giving illustrations of misrepresentation which all differ from the standard definition.

Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd Ed. Volume 4. 1989.

Shakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968.