The central themes of the play hinge on betrayal, both real and imagined, and on revenge. Exploring the actions and motivations of the main characters will show more clearly who is betrayed, and who is giving revenge in this sad Shakespeare tale. Of the main characters, it is Desdemona and Othello who will suffer the most agonizing fates plotted by others.
Iago is an ensign, who has been passed over for a promotion by Othello. Because of this and also due to some racism on Iago’s part, he plots revenge on Othello. Iago uses Roderigo, the nobleman who has been interested in Desdemona. Iago begins his treacherous betrayal by going with Roderigo to Senator Brabrantio’s house to tell him of Brabantio’s daughter eloping with Othello. Iago includes the fact that Othello is a Moor, which is alluding to some racism on Iago’s part.
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"Othello: Betrayal and Revenge".
The senator is alarmed at this news, and so Iago reports this to Othello in a pretense of friendship. As a result, the father, daughter, and husband report to the Duke of Venice, where the father accuses Othello of using witchcraft on his daughter. Othello and Desdemona testify that they are truly in love. So, Iago is thwarted in his desire for revenge at this point in the story.
Othello is, first and foremost, a soldier in the military. He has been trained as such and sees his marriage to Desdemona and his appointment as general as ways to be accepted into Venetian society. The white Venetian people are somewhat afraid of this, but all do accept and respect him as a great soldier. His marriage is affected by his military career. Othello is appointed as the general of the armed forces by the Duke of Venice and must leave for Cyprus. Desdemona wants to go with him, and arrangements are made for her to follow her husband in a ship with Iago and Iago’s wife, Emilia. Othello trusts Iago and is mistaken in his belief of Iago as a friend. Iago also encourages Rodrigo to follow Desdemona to Cyprus in the hope that she will tire of Othello and Iago’s revenge will come to pass.
Othello is quite sure of himself as a soldier, but not so much as a husband. In fact, he has wooed Desdemona with his tales of great battles and military adventures. After the Turks are drowned in Cyprus, he no longer has much to do by way of the military. This bereft feeling leads to his undoing as he does not know what to make of his life at this point. With Iago feeding his insecurity and telling him suspicious behaviors regarding Desdemona, Othello is primed to act in revenge.
There is another character whom Iago chooses to use to plot revenge on Othello. Cassio is the soldier who was given the promotion that Iago believed should have been his promotion. So, Iago begins to betray both Cassio and Othello by suggesting to Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having a love affair. Iago also arranges a fight between Cassio and Roderigo, which results in Cassio being dismissed from his position.
Cassio believes that Desdemona would be more persuasive to plead his case with her husband. Iago helps set up this meeting, so he knows the true motive in their meeting. Iago will use this meeting as a false pretext to further infuriate Othello’s already suspicious mind. Cassio meets with her, and as he is leaving, Iago and Othello appear, and both see him quickly leaving Desdemona’s room. This give Iago the perfect opportunity to further his plan of betrayal and revenge on Othello by planting ideas about why Cassio was coming from a secret meeting with Desdemona.
Othello is not quite convinced of his wife’s betrayal. Iago plants one of Desdemona’s handkerchiefs on Cassio. Iago hopes to convince her husband that she, indeed, has betrayed her marriage. Othello falls into Iago’s trap and agrees to kill Desdemona, the wife he loves. Iago goes further in his revenge and employs Roderigo to kill Cassio. Now, it becomes clear that Iago is the instigating character, manipulating all other characters with his own evil sense of betrayal and revenge.
Othello seeks revenge on an imagined betrayal by his wife and Cassio. Rodrigo seeks revenge on Cassio due to the same imagined betrayal; that Desdemona will not consider Rodrigo, but loves Cassio. Othello goes to kill his wife, and she declares her innocence, but he will not listen. He smothers her with a pillow. When Emilia, Iago’s wife, hears of this she tells the truth of how Desdemona’s handkerchief came to be in Cassio’s possession. She declares Iago to be a liar. Iago then stabs Emilia. Again, betrayal and revenge in everything Iago says and does.
Othello, realizing he has done a horrible thing in killing Desdemona and deprived them both of a happy life, together, stabs himself. He falls onto the bed beside his dead wife. “I kissed thee ere I killed thee, no way but this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.” (Act V, Scene II). Othello is speaking to his dead wife and kisses her before he kills himself. If he had never loved her, Othello would not have become jealous and killed her. And so, she would have lived, if not for his love.
- SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Othello.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 29 Nov. 2017.
