Shakespeare's Othello is, among other things, a play about words. The essence of each character is expressed through a distinct idiom, and each character succeeds or fails, at least to some extent, because of language. A passage from the temptation scene, 3.3.191-222, shows how Iago uses language to manipulate Othello, and how Othello's language in turn expresses his descent from reason toward jealousy. This passage is a provocative example of how, in Othello, words not only express but actually create the characters' changing realities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay One of the main ironies of Othello is that most of its characters are incapable of recognizing the hidden meaning of words; as a result, they remain ignorant of the scripts generated by the language they follow. Iago is the only character fully capable of deconstructing language and using it for manipulative purposes (Hall 45). In his efforts to convince Othello of his wife's infidelity, Iago uses language to create an air of intimate trust. His tone is falsely benevolent as he sows suspicion in Othello's heart: "now I will be right / To show you the love and duty I bear you / With a more frank mind" (3.3.193 -95). Iago's selfish repetition of "I hope you will consider what is said / Comes from my love" (3.3.216) reinforces Othello's sense of comfort. To appear even more serious, he feigns hesitation with phrases like “I speak not yet of proof” and “I humbly beg your pardon / For loving you too much” (3.3.196, 214). This claim to sincerity coupled with humility makes his adultery theories about Desdemona all the more convincing. His hesitation also calls for responses from Othello and thus allows Iago to check the progress of his manipulation. Iago uses language not only to give himself an illusion of credibility, but also to create a connection between himself and Othello. In this passage, Iago's speech is elevated to match the quality of Othello's speech and thus gain his trust. This unusually high language contrasts with his prose language, which is more in keeping with his crude nature. (The only two other characters to speak in prose are Desdemona and the Clown. The prose is assigned to the Clown to reflect his lower social rank; Desdemona uses prose in moments intended to emphasize his pure nature.) An example of the foul language of Iago can be found in Act Two, Scene Three when he speaks to Cassio about Desdemona: “I will guarantee her full of game… | lieutenant, / I have a stoup of wine, and here without me some / two gallant Cypriots who would like to have a measure for the health of black Othello" (19-29). This contrasts with the delicate nature of his speech in the lines 215 to 20 of the temptation passage: “I hope you will consider what is said / Comes from my love / But I see that you are moved / I must beg you not to force my speech / Towards grosser problems. , nor towards a greater scope / Than to suspect "Not only prose but also soliloquies and asides are absent from lines 3.3.191-222. There is also no interruption in this intriguing and one-sided dialogue. Presumably, these kinds of hints to the public would distract from the growing intimacy between the two men. The blank verse used by Iago instead creates a concentrated atmosphere of emotional connection between Othello and Iago, which culminates in Othello's declaration in line 215: "I am bound to you forever." » In act three, scene four, the connection is formally staged atthrough the symbolic exchange of wedding vows between the kneeling servant Iago and his victim Othello (room 47). As the passage continues, Othello's psychological transformation is evident in the words he speaks – or does not speak. The first thing to note about Othello's reactionary language in this passage is not its quality but its quantity. Despite his reputation and overall importance, Othello only speaks eight of the passage's thirty-one lines. The first three lines of Othello introduce a motif of the passage: the erasure of one's doubt. The rest are just simple responses or echoes to Iago's manipulations: “You say so? » ; “And that’s what she did”; "I'm not going." All of them show Othello's weakened mind and complacent tone. “I am bound to you forever” in line 213 also echoes Iago, who, in line 195, introduced the idea that the two men are linked by fate. Othello's "Not an iota, not an iot" in line 215 recalls Iago in line thirty-six when he says, "Nothing, my lord; or I know not what." The repetition of nothingness and contradictions allows us to see more clearly Othello's helplessness in the face of Iago's overwhelming verbal and emotional assaults. Iago is a miserable man and knows “I am not what I am” (2.3.42). He now shares his feeling of nothingness with his “noble lord”. In 3.3.106, Othello cries to Iago: “By heaven, you echo me. Of course, the opposite is true; As Othello falls under Iago's spell, his language becomes more and more like Iago's. For example, we see the ironic tone that Othello borrowed from Iago. The ironic language was inconsistent with Othello's secure identity, but now that jealousy has taken hold of him, he can shout things like: "I am mistreated, and my relief / It must be hate. Oh curse of marriage. / That we call these delicate creatures our own, / And not their appetites!" (3.3.267-269). An example of Othello reflecting Iago's language appears in 207-8: "She loved them best. / And so she did." Another example of echo is found in lines 195 and 213 respectively. Iago states: "how bound I am", to which Othello responds "I am bound to you forever', from this link, insinuations can clutter the Moor's once open mind. Iago commands 'Why go there then!' . Ironically, Iago, the man who misleads Othello, advises Othello against being blinded by the truth He reminds Othello of his darkness by visualizing Desdemona seeming to "tremble and fear [his] looks" (3.3.207). Then he warns that Desdemona was able to "see her father's eyes as close as oak..." (3.3.210) and alludes to the falconry practice of sewing up the falcon's eyes. Another irony. is that Othello begins the passage with a declaration of his commitment to the truth: “I will see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; / And on the proof there is only this: / Leave immediately. with love or jealousy!" (3.3.191-193). Gradually, however, Othello adopts the language of a dissembler in lying to himself or at least to his former identity. Keep in mind: this n is just a sample Get a custom paper now from our expert writers Get a custom essay While Iago is able to cover up his ruse by exposing his own actions, Othello is an inexperienced liar He learns to lie by. echoing Iago's thoughts As the passage discussed is at the beginning of Othello's negative transformation, his language has not yet completely deteriorated. However, a suggestion of his next speech habits appears in line 191, where. his use of., 1998.