Other
Deception in Othello
- Course
- Institution
A full, in-depth A* essay plan exploring the theme of deception in Shakespeare's "Othello", for the Pearson Edexcel A-Level English Literature.
[Show more]
2 reviews
By: mischacarr1 • 6 months ago
By: graceelizabethsothcott • 7 months ago
Seller
Follow
evaagrayy
Reviews received
Content preview
deceptionIntroduction
o Drives plot: male expectation of female deception due to stereotypes of Venetian
women
o Worrall claims Bianca’s is honest, exposed through her name despite her deceitful
reputation
o Desdemona’s honesty can be explored through her last words and motif of the
handkerchief despite the adulterous, deceitful accusations held against her
Othello’s inability to understand honesty v deception
1) Iago as dishonest
o “I am not what I am” and lying, manipulation – devil. Well known biblical motif that
God appears saying the phrase “I am that I am”, so the reversion of this shows a
devilish side (Coleridge “motiveless malignity”)
o Manages to deceive people, Machiavellian – devil traditionally in Elizabethan
stereotypes presented as initially charming/alluring but then realise identity after too
late - extreme dishonesty with no guilt YET Othello thinks he is “honest Iago”
2) Desdemona
o “Strumpet”, accuses her of adultery despite honesty – Blamires says it is Othello’s
inability to understand people’s true natures that leads to the tragic ending
Desdemona’s reputation as deceitful
o Venetian women typically promiscuous (“she has deceived her father, and may
thee”)
o Female deception - strawberries horticulturally related to rose, associated with the
serpent - represents devil, temptation, original sin where Eve is blamed by Adam for
the fall of mankind (represents all women’s in-built tendency to commit sin, arguably
suggesting Othello was destined to accuse Desdemona of adultery due to
handkerchief’s promiscuous message) – Shakespeare explores Venetian women’s
stereotype of disloyalty/promiscuity: since symbols of pure Virgin Mary are sown onto
white handkerchief using “maidens’ hearts”, handkerchief becomes symbol of
purity/fidelity – which is exactly what it becomes to Othello. When Desdemona loses
handkerchief, Othello interprets this as disloyalty/deceit, accusing her of adultery
(handkerchief’s red and white could signify consummation, but that of Desdemona
and Cassio instead of with Othello, OR strawberries are implicit sexual allusion to
female genitalia - when Desdemona loses handkerchief and it ends up with Cassio,
Othello interprets this as Desdemona giving away purity to someone else, showing
disloyalty and adultery
Desdemona’s true identity as pure and honest despite deceitful reputation
1) Last words
o Although Burton says “wives are slippery, often unfaithful”, and Coryat said they
“open their quivers to every arrow”, there is much evidence Desdemona is in fact
pure
o “I am” – repeated motif in Bible to represent Jesus (e.g. “I am that I am”) directly
translating to ego eimi, “I myself”
o Links to Desdemona's last words and biblical events e.g. crucifixion where Jesus, like
Desdemona, wrongly accused and killed
o Shakespeare included this to defend her innocence as it could be used in
Desdemona's defense to prove her innocence
o Strawberries on the handkerchief link Desdemona to the Virgin Mary
o Elizabethan audience would pick up on this motif (same way picked up on “I am not
what I am” meaning Iago was devil)
o (Blamires: results in tragically ironic ending; “strumpet” and accused of adultery yet
supposedly dies a virgin) – women are expected to deceive since Genesis implies it
(especially Venetian women have stereotype of deception) – men’s misunderstanding
of deception Blamires: results in tragically ironic ending; “strumpet” and accused of
adultery yet supposedly dies a virgin)
2) Handkerchief
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller evaagrayy. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.67. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
72042 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now