Реферат: Act III Scene Iii Of Othello Essay

jealousy, telling him stories that damn Cassio and mention the handkerchief,

which makes Othello angry and distracts him from the fact that he has seen no

proofs at all. Othello trusts Iago’s words to convey proof, and is

disillusioned by Iago’s dishonesty; yet, Othello only realizes later that he

has been tricked and has seen no proof, when it is too late for him to take his

actions back. Iago

subverts Othello’s wish for "ocular proof" by making it seem painful

and impossible to achieve; they would have to catch Desdemona and Cassio

actually being unfaithful, which Othello cannot bear to imagine. So, instead,

Iago offers up other "proof," thus clearing him of the impossible

charge of "ocular proof"; "if imputation and strong

circumstances which lead directly to the door of truth will give you

satisfaction, you might have had," he tells Othello (lines 403-5).

Naturally, Othello, already in doubt of his wife’s honour, falls into this

rhetorical trap; Iago is now free to condemn Desdemona through suspicion, with

only the smallest bit of "ocular" evidence. This act

represents the beginning of Othello’s giving up language; until this point in

the play, Othello has spoken with beautiful images, convincing speechifying,

and used his language to express the eloquence and beauty in his soul. From

this point forward, notice how Othello’s use of imagery and story become less

and less frequent, and how he begins to rely upon Iago for speech and

explanation. And just as language is the power with which Othello was able to

persuade Desdemona, his loss of it is a resignation of this power that

attracted her to him. Othello suspects his wife’s language, and Cassio’s as

well; he is distracted from suspicion of Iago, even though it is Iago’s

language, which has taken away Othello’s ability to speak because of

overwhelming grief and jealousy. Othello begins to lose his power over himself,

and over others, when he loses his beautiful language; and this resignation

marks a huge shift in the balance of power between Othello and Iago, as Iago becomes