Describe how Shakespeare has manipulated the use of imagery in Othello. Explain how this
deepens our understanding of the characters
In Othello by William Shakespeare, the use of imagery is essential to developing knowledge about the
characters and how they change. Shakespeare manipulates animal imagery, black and white imagery,
magic imagery and hellish imagery to conceive the character of Othello particularly. However it is through
the other characters of the play that we receive this imagery, therefore giving us an insight into the
character of antagonist Iago as well.
In the very first scene in Othello we are confronted by animal imagery from Iago, who is ranting in the
middle of the night to Brabantio that ‘an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.’ Not only does this
quote show us how perverse Iago is, but that here he is comparing Othello to a ram. He uses this to
create a negative opinion of Othello as an uncontrollable wild animal and to cast him as an outsider. This
shows us how Iago is cunning, especially at manipulating ones insecurities and he preys on Othello’s
insecurities as a black foreigner to the rest of the white Venetian society. Further on in the play Iago is
once again comparing sexual relationships to that of animals, this time to provoke Othello. ‘Were they as
prime as goats, as hot as monkeys, as salt as wolves in pride and fools as gross as ignorance made drunk"
is Iago describing Cassio and Desdemona’s fictitious relationship to Othello in a gross way to generate
disturbing images of Desdemona and Cassio’s ‘affair’. This angers Othello, who then forth plans to annul
what he thinks is an abomination against nature, something entirely fuelled by Iago’s deceptive use of
animal imagery. This only re-iterates Iago’s wayward mind and devious nature.
Magic is peppered through the story like ingredients in a cauldron. During the times of Shakespeare
people believed in superstition, witches and sorcery. Shakespeare brought amusement with these subjects
to the stage. For example seizures were believed to be the way the body fights off the devil. When Othello
has these seizures Iago exults in his "medicine" making Iago look like he is concocting something.
Brabantio’s ludicrous accusations that Othello has warped his daughter’s sense of morality through the
use of dark magic are both amusing and powerful imagery. The audience is shown how Othello’s
character is perceived by other characters in the play due to his appearance. Brabantio refuses to accept
Desdemona and Othello’s marriage as he cannot believe that his young beautiful white daughter could
willingly enter a marriage with an old black man. Therefore, Brabantio attributes this union to evil magic
as he is biased against Othello by Iago’s degrading slang descriptions of the General. Throughout the
play, Othello is the only character connected to magic in several instances including the handkerchief his
mother gave him. "'Tis true: there's magic in the web of it" He then tells her that its decorations were sewn
by a two-hundred-year-old prophetess, that its silk came from blessed silk worms, and that "it was dyed in
mummy which the skilful / Conserved of maidens' hearts". This along with his ‘seizures’ and accused
knowledge of witchcraft are used to illustrate Othello as an outsider; Shakespeare is simply re-iterating
Othello’s difference to the rest of the community to draw out his insecurities.
Throughout the entire play, Othello is often defined by his nationality and skin colour by everyone as ‘the
Moor’. ‘The Moor’ becomes almost an identity for Othello as he is the only black character we meet. It is
through this identity that Othello’s status as a black outsider is emphasized. Othello’s interracial
relationship with the white Desdemona is often a topic of conflict throughout the play as Othello’s black
skin colour is symbolic of darkness and evil, which is ironic considering Othello is the general who
protects Venice from the ‘dark’ and ‘evil’ Turks. In their relationship white Desdemona is considered
chaste, pure and innocent whereas black Othello is considered immoral, evil and vile for corrupting
something so pure. Emilia sees directly how Othello is manipulated by his insecurities about his colour. In
Act 5 she blasts Othello for killing Desdemona by saying "O, the more angel she, / and you the blacker
devil!" In Emilia's view, Othello has his morality all turned around; he thinks black is white, and white is
black, Iago is good and Desdemona is bad. Shakespeare uses this purposefully for the audience to
become aware of Othello’s tendency to be ruled by emotions and not by the facts
Othello is extremely preoccupied (particularly towards the end of the play) with his religious and moral
judgments. This is shown to the audience through Shakespeare’s strong use of demonic, hellish and
monstrous imagery. Iago enlightens us on how jealousy is a prominent factor in Othello’s downfall with
monster imagery ‘‘the green-eyed monster which doth mock/ the meat it feeds on’’. In the last Act, once
Othello has learned of Iago’s devious scheme, devilish imagery is especially prominent in Othello’s
language. He calls Iago a devil and a demon several times, and when he realizes he’s unjustly murdered
his wife he cries out “Whip me, ye devils . . . roast me in sulphur, / Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid
fire!” wishing for eternal torture as punishment for his actions. This alludes to Othello’s obsession with his
religious judgment, powerfully amplified by his use of demonic imagery. This is done to intensify the
grotesque and unnatural opinions formed of Othello by the use of animal imagery. Shakespeare creates
this opinion to make the audience question their treatment of black people, not only in the play but
within their community.
The use of imagery is typical of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. It is used throughout all of his plays to
create certain impressions of certain people. In the case of Othello, Shakespeare uses animal, black and
white, magic, and hellish imagery to demonstrate Othello’s outsider status, not only as a black man but as
an isolated character, whose morals and judgments are changed throughout the course of the play.
Shakespeare shows us how human nature changes when isolated, and how weak and malleable you can
become if your insecurities are played on.