Othello Essay – Power Of Language

Resource Description

Othello offers audiences a highly constructed experience of the power of language. To what extent does this statement align with your view of Othello?

Despite being written in 1603, a time of great uncertainty as Queen Elizabeth’s reign came to an end, Shakespeare’s Othello has captivated audiences by examining compelling concepts, emotions, and characters. Undoubtedly, Shakespeare’s Othello offers audiences offers a highly constructed experience of the power of language, as audiences are able to see how characters display intense emotions for each other through language. Firstly, Iago’s consistent manipulation of Othello’s mind through the power of his speaking manifests in Othello’s own manner, as he begins to adopt Iago’s way of speech, which is even noticed by those around him. The opposing notions of appearance and reality are also established within Othello, as Desdemona’s language often utilises dramatic irony, and Othello and Iago often dramatically oppose each other which allows audiences to view the intensity of Othello’s emotions.