| Themes | Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work |
| The incompatibility of Military heroism, and love | – Othello above all is a solider- Desdemona is Othello’s “fair warrior” he is happiest when he has her with him in the middle of military conquest or business- he predicates his success in love on his success as a solider |
| The Danger of Isolation | -Once Othello moves from Venice to the island of Cyprus, himself, Desdemona, Iago, Emilia, and Roderigo have little to do but prey upon one another.- Iago is an expert at manipulating the distance between characters- self-isolation -> self-preservation -> self-destruction |
| Motifs | Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes |
| Sight and Blindness | -Desdemona is able to see Othello for what he is in a way that even Othello himself cannot-Othello’s color means nothing to Desdemona- Othello is frequently convinced by things he cannot see (Iago’s story of seeing Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief) |
| Plants | -Iago is strangely preoccupied with plants- Characters in the play seem to be the product of certain inevitable, natural forces, which, if left unchecked, will grow wild.- Iago plants his seeds in the minds of others |
| Animals | -References to animals convey a sense that the laws of nature are the primary forces governing the characters in the play. |
| Hell, Demons, and Monsters | – This imagery shows the jealousy-crazed characters as grotesque, deformed, and demonic-showing jealousy and betrayal |
| Symbols | Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors, used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. |
| The Handkerchief | – To Desdemona = a symbol of Othellos love- To Othello = a symbol of faith and chastity- Virginity and fidelity- Manipulated by Iago |
| The Song “Willow” | – The song’s lyrics suggest that both men and women are unfaithful to each other- Desdemona = melancholy/acceptance of her alienation from Othello |
Othello Themes, Motifs & Symbols – study
July 8, 2019