Literary Techniques In Shakespeare's Othello

Literary techniques develop the play Othello in a complex way, though it was written in the 16th century; many elements Shakespeare uses in this play are used in present day. Othello’s not your ordinary play you’re used to seeing in present day for various reasons, even the opening act starts off in the middle of a conversation between Rodrigo and Iago which is unorthodox because many plays spend time developing certain characters. Everything from this play can be looked, examined and picked upon, including the setting, characters dialogue, and foreshadowing in some instances, even representation managed to make their way into the play. Shakespeare manages to develop various characters from the play in a successful manner but two characters certainly standout Iago, who is said to be the antagonist and the main character of the play in a careful manner Othello, whom the play is named after is an extremely odd character.

Shakespeare develops Othello who is a black high ranking general who gets little to no respect throughout the play. Othello was a general in the

In the first scene, he expresses his anger toward Othello for not choosing him to the position of lieutenant and instead choosing the much younger and unexperienced Cassio. Jealous and resentful Iago wants everyone else to feel how he does so he plans to manipulate the other characters. He manipulates Othello by using his own fears against him and he also takes advantage of his insecurities. Iago makes groundless accusations toward Othello, for example by saying “It is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets / He has done my office” (I.iii.369–370). Claiming that Othello slept with his wife, Emilia. Later on in the play Iago mentions that he wants to go after Desdemona because Othello went after his wife, he wants to get even he expresses this by saying “wife for wife”