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Turning Points In Act 3 Scene 3 Of Othello

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Act 3 Scene 3 of Shakespeare's play Othello provides a clear turning point in the drama. This scene shows the change that takes place within Othello as a result of Iago's manipulation. Shakespeare explores this change through the key themes of order and disorder, appearance and reality and the power of language.
Through these key themes, Shakespeare demonstrates that it can often be a challenge to distinguish appearance from reality- something everybody has to deal with. When people cannot do this, it can bring chaos where there was previously order. Shakespeare also demonstrates the power of language to generate reality. It can also be a tool for generating false realities. We see this through the way that Iago creates a false reality in Othello's …show more content…

Iago distorts Othello's reality through his powerful use of language. He knows to use trust, self-depreciation and honesty to manipulate peoples’ emotions; he understands the psychology behind these feelings. Iago's 'reluctance' to inform Othello of Desdemona’s infidelity makes him appear honest, tactful and sensitive. Othello begins to construct his own reality, unaware that he is being manipulated by Iago the whole time. Iago describes him as being "led by the nose /As asses are". Shakespeare contrasts the way the two men think to show how Iago is able to deceive Othello. Othello has a black and white attitude to the truth. His truths are absolute and inflexible. He is not prepared to compromise on his high ideals and idealistic view of Desdemona. At the start of the play he refers to her as the "Divine Desdemona" and "the grace of heaven", elevating her to an almost goddess-like status. This is dangerous as when he believes that the one pure thing in his life was false, he begins to doubt everything else around him and his world

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