Hero, Villain or Simply Human?: Iago is the Personification of Evil in Othello
Yin Yang is the concept of duality forming a whole. When people view things as beautiful, ugliness is created. It is impossible to define evil without understanding what is truly good because evil balances out the good in this world. A person who senses the vitality in another and deliberately harms him/her or is not able to grasp the concept of feelings like love and happiness, or one who consciously harms others, and feels completely justified in doing so is the epitome of evil. In Shakespeare 's Othello, this juxtaposition of good and evil is clearly evident in the characters of Iago, and Desdemona. Iago use of hell imagery is contrasted with Desdemona 's heaven …show more content…
The imagery Shakespeare uses with regards to light, reflects honesty and modesty. When Othello is about to attempt murdering his wife by suffocating her, he begins admiring her and her beauty. He begins to justify his reason to kill her and how he will go on about doing so, saying: “Put out the light, and then put out the light: / If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, / I can again thy former light restore” (5.2.7-9). Othello clearly identifies the "light" as Desdemona 's life which connects to the loss of honesty and modesty. When Othello first says “put out the light”, he refers to the literal light in the room coming from the flame. He cowardly decides to do it in the dark, so he won 't see what he is doing, and avoid getting his identity caught by Desdemona. Moreover, the second time Othello repeats the phrase, he is referring to Desdemona 's “light”. Desdemona will no longer be alive, nor will her modesty and honesty, one he manages to kill her. The image of brightness conveys hope for new beginnings. When Desdemona awakens in her slumber at midnight with Othello hovering above her, kissing her, she notices the tremble in his body, and light in his eyes. She finally realizes, her beloved husband, Othello, is about to murder her and begs, "Kill me to-morrow: let me live to-night!" (5.2.80). Rather than immediately screaming, and crying to escape, Desdemona desperately pleads for her life, begs for Othello 's sanity, and clings on to the hope of their love for each other. Desdemona feels safer in daylight brightness which reveals the wickedness of the deeds done in the dark, and how the presence of darkness eliminates hope. When it is bright outside, Desdemona hopes she can convince Othello to calm down and listen, saving her life and his sanity. She hopes for a better day tomorrow
Yin Yang is the concept of duality forming a whole. When people view things as beautiful, ugliness is created. It is impossible to define evil without understanding what is truly good because evil balances out the good in this world. A person who senses the vitality in another and deliberately harms him/her or is not able to grasp the concept of feelings like love and happiness, or one who consciously harms others, and feels completely justified in doing so is the epitome of evil. In Shakespeare 's Othello, this juxtaposition of good and evil is clearly evident in the characters of Iago, and Desdemona. Iago use of hell imagery is contrasted with Desdemona 's heaven …show more content…
The imagery Shakespeare uses with regards to light, reflects honesty and modesty. When Othello is about to attempt murdering his wife by suffocating her, he begins admiring her and her beauty. He begins to justify his reason to kill her and how he will go on about doing so, saying: “Put out the light, and then put out the light: / If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, / I can again thy former light restore” (5.2.7-9). Othello clearly identifies the "light" as Desdemona 's life which connects to the loss of honesty and modesty. When Othello first says “put out the light”, he refers to the literal light in the room coming from the flame. He cowardly decides to do it in the dark, so he won 't see what he is doing, and avoid getting his identity caught by Desdemona. Moreover, the second time Othello repeats the phrase, he is referring to Desdemona 's “light”. Desdemona will no longer be alive, nor will her modesty and honesty, one he manages to kill her. The image of brightness conveys hope for new beginnings. When Desdemona awakens in her slumber at midnight with Othello hovering above her, kissing her, she notices the tremble in his body, and light in his eyes. She finally realizes, her beloved husband, Othello, is about to murder her and begs, "Kill me to-morrow: let me live to-night!" (5.2.80). Rather than immediately screaming, and crying to escape, Desdemona desperately pleads for her life, begs for Othello 's sanity, and clings on to the hope of their love for each other. Desdemona feels safer in daylight brightness which reveals the wickedness of the deeds done in the dark, and how the presence of darkness eliminates hope. When it is bright outside, Desdemona hopes she can convince Othello to calm down and listen, saving her life and his sanity. She hopes for a better day tomorrow