In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice, the heaven and hell motif emphasizes the internal conflicts inside Othello. This scene takes place within the garden outside the citadel, indicated by the footnotes of the passage. The garden is where Iago’s plan unfolds and the audience witnesses the beginning of Othello’s downfall. This parallels the Garden of Eden, where the devil’s plan to corrupt man begins to unfold. The motif of heaven further conveys the conflict Othello is facing. After Iago informs Othello about the possible infidelity of Desdemona, Othello cries out “[i]f she be false, oh, then heaven mocks himself” (Shakespeare 3.3.295). If this revelation is true, that Desdemona is unfaithful, then heaven itself is fake. Iago’s
