Analysis of the first act: Iago’s plot

On the stage of the first act, Iago is preparing his long-time plot against Othello by a cunning use of language. The intelligent reader may understand that he is working on two different levels in order to damage Othello’s life: the public level and the private level.

On the private level, Iago tries to frustrate Othello’s plans to marry Desdemona. Indeed he encourages Roderigo, a venetian gentleman in love with Desdemona, to warn Brabanzio, Desdemona’s father, of the secret marriage between Othello and Desdemona. In his plans, Iago wants to poison his delight, as he says to Roderigo. In the same exchange Iago adds: proclaim him in the streets, incense her kinsmen, and, though he in a fertile climate dwell, plague him with flies: though that his joy be joy. Yet throw such chances of vexation on’t, as it may lose some colour. In the exchange Iago reveals his purpose to damage Othello’s happiness. What is the reason of such hate? The reason is rooted in Iago’s jealously of Othello’s higher social position and serenity. Contrary to the appearance, Iago is a character deeply anguished who looks for revenge in order to calm down his troubles and his excessive and unsatisfied ambitions.

But finally, on the private level, Iago’s plan turns out unsuccessful, since Othello and Desdemona manage to convince Brabanzio of their true love.

At the same time, on the public level, Iago plots to ruin the social, political and military importance of Othello; in other words Iago wants to destroy Othello’s career.

What strategies does he use in order to reach his aim? Every time, Iago’s main instrument is language.

Indeed the reader should notice that Iago doesn’t call Othello by name, but he uses the expression ‘his Moorship’ or ‘the Moore’. The choice reveals his purpose to underline Othello’s Arab origins. Iago works on the collective imagination, where, in particular in Renaissance drama, Moors often symbolized something other than human, and often something devilish. The term Moor comes from the Greek work mauros meaning dark or very black: Iago wants to highlight the difference between white ‘normal’ people and the ‘different’ black Moor. Iago exploits  the strength of racism and of the fear of the different.

In addition, in another exchange, Iago advises Brabanzio that an old black ramis tupping his white ewe. The metaphor of an old black ram refers to Othello and it is a clear clue of Iago’s intention. Iago also adds: you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; you’ll have your nephews neigh to you, you’ll have coursers for cousins, and jennets for germans. Once again, Iago exploits metaphors that connect the Moore with the semantic filed of animals: the Moore is compared to a horse.

To sum up, by a cunning use of the language and of rhetorical figures of speech, Iago builds the plot against Othello, both on the private and the public level.