Word Count: 1627
Deception, which by its definition is a bad thing and has only one level or d
egree, is truly not this way at all. Deception appears many times in Othello, but in almost every in
cident the degree of deception is different. There are only a few characters that use deception, and
those characters all use different degrees of deception to get what they want in the play. Deceptio
n is almost always used through verbal language or body language because it is the easiest way to de
ceive a person. The reasons, or intentions, a person has for deception determines the goodness (or b
adness) and (or) severity of the deception. If a person deceives others with good intentions, then,
in a way, the deception is partially good. However, if a person has bad reasons or intentions in dec
eiving others, then the deception is bad. There is also, in contrast to the definition of deception,
debate over what is deception because it is always different in the eyes of different people.
Al
though deception is always meant to deceive, the degree of deception varies upon the context of the
situation. Desdemona gives one example of deception when she hides her relationship with Othello fro
m her father. Brabantio says, “O, she deceives me Past thought!” (1.1.166) Desdemona had reasons for
deceiving her father. Her reasons were very simple, because she loved her father she wanted to prot
ect him. Desdemona knew that her father would eventually find out the truth, but she felt that by hi
ding her relationship with Othello she would be delaying the inevitable pain that her father was goi
ng to feel. Since Desdemona loved her father, she felt that by delaying his pain she would be doing
him a service, and because Desdemona deceived her father out of love, this deception was not severe.
It was however bad, because there was no way in which Desdemona could avoid hurting her father. Thi
s shows that even though Desdemona deceived her father and the outcome was bad, it was not severe be
cause her intentions were good hearted. Another example of the degree of deception was when Iago sai
d to Othello, “She did deceive her father, marrying you” (111.3.205). Iago’s deception, which in app
earance looks similar to Desdemona’s deception, is in fact very different. When Iago says this to Ot
hello, he is trying to anger Othello, and place doubt in Othello’s mind. Iago’s intentions are bad a
nd hurtful, and that is why this incident is in fact much worse and much more severe than the previo
us one. The definition of deception in “THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY” is,
DECEPTION1. The action of deceiving or cheating
b. The fact or condition of being deceived
2. That which deceives; a piece of trickery; a cheat, sham
This de
finition states that deception is a trick, a cheat, or a sham, and this implies that all deception i
s of the same degree. However, it is clear from the previous two scenes that in different situations
deception can have different degrees, and that one thing can be more deceitful than another.
Dec
eption, which is described as trickery, a cheat, or a sham, is considered a very bad thing. However,
it is possible for deception to have good intentions, and this would make deception partially good.
There are many occasions where a person may deceive another and feel he or she has done a good deed
. When Othello asks Desdemona for the handkerchief, because he has suspicions that she is cheating o
n him, Desdemona lies and says she has it.
Othello “Lend me your handkerchief.”
Desdemona “I hav
e it not about me.”
Othello “Is’t lost? Is’t gone? Speak: is’t out o’th way?”
Desdemona “It is n
ot lost” (111.4.52-83)
Desdemona lies to Othello, and tries to deceive him. This, according to
the definition of deception is bad. However, it is not bad. Because Desdemona knew that if she told
Othello the truth he would become very angry, she lied to him and said she had the handkerchief. Des
demona’s intentions for lying were good, because Desdemona loved Othello she decided to protect him
from getting angry. Desdemona thought she had just misplaced the handkerchief, and that she would so
on find it, but if she told Othello she had lost it he would become furious. Since Desdemona thought
she would find the handkerchief soon, she felt that lying about it would do no harm because she wou
ld soon find it and Othello would never know that she had lost it. Desdemona’s intentions for deceiv
ing Othello were good; because she loved him she did not want to up set him over a minor detail like
misplacing the handkerchief. Because Desdemona’s intentions were good, to protect the one she loved
, her deception was therefore good.
Deception can also be completely bad in it’s intent. The pers
on who always has bad intentions in his deception is Iago. Iago deceives many people in the play, an
d one incident is in act 4 when he tricks Othello into thinking that he is talking with Cassio about
Desdemona, when he is actually talking about Bianca.
Iago “Ply Desdemona well and you are sure on
’t.
Now if this suit lay in Bianca’s power,
How quickly should you speed!”
Cassio “Alas, poor
caitiff!”
Othello “(aside) Look, how he laughs already!”(1V.1.106-109)
Iago told Othello that
he would discuss Desdemona with Cassio, and that he would talk about the affair. Iago does not do t
his, instead he talks about Bianca with Cassio and Cassio laughs at things Iago says, Othello seeing
Cassio laugh thinks that Cassio is laughing at Desdemona, and this angers Othello very much. In thi
s scene Iago used both verbal and body language to deceive Othello. Iago used verbal language on Oth
ello by telling him he would discuss Desdemona with Cassio, which he did not do, and he used body la
nguage to deceive Othello by having Cassio move his body in ways that would upset Othello. This dece
ption by Iago was bad because he had no good intentions and only wanted to upset Othello, using dece
ption and illusion. It is clear that there is bad deception, but it is also clear that deception can
be good, because of its intentions, which is shown by Desdemona’s deception.
Deception is also o
pen to debate, because what is deception to one person may not be deception to another person. At th
e end of the play when Iago is discovered his wife Emilia says that he has deceived Othello and told
lies.
“You told a lie, an odious damned lie:
Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie!
She false wit
h Cassio! Did you say with Cassio?”(V.2.179-181)
Emilia says that her husband has deceived Othello
and that what he did was wrong. But Iago disingenuously defends himself by saying,
“I told him wh
at I thought, and told no more
Than what he found himself was apt and true.”(V.2.176-177)
Iago s
ays that all he did was say what he thought, and nothing more. So Iago asks what he did wrong, he sa
ys he told no lies, just opinions and that there is nothing wrong with that. He said what Othello be
lieved was not his fault because all he did was say his opinion and give advice. Iago tried to justi
fy himself to the other characters by this statement, but it did not work for Iago because he did no
t truly believe it himself. Earlier in the play Iago asks himself if he does anything wrong, he says
, “And whats he then that says, I play the villain, When this advice is free I give, and honest,” (2
.3.326-327) this, once again shows that Iago feels that he does nothing wrong. He says that he gives
good, honest advice, and the advisee is under no obligation to follow the advice. What Iago does is
obviously deceitful, but because deception is different in each interpretation, Iago is able to ask
this question and honestly believe that what he does is not deceitful.
Even though deception is
defined as malicious, trickery, cheating, and as a sham, it is evident that deception can be good th
rough its intentions, can have different degrees, and is open to debate because of different interpr
etations. Because Desdemona wanted to spare her father from pain, it was not as deceitful as when Ia
go lied to Othello to put doubt in his mind. Desdemona’s deception to Othello was good because she d
id not want to upset him when she thought that she could fix the situation without him knowing. Iago
’s deception was bad however, because he tricked Othello by lying to him and wanted to hurt him. Fin
ally, Iago was able to believe that he was not a villain because deception is open to debate because
it is different to each person. Shakespeare showed how deception is far different than it’s definit
ion in the “OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY” by giving examples of deception which all differ from the sta
ndard definition.
Works Cited
Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd Ed. Volume 4. 1989.
hakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968.
word count deception which defin
ition thing only level degree truly this deception appears many times othello almost every incident
degree deception different there only characters that those characters different degrees what they w
ant play almost always used through verbal language body language because easiest deceive person rea
sons intentions person determines goodness badness severity person deceives others with good intenti
ons then partially good however reasons intentions deceiving others then there also contrast definit
ion debate over what because always different eyes people although always meant deceive degree varie
s upon context situation desdemona gives example when hides relationship with othello from father br
abantio says deceives past thought desdemona reasons deceiving father were very simple because loved
father wanted protect desdemona knew that would eventually find truth felt that hiding relationship
with othello would delaying inevitable pain going feel since loved felt delaying pain would doing s
ervice deceived love this severe however there which could avoid hurting this shows even though dece
ived outcome severe were good hearted another example when iago said deceive marrying iago which app
earance looks similar fact very when iago says trying anger place doubt mind hurtful incident fact m
uch worse much more severe than previous definition oxford english dictionary action deceiving cheat
ing fact condition being deceived deceives piece trickery cheat sham states trick cheat sham implies
same however clear from previous scenes situations have degrees thing more deceitful than another d
escribed trickery cheat sham considered very thing possible have make partially many occasions where
another feel done deed asks handkerchief suspicions cheating lies says lend your handkerchief have
about lost gone speak lost lies tries according knew told truth become angry lied said handkerchief
lying were loved decided protect from getting angry thought just misplaced soon find told lost becom
e furious since thought find soon felt lying about harm soon never know want over minor detail like
misplacing protect therefore also completely intent many people play incident tricks into thinking t
alking cassio about actually talking bianca well sure suit bianca power quickly should speed cassio
alas poor caitiff aside look laughs already told discuss cassio talk affair does instead talks bianc
a laughs things seeing laugh thinks laughing angers much scene used both verbal body language used v
erbal telling discuss body having move ways upset only wanted upset using illusion clear also clear
shown open debate what play discovered wife emilia lies odious damned upon soul wicked false emilia
husband wrong disingenuously defends himself saying more than found himself true nothing asks wrong
just opinions nothing wrong said believed fault opinion give advice tried justify himself other char
acters statement work truly believe earlier asks does anything whats then villain advice free give h
onest once again shows feels does nothing gives honest advice advisee under obligation follow obviou
sly deceitful each interpretation able question honestly believe deceitful even though defined malic
ious trickery cheating evident through degrees open debate interpretations wanted spare pain lied do
ubt mind want upset could situation without knowing tricked lying hurt finally able believe villain
open each shakespeare showed oxford english dictionary giving examples differ standard works cited o
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