Othello: Contrast Between Light and Darkness
Contrast between Light and Darkness
The contrast between light and dark and black and white carries a great deal of importance in Othello. I think that these contrasts apply to Othello physically because of his skin color, which is black, and metaphorically to the progression of the play and Othello’s killing of Desdemona. A strong possibility for the reason Iago wanted to bring down Othello could have been because Othello was black. It is feasible to think that Iago just couldn’t stand to see a black man in power and that he was a racist. A black man in a position of power would have definitely had a few people upset especially in those days. When Iago speaks to Desdemona’s father Barbatio, Iago refers to Othello as “the black ram” and “the devil”. These words that Shakespeare used could be a hint as to why Iago wants to bring Othello down. All of this explains the physical aspect of the contrast between black and white, Othello vs. Iago. I believe that the metaphorical part of the light and dark contrast applies to when Othello suffocates Desdemona. Othello essentially puts out Desdemona’s light and covers her with darkness by killing her. This also could be considered physical because Othello is black and Desdemona is white. I feel that the light and dark contrast applies especially to this murder because before Othello kills Desdemona he wakes her up and says: “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, put out the light. I will kill thee, and love thee after, it strikes where it doth love”. Othello literally says put out the light in this quote. This leads me to think that putting out the light is ending Desdemona’s life. The light is a metaphor for Desdemona’s life and Othello puts it out by suffocating her. I also believe the light and dark contrast can apply to Iago. Iago is the darkness throughout the play that causes all of the problems and slowly puts out everyone’s light. Iago successfully ruins everyone’s lives and
The contrast between light and dark and black and white carries a great deal of importance in Othello. I think that these contrasts apply to Othello physically because of his skin color, which is black, and metaphorically to the progression of the play and Othello’s killing of Desdemona. A strong possibility for the reason Iago wanted to bring down Othello could have been because Othello was black. It is feasible to think that Iago just couldn’t stand to see a black man in power and that he was a racist. A black man in a position of power would have definitely had a few people upset especially in those days. When Iago speaks to Desdemona’s father Barbatio, Iago refers to Othello as “the black ram” and “the devil”. These words that Shakespeare used could be a hint as to why Iago wants to bring Othello down. All of this explains the physical aspect of the contrast between black and white, Othello vs. Iago. I believe that the metaphorical part of the light and dark contrast applies to when Othello suffocates Desdemona. Othello essentially puts out Desdemona’s light and covers her with darkness by killing her. This also could be considered physical because Othello is black and Desdemona is white. I feel that the light and dark contrast applies especially to this murder because before Othello kills Desdemona he wakes her up and says: “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, put out the light. I will kill thee, and love thee after, it strikes where it doth love”. Othello literally says put out the light in this quote. This leads me to think that putting out the light is ending Desdemona’s life. The light is a metaphor for Desdemona’s life and Othello puts it out by suffocating her. I also believe the light and dark contrast can apply to Iago. Iago is the darkness throughout the play that causes all of the problems and slowly puts out everyone’s light. Iago successfully ruins everyone’s lives and