Deception in Shakespeares Othello Essay - 1503 Words

Deception in Shakespeares Othello Deception, which by its definition is a bad thing and has only one level or degree, is truly not this way at all. Deception appears many times in Othello, but in almost every incident 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. Deception is almost always used through verbal language or body language because it is the easiest way to deceive a person. The reasons, or intentions, a person has for deception determines the goodness (or badness) and (or) severity of the deception. If a person deceives others with good intentions, then, in a way, the deception is†¦show more content†¦The definition of deception in â€Å"THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY† is, DECEPTION- 1. 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 definition states that deception is a trick, a cheat, or a sham, and this implies that all deception is 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. Deception, 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 on him, Desdemona lies and says she has it. Othello â€Å"Lend me your handkerchief.† Desdemona â€Å"I have it not about me.† Othello â€Å"Is’t lost? Is’t gone? Speak: is’t out o’th way?† Desdemona â€Å"It is not 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. Desdemona’s intentions for lying were good,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Deception in Shakespeares Othello670 Words   |  3 PagesDeception in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One may readily perceive the theme of Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† as deception. Deception appears many times in Othello, but in almost every incident the degree of deception is different. Deception is to â€Å"deceive another, illusion, or fraud† (Webster’s New World Pocket Dictionary 69), which is seen as a wrongful act. 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