Othello: style

Shakespeare’s Playwriting Style in Othello

Use of soliloquies

Soliloquies provide vital insight into a character’s thoughts, motivations and emotions.
The use of soliloquies is particularly notable in the character of Iago, who reveals his true intentions through his alone speeches.
Othello also uses this device, allowing us to glimpse his inner turmoil and descent into jealousy and madness.

Verse and Prose

A distinguishing feature of Shakespeare’s writing is his use of iambic pentameter and blank verse. Characters of high rank, like Othello and Desdemona, usually speak in verse.
Lower-ranking characters or comedic scenes often employ prose. For example, Iago often speaks in prose, reflecting his manipulative and deceptive nature, and his status contrast to Othello’s.
Significant transitions between verse and prose can depict mental turmoil or a change in a character’s status.

Language and Imagery

Shakespeare employs rich imagery and symbolism in Othello, enhancing the play’s mood and themes.
Visual imagery is used to represent ideas, such as the handkerchief standing for fidelity and love.
Animalistic and demonic imagery used by Iago represent savagery, deception, and serves to demonise Othello.
The language used in Othello contributes to racist stereotypes and reflections on the concept of ‘Othering’.

Dramatic Irony

The use of dramatic irony heightens the play’s tension and tragedy.
Iago continually manipulates characters and the audience is recursively made aware of his schemes, resulting in dramatic irony.
This technique generates feelings of sympathy for Othello and Desdemona, and builds suspense for the inevitable tragic outcome.

Foreshadowing

Shakespeare uses foreshadowing to hint towards future events.
Othello’s epileptic fit, his self-comparisons to tragic figures, and Desdemona’s ‘Willow’ song, all foreshadow their eventual downfall.
This adds depth to the narrative and creates a sense of impending doom.

Role of Stage Directions

Shakespeare’s playwriting style famously involves few explicit stage directions, leaving interpretation open to directors and performers.
A director’s decisions on the characters’ movements, gestures, and tone of voice can drastically alter the meaning of a scene, adding further layers to an actor’s performance.

By exploring the style of Othello, we can gain further insight into Shakespeare’s skill as a dramatist. His stylistic devices enhance the thematic resonance of the play, heighten the drama, and reveal the deep complexities within his characters.