Othello: Act I

Act I of the play Othello by William Shakespeare begins with showing multiple characters who interact with each other all because of a marriage taking place between Othello and Desdemona. Iago makes it an evil scheme to bring emotional pain upon Othello. This goal demonstrates the thematic topic of hate. In a soliloque, Iago reveals, "And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets | He's done my office" (I,i,365-366). Iago very explicitly states that he hates Othello, but it may be hard to understand why he is experiencing this strong emotion. The above quote in modern terms would simply be that a rumor is going around saying that Othello slept with Iago's wife. This is a logical reason to hold hatred toward another human being, but in Iago's case it is actually ridiculous. Iago is no sure these accusations are true, and yet he assumes they are correct. This theme of hatred sets of like a domino effect and causes more conflict and confusion between the characters. This is not the only scene where hatred is observed when facts are manipulated.