Iago's Use Of Figurative Language In Othello

In this scene of Othello, Othello is killing Desdemona. All of Iago’s wicked thoughts have all sunk into Othello’s mind and Othello needs no more convincing that his wife is cheating on him. Even though Desdemona has been nothing but faithful Othello still believes she has cheated and must pay the price with her life. In these lines he compares Desdemona to many different things such as a light, a rose, and a statue through the use of figurative language. At first Othello is comparing her to a statue referring to her skin as “monumental alabaster” however, he keeps reflecting on the fact that her skin is so white. He says “whiter skin” which literally means white skin. I am not sure that Othello is talking about how white her skin as a race thing or how her skin is so white almost lifeless (death). Then I also think about how white means pure and he could be calling her pure, but that would contradict his reasons for killing her.
He mentions that if he kills her he can no longer have her and she will wilt/decay away. Then he says he can smell it on a tree which I do not really understand. Roses grow on a bush not a tree so may be this means something different. Maybe in a sense this may mean he placed the rose in the tree and like he can place her body in the ground? However, I do like that he compares her to a rose because roses are beautiful but at the same time can hurt you because they have thorns. This is truly Desdemona in Othello’s eyes. Othello did love his beautiful Desdemona and still does but cannot bear the thought of her cheating on him. But when Desdemona “does” cheat on him, we know she really does not, it hurts Othello. (The hurt can be seen as the thorn part of the rose) The hurt is so unbearable that he finds the only way to get rid of it is through the act of