Integrity In Shakespeare's Othello

Human nature is very complex and so to some extent, we can say the given statement is true however, that is overlooking the changes in personality we see in many of the characters. Although it is true to say the men show gullibility and fraudulent behavior, we cannot disregard the honesty and strength many of the men of Othello display. Whilst Iago is completely duplicitous and deceitful, Cassio displays loyalty and integrity throughout the play. Othello’s nobility cannot be doubted at the beginning of the play, however as he descends into madness we see him lose all sense of reason and ultimately become a copy of him manipulator, in terms of language and irrationality. On the other hand, the females in Othello, all show integrity throughout
However, he is very gullible and as the play progresses we see him fall to Iago’s words and he loses his public face and his gullibility is displayed. As we see Othello deteriorate into madness, we see his language change to from eloquent and refined to vulgar like Iago’s; “ Ay, let her rot and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live.” The use of hyperbole in the words ‘rot’ and ‘perish’ are very boorish and similar to the language Iago uses. The language Othello uses illustrates the extent of Iago’s manipulation. Additionally, it is clear Othello is suffering from extreme internal conflict and cannot make sense of his own thoughts as he thinks he has lost the woman that makes him strong and powerful. Although Othello is an honest character, he is gullible and falls for Iago’s
Desdemona shows strength when she stands up to her father to fight for her love; “My noble father…How to respect you…But here’s my husband;/And so much duty as my mother showed/To you”. This is significant as Shakespeare portrays her clearly subverts the standard image of an Elizabethan woman to stand up for her love. Thus the audience can see her clearly showing strength and power. Emilia is also a very subversive character that displays strength and vigor during the play. When Othello is trying to get information about Desdemona and Cassio out of Emilia, she does nothing but stand up for Desdemona by saying, “I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest,/Lay down my soul at stake.” Her robust and certain tone throughout this dialogue with Othello reaffirms her strength. Emilia continues to display attributes of a subversive woman when she is speaking with Iago and Desdemona; “I will be hanged if some eternal villain,/Some busy and insinuating rogue…Have not devised this slander” The irony that she is speaking to her husband about the villain not knowing it is in fact him highlights her insight and lack of naïveté. While some dispute that Emilia shows deceitful behaviour when she steals the handkerchief from Desdemona, it is clear that she is doing it to please her husband, showing attributes of a virtuous Elizabethan woman. Both Desdemona and Emilia