The process of Discovery involves going through a series of mental or physical challenges to acknowledge something that is unknown. This discovery can either contribute to ones personal development or to ones destruction. In the play ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare and also the poem “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka the Protagonists make many discoveries that lead to their misfortune. Through skilful character synthesis and enforced language techniques Shakespeare and Wole Soyinka outlines the consequences of duplicity within human nature, how discovering false realities can lead to unwarranted feelings and One’s positive discovery may lead to an individual’s negative outcome.
Duplicity within human nature impacts heavily on the outcome of the events in the play. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful to him through deceit. Ironically Othello refers to Iago as ‘honest Iago’, but calls him a ‘lusty moor’ and ‘the Devil’ behind his back. Iago admits his deceitfulness by referring to himself as ‘Janus’; a Biblical Allusion to a two faced god. Othello discovery of this isn’t made until towards the end of the play, after he kills Desdomona. Othello soon realises that Iago has been dishonest and “looks down towards his feet”, metaphorically calling him a ‘fable’. Ultimately Othello undergoes a mental challenge when slaying Desdemona to acknowledge the duplicity of Iago. This discovery leads to the death of Othello as he kills himself besides His love, “to die upon a kiss”. Similarly duplicity is shown widely in the poem by the reference to the black skin of the caller. In the poem duplicity is used more of a white lie, as the caller is being deceitful to the landlady. The land lady asks “How dark?” the caller is and the caller responds with a misleading answer “Like Brunet”. The repetition of ‘silence’ creates tension between both speakers, after he has announced he is ‘African’. This ends in a positive outcome for the