Explore Shakespeare´s presentation of betrayal in Othello.

Othello, The Moor of Venice is a Elizabethan play written by

Shakespeare. In this masterpiece we find Iago which is one of
Shakespeare most despised and evil villains as he single handedly
manages to provoke the downfall and fall from grace of the better
part of the characters within the play. His betrayal of the better part
of the characters is deep rooted and stems from his resentment
towards Othello for overlooking him when coming to the decision of
the promotion. Betrayal is a theme that runs deep in the novel as it
is embedded in every Act. However, one can claim that Iago is the
first character to be betrayed in the play as his supposedly good
friend Othello chooses a one Michael Cassio over him for the
promotion. This catalyses the entire play. Notwithstanding, there
are many other presentations of betrayal within the play, such as,
the betrayal by Desdemona and Othello to Elizabethan social and
moral values in Venice, Iago´s betrayal to Othello

Othello is the first betrayer and the first to be betrayed, both

involving Iago. One could argue that the whole reason there is such
a intense feature of betrayal in the play due to the first betrayal of
them all, Othello promoting Michael Cassio instead of Iago. As said
by Alexander Crawford: As soon as Othello appoints Cassio instead
of Iago, Iago realises this is a betrayal to him. If Othello can be
capable of such a violation of practises then he can no longer be
trusted. This is what incited Iago to betray and manipulate all of the
other characters, it is solely based on his joust towards Cassio and
resentment towards Othello. This catalyses the novel as we can see
here ¨ there are others who putting on a good show of duty are
really looking out for own interest ¨. Iago is extremely unhappy
about this promotion which triggers his jealousy to betray Othello in
every single way. He begins this betrayal by spreading rumours that
his betrothal to Desdemona involved witchcraft, this was in the
attempt to ruin his reputation and get him fired. This is a clear
example of how Elizabethan context comes into contact with the
play as in that time black people where assumed to be of a lesser
importance and often related to animals, as Loomba argues:
portrayal of Othello stands at the complicated crux of contemporary
beliefs about black skinned people as they were often typed as
godless, bestial and hideous . What Shakespeare was intending to
do here was to play on this racial discrimination so that Iago and
Othello´s relationship had something to be based off when
according to betrayal. This makes sure that Iago has a basis off
were to start with his massive betrayal.

On this subject, this important racial intolerance his also presented

as betrayal within the betrothal of Desdemona and Othello,
Shakespeare intended their marriage to be so shocking that it was a
betrayal to society morals and values itself. It was of such
importance that a young woman would have married an older black
man in the Elizabethan times that it became a presentation of
betrayal within the play. Iago plays on this social discrimination to
furthermore betray Othello himself as he goes to Barbantio in order
to make this a betrayal to him as well. Shakespeare makes this very
clear in the scene where Iago and Roderigo are screaming outside
Barbantio`s house, calling Othello a ¨black ram that is ¨tupping¨ his
daughter. Here we can see the racial intolerance that is used for the
betrayal of Othello, it links in to the presentation of betrayal within
Othello because it is used as an agent to aid Iago when he is
betraying said characters. This betrayal by Desdemona to her father
is also accentuated by their elopement. She goes behind her fathers
back and marries othello without his permission. This presentation
of betrayal is yet again on the moral side of the spectrum. Due to the
times in which this play was written for the audience in
shakespearean times would have even felt a hint of betrayal
themselves as a young woman would go behind her fathers back
when she still belonged to him so to speak. Women were seen as
objects that were passed from being a daughter to a wife and never
a women herself, this idea of sexual discrimination is also viewed by
Loomba in her critic of Othello. This fits in perfectly with the
betrayal portrayed in othello as shakespeare uses this
objectification of women to make desdemona act even more
astounding and harsh to both the characters in the play and the
audience. Hence, the betrayal here is presented by having
desdemona which would have initially been the property of her
father, have her betray those principles of the time and become a
wife without her fathers consent. The presentation of betrayal in
othello that the paragraph above attempts to describe is the moral
and social side of the spectrum that is used to aid and facilitate the
betrayal within the play.

The final betrayal of the novel also belongs to Othello as he betrays

his wife by stabbing her on false accusations of adultery. Othello
thus betrays Desdemona as well as himself as he betrays his
characteristics of a fantasy of interracial love as said by Loomba.
Othello betrays Desdemona, and this is more shocking to a
contemporary audience, as Desdemona should have had a chance to
explain herself. Shakespeare presents betrayal here as a self
dramatisation, as said by Leavis, by Othello, he lets his ego, the fact
that he did not want to ruin his reputation, and his jealousy get in
the way of his sight and what was real and thus Shakespeare
creates one of the most important betrayals of all time. A husband
to a wife. Additionally this last betrayal is linked in to a earlier
betrayal of Desdemona by Iago. by informing Othello that
Desdemona had had an affair with Cassio he is betraying what is
this kind of love for desdemona that he claims to have. Though one
may argue that this love for Desdemona may just be lust or respect
for her ( as in shakespeare times love was used in a different way)
he still is betraying what was supposed to be a friend and yet again
letting his anger take control of his sight and letting him betray
Desdemona, let him love her or not. This is yet another betrayal that
Iago has on his hands. additionally, he also betrays Cassio his
supposed friend. He knows about his drinking problem and yet
decides to get him intoxicated so that he would start a fight. This is
one of the most cruel presentations of betrayal as it is so directly
linked to the character. It is a direct betrayal of Cassio. Shakespeare
did this purposefully so that the audience could truly see the extent
of his true jelousy and envy towards Iago.

Conclusively, there are many examples of presentations of betrayal

within the novel but the most important is his betrayal towards
othello as he betrays him in every way possible by betraying his
friends and his wife, and leading him to commit betrayals himself.