Lust all Around

"Three great ones of the city, In personal suit to make me his Lieutenant, Off-capped to him. And, by the faith of man, I know my price, I am worth no worse a place. But her, as loving his own pride and purposes, Evades them, with a bombast circumstance. Horribly stuffed with epithets of war." I.i.8-14

     With the opening act of the story, the main plot details, characters, and conflicts are introduced to the reader. The reader also gets a glimpse of the themes which will dictate the subsequent actions of the characters. Several undeniable themes emerge when glancing over Act I. First is the struggle to keep honor and reputation while advancing one's status. Othello finds this increasingly difficult when he is questioned about his marriage to Desdemona soon after returning from war. However, Iago demonstrates that a character may appear honorable and upright when he is in fact a villanous manipulator. Iago's intention is the same as Othello's and Cassio's: he wishes to be held in high regard but hopes to advance his status. One other theme introduced and prominent throughout the latter half the act was the multiple interests in the love of one person. This is shown when Roderigo lusts after Desdemona, a married woman, to the point of saying, "It is silliness to live when to live istorment, and then have we a prescrpition to die when death is our physician."( I.iii.305-306) These thematic elements are the prime motivation for a majority of the play's action. In fact, they often increase the suspense of the plot and lead to dramatic irony, such as when Iago begins to plot Othello and Desdemona's separation. They are hardly didactic, because most of the unfortunate outcomes so far have been unjust and unexpected.