Throughout the play, Othello is repeatedly referred to as a devil. In Act 5, right after Othello calls Desdemona a liar for saying that he didn’t kill her, Emilia says to him, “O, the more angel she, / And you the blacker devil!” Here, the reference is obvious. Darkness is the devil and light is heaven or an angel.
In addition to references to heaven versus hell, there are several instances of lightness and darkness in Othello that refer to virtue and vice. For example, right after revealing his plan to sabotage Othello, Iago says, “I have’t! It is engendered! Hell and night / Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.” (I.iii. 395-396). While “Hell and night” represent evil, “the world’s light” represents good. Then in Act 4, Scene 3, Desdemona asks Emilia if she would cheat on her husband. Emilia’s response is “Why would not you?” (IV.iii.65). Of course, Desdemona is repulsed and says, “No, by this heavenly light!” (IV.iii.66). Emilia quickly responds with, “Nor I neither by this heavenly light. / I might do’t as well i’ th’ dark.” (IV.iii.67). Emilia implies that she would cheat on her husband, but she would also hide it. In this case, the “heavenly light” refers to virtue or truth and the “dark” refers to vice and deception. Iago furthers this metaphor when he stabs Roderigo and accuses him, “Kill men i’ th’ dark? – Where be these bloody thieves? - / How silent is this town! – Ho! Murder! Murder! - / What may you be? Are you of good or evil?” (V.i.63-65). Although Iago asked Roderigo to kill Cassio, Iago is acting like he is the virtuous one by accusing Roderigo of killing men in the dark. In all of these passages, it is clear that all things done in the light are virtuous while the crimes committed in the dark - cheating on your husband and murder – are vice.
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