Supplementary Image Information
This image shows the theme of manipulation in Othello.
The central and main image is of three chess pieces (the ‘monstrous birth’ mentioned in the quote). The black king represents Othello, the white queen represents Desdemona and the white knight represents Cassio. I have used the different coloured chess pieces to show how Iago was able to manipulate Cassio, Desdemona and Othello as easily as if he were playing a game of chess, using prejudice around Othello’s skin colour as a tool to alienate him from both Desdemona and Cassio. The chess pieces are lying in a pile to show how they were destroyed by Iago and how by the end of the play, Othello and Desdemona are dead and Cassio’s reputation is severely damaged as a result of Iago’s manipulation.
The serpent winding around the chess pieces is an extension of Iago, and represents his cunning and manipulative personality. Iago’s eyes are the shape as the serpent’s to further reinforce this idea. The serpent also serves as a way to connect Iago to the chess pieces and the quote.
The red borders around each element, the red colour of Iago’s eyes and the red colour of the text at the top of the page helps to convey the idea that the whole image is based on a foundation of evil. The red also helps each element to stand out.
