Demons and Monsters in "Othello"

Throughout Othello, there is lots of imagery of hell, demons, and monsters.   Even the names of Othello and Desdemona contain the names hell and demon respectively.  However, in less serious situations animals instead of demons / monsters are used.  For instance in Act I scene Iago calls Othello a "Barbary horse" and an "old black ram.  Iago later on in scene III of Act I tells Roderigo "Ere I would say I would drown myself for the love of a guinea-hen, I would charge my humanity with a baboon" (lines 330 -331).  There are many, many example of animal themes throughout the play Othello.  However, it is when the imagery of animals will not suffice, that imagery of demons and monsters are used.  This is because, not only do demons and monsters portray the characters as brutish and beast like, but also portrays them as grotesque, deformed, manipulative, and demonic.

Shakespeare's use monsters lead his audience into seeing the horror of what is unfolding in the play.  It also helps emphasize the main parts of the play that will lead to the downfall of that particular character.  For instance, Iago uses monster imagery when telling Othello about how he should beware jealousy as it is the "green-eyed monster which doth mock..The meat it feeds on" (Act III.iii lines 170-171).  Emilia also uses monster imagery to describe jealousy by stating "monster...Begot upon itself, born on itself" (III.iv. lines 156-157).  Both of these comparisons of jealousy and monsters help not only show that someone who is jealous becomes a grotesque, evil creature, but it also shows that just as monsters are not always born monsters, someone who isn't jealous can become jealous. 

Shakespeare uses demons, hell imagery, and damnation whenever a character is considering the morality of something or placing judgment on another.  For instance, when Othello realizes he was wrong about Desdemona and decides to kill himself he states, "Whip me, ye devils ... roast me in sulphur...wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!" (V.ii. lines 284-287).  This is showing that Othello wants eternal and physical torture in hell.  This helps show that while Othello became a monster, he didn't become a fully evil as a devil or demon would be because he regrets what he has done and sees the horror and horribleness of his actions.  However, the true devil in the play is Iago which is made clear when Othello calls him a devil and demon many times throughout Act V scene ii when Othello discovers it was all Iago's manipulation that lead him to do the deeds he had done.

Thus, it is clear that in Othello there was a progression from being human to being truly evil that Shakespeare used to portray how horrible or evil something or someone was.  This progression goes from being human to being an animal, to being a monster, and finally to being a devil.