ABSTRACT |
The
present paper examines Shakespeare’s Othello as a reflection on
the nature of language and rhetoric. The tragedy problematizes the
relationship between language and reality, and questions the validity
and ethical implications of the system of rhetoric basically through the
enigmatic figure of Iago. The paper analyzes the rhetorical dimension
of the villain’s discourse and the way it operates on the rest of the
characters’ minds, in an attempt to discover the source of the
persuasive power of his peculiar and unconventional handling of
rhetoric. It explores the rhetorical notion of enargeia or
evidentia as central for the understanding of Iago’s success in
manipulating reality, and analyzes the rhetorical nature of his
revenge. The play shows, in this way, the power of rhetoric and its most
dreadful aftermath, and reveals the susceptibility of the human mind to
be changed by words.
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