Honesty- 21st Century

Because we are in the 21st century we will study honesty in the sense of not lying or telling the truth. Here are some examples;

• Act II, Scene I Line 191

Oh, you are well turned now,

But I'll set down the pegs that make this music,

As honest as I am

MEANS: (to himself) Oh, you're happy now, but I'll ruin your happiness, for all my supposed honesty.

Iago admits that he his naturally a dishonest person and all he cares about is himself. He plots and lies to everyone that are suppose to be his friends.

• Act III, Scene III Line 265

This fellow's of exceeding honesty
And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,
Of human dealings. If I do prove her haggard,
Though that her jesses were my dear heart- strings,
I'd whistle her off and let her down the wind
To prey at fortune. Haply for I am black
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chanberers have, or for I am declin'd
Into the vale of years- yet that's not much-
She's gone, I am abus'd, and my relief
Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage,
That we can call these delicate creatures ours
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon
Than keep a corner in the thing I love
For others' uses. Yet 'tis the plague of great ones,
Prerogativ'd are they less than the base;
'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death:
Even then this forked plague is fated to us
When we do quicken. Look where she comes.

MEANS: This Iago is extremely honest and good, and he knows a lot about human behavior. If it turns out that she really is running around on me, I'll send her away, even though it'll break my heart. Maybe because i'm black,, and I don't have nice manners like courtiers do, or because i'm getting old- but that's not much - She;s gone, and i've been cheated on. I have no choice but to hate her. Oh what a curse marriage is! We think out beautiful wives belong to us, but their desires are free! I'd rather be a toad in a moldy basement than to have only a part of someone I love, sharing the rest of her with others. This is the plague of important men- our wives betray us more than those of poor men. It's out destiny, like death. We are destined to be betrayed when we are born. Oh here she comes.

Iago puts in Othello's head that Desdemona is cheating on him. He believes him but starts to have his doughts. He thinks about how much he loves her, which is very honest, and

• Act V, Scene II Line 37

And yet I fear you, for you're fatal then
When your eyes roll so. Why I should fear I know not,
Since guiltiness I know not, but yet I feel I fear.

MEANS: You're scaring me. You terrify me when you have that look in your eyes. I don't know why I should be afraid, since I haven't done anything wrong. But i'm still afraid.


We know Desdemona is very honest and always tells the truth. You can feel how honest she is, she is bagging for her life and begging to understand. Goes to show how dishonest Othello becomes.