Manipulation Leads to Self Destruction in Othello

In Shakespeare's Othello, isolation is shown in all aspects of the play. The majority of the play takes place on the island of Cyprus. Protected by military fortifications as well as by the forces of nature, external forces seem to present little threat to the island. Although the island does seem to protect them from the outside, it also leaves the characters with nothing to do but prey upon one another. This theme certainly carries …

…everything. This doubt leads the characters to display one thing while really feeling another. The most profound thing that this play says lies in its isolation theme. The island setting is the most subtle yet powerful idea in the play. The characters cannot be islands, meaning that they cannot cut themselves off. This play seems to say that the self isolation of each character so as to cause self preservation leads ultimately to self destruction.