The destruction of innocence in OthelloOne way, albeit partial, of reading the tragedy of "Othello" is also to see it as the destruction of innocence, of trust and love idealized by a cynical and malevolent worldliness, which considers the very existence of innocence and beauty as its motivation: "the divinity of hell". Iago's manipulative malignancy is a crucial factor in the tragic catastrophe, but it also serves to highlight by contrast the play's alternative values, among which can be included innocence and naivety. In the argument below, innocence is understood as inexperience of the world but also as that which is separated from evil. Naivety has the sense of gullibility, even madness, but more positively, it is the condition of the child, trusting, naive and insensitive to the cynical questioning and deception that characterize the world. Shakespeare depicts naivety and innocence primarily, but not exclusively, through the characterization of Desdemona and Othello, and through a range of dramatic techniques: their language, their behavior, their interaction with other characters, imagery which is applied to them, etc. The representation of these qualities is complex and significant in the following areas. First, the vulnerability of innocence and naivety helps drive the play towards its tragic conclusion, although it is questionable whether the primary cause of the catastrophe is the vulnerability of innocence or the ingenuity of wickedness. Second, the values ​​of innocence and naivety comprise values ​​dramatized in opposition to those represented primarily by Iago; each illuminates the other. This is one of the central conflicts of the dramatic action. The contrast between...... middle of paper...... is Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthélemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (pages 1-19) Bloom, Harold. "Introduction" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (1-6) Hale, Steven. Lectures. Perimeter College of Georgia. April 20 and 30, 1999Jones, Eldred. "Othello - An Interpretation" Critical essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthélemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (pages 39-55)Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968. Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthélemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (pages 68-90) Snyder, Susan. “Beyond Comedy: Othello” Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (page 23-37)