Geographical juxtaposition is not uncommon in the brilliant works of William Shakespeare. In his famous play Othello, Shakespeare exploits the striking contrasts between the two settings of the story, the two cities of Venice and Cyprus. Shakespeare presents the environmental, moral, and behavioral dichotomies between Venice and Cyprus (and between the characters in these environments) as they relate to the central meaning of trusting one's instincts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The environments of Venice and Cyprus, respectively, cultivate the instincts and rationality of their citizens. Venice, in northern Cyprus, is a place where law and order dictates society; civilization prospers and, as the overwhelming number of wealthy senators (i.e. Senator Brabantio, Desdemona's father) in Othello suggests, many are prosperous. The orderly environment of Venice is relevant to the idea that one should trust one's instincts. We are able to think rationally about Venice because the city is not in chaos like its opposite (the city of Cyprus). For example, the Duke of Venice – when bombarded by Brabantio's absurd thesis that Othello is using witchcraft to woo his daughter, Desdemona – uses his sensitivity (cultivated by his environment) to refute the claim that would later be rejected in a formal trial. He is able to trust his instincts because it is impervious to the chaotic environment of Cyprus (I. I). On the other hand, the chaos of Cyprus obscures the thinking and rationality of several characters. Cyprus serves as the setting for the scenes in which Iago's evil plan to assassinate Desdemona's character unfolds and he coerces Othello into believing the absurdities after making multiple claims (that Desdemona is unfaithful to her lover Othello). Othello should have trusted his initial thought (in Venice) that Desdemona was a faithful wife; Yet Cyprus's fast-paced environment of perpetual war and invasive colonization shatters its sound logic. The contrasting morals of the standards of Cyprus and Venice also relate to Othello's central message of trusting one's instincts. The text of Othello makes it clear that the Venetians place great importance on morality; in Cyprus, the same standard does not exist for Cypriots. The Venetians are known for their upright morals, while the people of Cyprus have more than just an unbalanced sense of morality. Shakespeare presents these moral differences in the very first scene in which Iago begins to reveal his plan to destroy Othello. When Iago and Roderigo claim that someone has stolen Senator Brabantio's property (in order to draw Brabantio's attention to his daughter's secret suitor, Othello), Brabantio responds, "What are you telling me about stealing?" It's Venice. (II 108-9) His first reaction indicates that he believes that the people of Venice are above acts of theft. If he had ignored the absurd claims as his instincts would have encouraged him, he would not have had to receive the heartbreaking news that his daughter had married the Moor – information which he would have preferred to ignore. Residents of Cyprus, on the other hand, view theft as normative, as the crime was likely common given the loose system of law and order. Finally, the behavioral dichotomies of the Venetian characters in Cyprus reinforce the idea that one must trust one's intuition. For example, Cassio, Othello's second-in-command, is one of the most respectable men in the play, both in his words and his actions; however, Iago murders Cassio's character.