Othello, The Moor of Venice
Lago
The character of Lago in the Shakespeare play, Othello, is known as a villain. He’s known for letting the power of jealousy take over him and cloud his judgement. He has a sense of humor in some of his scenes. He is very good at telling lies and manipulating the other characters into getting them to trust him. He also can be perceived as being a coward. In the play we find out that jealousy and love can be a bad combination when it comes to the heart.
During the play there are several Sililoquies where lago simply speaks to himself to give the audience a better understanding. In the next few paragraphs we will look at a few from him.
First, in Act 1, Scene 3, Lago talks about his plan to get revenge on
…show more content…
He let us know that he really didn’t love her that it was only out of revenge to hurt Othello because he truly believed he slept with his wife. He feels that if he can get Othello to believe him enough than Othello will want to kill him for sleeping with his wife and therefore carry out his plan of revenge. Lago says, "A most dear husband. Now, I do love her too, Not out of absolute lust-though peradventure I stand accountant for as great a sin- but partly led to diet my revenge” (Scene 2, Act 1, lines 293-296) (Bevington, …show more content…
He knows that this will only push him to believe that this affair is true. Basically, he says how just a little bit of insecurity or jealousy can poison your mind and take over your thoughts. Lago makes the claim when he says, “I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin, And let him find it. Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ. This may do something. The Moor already changes with my poison. Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons, Which at the first are scarce found to distaste, But, with a little act upon the blood, Burn like the mines of sulphur” (Act 3, Scene 3, lines 336-345) Bevington,
As Iago subtly plants these suspicions of Desdemona, Othello jumps to conclusions. He immediately questions himself, “Why did I marry?” (III.iii.66) This instant doubtfulness towards Desdemona is a huge mistake made my Othello. If he were able to think rationally and consider Desdemona’s innocence before jumping to conclusions, then all of this could have been avoided. However his inability to trust his own wife increases his anger towards her tremendously and the desire to kill begins to build up inside him. Later on, when Lodovico arrives at Cyprus in Act 4, Desdemona and him discuss Cassio and Othello’s situation. Othello is irritated by Desdemona’s friendly comments about Cassio and lashes out, striking her and calling her a devil. Afterwards, Lodovico is shocked, questioning, “Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate call all in all sufficient?” (IV.i.93) Referring to him as a once “noble Moor” explains how worthy Othello’s reputation was before coming to Cyprus. However, Lodovico can no longer imagine this is the same Othello he once knew, proving that Othello has changed quite a bit since his arrival at Cyprus. Before Cyprus, Othello would have never struck his wife in public, but Iago’s manipulation has caused his anger to finally break out. Othello does not have the confidence within himself to believe in Desdemona. Therefore,
This soliloquy shows how Iago tries to deceive Othello by asking Cassio about Bianca who is a prostitute crazing about Cassio. Because Othello is too jealous of Cassio, so he will definitely misunderstand that Cassio is talking about Bianca, but Desdemona. Before this, Iago already put a “worm” in Othello’ ears that Desdemona is cheating on him. Although Othello wants to believe Desdemona’s purity and innocence, but Iago keeps faking things between Desdemona and Cassio. Furthermore, Othello never tries to ask Desdemona and Cassio the truth; he only listens to Iago’s words which becomes his fateful weakness. It is easy to tell that in this play; people’s motivations to do bad things are driven by jealousy. Iago jealous of Cassio who chosen by the moor as his lieutenant, so he decides to take revenge on the moor and Cassio. Othello also jealous of Cassio who “wins” Desdemona, so he wants to kill Desdemona and Cassio. Therefore, jealousy is the basically the factor that leads to all the tragedies.
Iago is a very tricky character; he pretends to be a loyal servant to Othello, but is also secretly destroying his marriage at the same time. There is a lot of dramatic irony throughout the entire play, the audience knows all about Iago’s motives and no one else does. In the beginning on the play Iago talks about his hatred towards Othello and gives the audience an inside view on all of his true motives. “I hate the Moor, / And it is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets / He’s done my office. I know not if ’t be true, / But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, / Will do as if for surety.” (Othello 1.3.366-370) Iago has heard some rumors that Othello has slept with his wife and that gives him enough hatred to try and destroy Othello. He also wants Cassio’s position so he decides to take down both Cassio and Othello with one lie. “After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear / That he is too familiar with his wife. / He hath ...
Here he is saying that he kills her out of an act for justice, despite the fact that he still loves her, because it is the honorable thing to do. When Othello learns the truth behind Iago’s treachery, he is not able to kill him because already he has seen the consequences of killing a person he loves. Instead, he leaves Iago to the authorities. He then proceeds to right the wrongs he has committed in the most honorable manner he can think of, and he kills
The play “Othello” by William Shakespeare was written in 1604 during the Elizabeth era. Othello is one of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s dramas. He enjoyed unheralded success in the combat zone, which gave him the reputation as one of Venice’s most competent generals. Even though he has great success in the battlefield, he has a dramatic flaw that causes a downfall in his life. The dramatic flaw that causes his downfall is jealousy. This was brought on by a simple persuasion of Iago, the evil character in the play. Even though Iago used extreme manipulation to get Othello to be jealous, Iago did not really have to try very hard to get Othello in a jealous state of mind. Othello was blinded by his jealousy which led him down a path of constant questioning of his wife and his friend Cassio. Throughout the play we see his dramatic flaw sink him deeper and deeper into a cloud of doubt which eventually leads him to kill not only his love of his life but also himself.
Iago is a man of jealousy, and he is proposing revenge against Cassio and Othello. " He claims both Cassio and Othello have seduced his wife, Emilia, a warm-hearted, simple woman. He proposes, as revenge of wife for wife, to put Othello into such a jealousy as judgement can cure" (Jorgensen 59). "We know therefore from the start why Iago hates Othello . . . " (Modern 3). Iago's hatred for the Moor is deep, and there is apparently reason. The Ten Commandments teach us to love thy neighbor and to not steal. It seems that Othello has in a sense broken both those rules, or at least that is what Iago wants us to believe. By trying to seduce Emilia he is not loving thy neighbor, and he is trying to steal Iago's wife. The Bible also says not to seek revenge, but to love thy enemy; therefore, Iago is going to also break some rules.
"Othello" is a good example of Aristotelian drama. It is simple play and the focus is on a very small cast of characters. It has few distractions from the main plot and concentrates on just a few themes, such a jealousy, prejudice, pride and honesty. Jealousy is the emotion that drives the action of Othello. It has the classical unities of time, place (setting is in Venice in the first act and Cyprus thereafter) and action. Othello's cast is made up of "ordinary" people of moderate rank, and not of heroic stature and the dramatic action is interpersonal rather than universal.
After learning from Desdemona that Othello is upset, Iago response saying, “Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon / When it hath blown his ranks into the air / And, like the devil, from his very arm / Puffed his own brother—and is he angry? / Something of moment then, I will go meet him. / There’s matter in ’t indeed, if he be angry.” (3.4.154-159) He has seen Othello in battle, keeping his head when men were dying all around him. Iago is a habitual liar, but there is no reason for him to lie about how Othello has conducted himself in battle. He says that if Othello is upset then something must be a good reason behind his anger. Of course, Iago knows the reason but he can not let Desdemona or Cassio know of his plan. Lodovico, a member of Venice 's diplomatic service, makes a similar remark about the Moor’s composer after he smacks his wife. He is in utter disbelief at the man actions. “Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate / Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature / Whom passion could not shake? Whose solid virtue / The shot of accident nor dart of chance / Could neither graze nor pierce?” he asks. (4.1.297-301) Othello is unravelling at this point. His jealous is so strong that he has lost the very nature of his being. Instead of being a calm, collected leader, he is now acting
...f. Iago's clever plan of the hankerchief added fuel to the fire. After Othello became overwhelmed with the idea of his wife cheating on him, Iago then advised him to slaughter his loyal wife while he was told by Othello to kill Cassio. Iago was pleased when he heard Othello's words, "“Good, good. The justice of it pleases, very good”(4.1.161). At this moment after these lines were given by Othello, Iago was appoined as his leuitaenant. Even though Iago's plan was to be leutineneat his is still seeking to kill Cassio to gain revenge and to feel like a man. He created hatred in Othello's heart of Cassio. This all was created through Iago's ability of manipulating Othello in killing Cassio for him. Finally, when the drama was discovered, Othello was caught to be a murderer which meant his loss of lutenicy also. This was Iago's plan to weaken Othello and his confidence.
Othello is one who believes in justice and fairness and will make no exception, even for the love of his life. Ultimately, he murders her because he is, “One that loved not wisely but too well.” (V, ii, 398) This, above all, gives the play its powerful end. Othello’s true flaw is not vile, destructive jealousy, but rather pure and prevailing love.
Scene 1 Act 2 is taken place in a military area. Iago and Othello are there talking
Lago develops hatred toward Othello because Othello has not chosen him to be lieutenant. Othello choses Cassio who Lago believes does not have the knowledge to have such a position as he has no military experience and Lago develops an unhealthy jealousy. Lago also suspects Othello has been sleeping with his wife, Emilia. Regardless of having no proof of such events, Lago choses to believe it is true. Lago rarely refers to Othello by his name but refers to him as “the Moor”, “blackish Othello”, and a “barbarian”, leads the audience to perceive Lago has also being racist against Othello and harbors ill feelings of Othello marrying Desdemona.
Critical Analysis of Iago's Soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3 of Othello by William Shakespeare
The play starts out with Iago not attaining the position he wanted from Othello, but rather the position was given to Cassio, who in Iago's mind is unqualified for the job. This is where Iago starts to spin his web of destruction. Iago hates Othello with a passion, and in his heart he truly believes that Othello has slept with his wife Emilia. "I hate the Moor, and it is abroad that 'twixt my sheets 'has done my office" Othello. Act I. iii. 429-431. Being placed aside for the lieutenant position made him even more mad. He then decided on a plan and took full action upon it "to abuse Othello's ear that he (Cassio) is too familiar with his (Othello's) wife" Othello. Act I. iii. 438-439.
...e and gullibillity are shown as he says “Ay, ‘twas he that told me on her first./ An honest man he is, and hates the slime/ That sticks on filthy deeds./” (5, 2, 179-81) Though Othello’s tragic flaw is exploited completely by Iago until the end of the play, Othello finally realizes that he has been decieved and states “Where a malignatnt and a turbanned Turk/ Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,/ I took by th’ throat the circumsicised dog,/ And smote him thus./” (5, 2, 414-17) Which can be seen as Othello’s recognition and also the killing of the monster that he has become. In a sense, his monologue is stating that he is not killing the real Othello but actuall the “turbanned Turk” that he has become. This last scene is what finally achieves the catharsis of the play.