Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Iago's character analysis in othello
Iago's character analysis in othello
Characterisation iago from othello
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Iago's character analysis in othello
The Devil as Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello
One question that has often been debated amongst literary scholars is what could have motivated Iago to set off such a chain of events which accumulated in the horrific amount of death and tragic consequences that occur in William Shakespeare’s play Othello. On the surface, one could artificially assume that Iago was spurred by two reasons to carry out such a malicious and inhumane plan. His anger of being passed over for lieutenantship by Othello in favor of Cassio, coupled with his inclinations that his wife has slept with Othello, drives Iago to partake in dangerous and seemingly insurmountable actions in order to climb up the social ladder and exact revenge on Othello. Chief proponents of this belief that Iago was solely motivated by these two factors would argue that he was simply a Machiavellian-inspired villain who took action only in the devised betterment of himself and his current status. However, when one delves into Iago’s unholy actions and intentions on a deeper level, it is clear that a metaphysical element exists in his character that when revealed is utterly haunting and truly horrific. A more penetrating analysis of Iago shows that he is not only the embodiment of evil but that he is in fact the Devil himself, who is set on destroying everything that is good in the lives of Othello’s characters.
A main underlying theme that resides in Othello is Shakespeare’s constant usage of outward appearance as opposed to reality. It is Iago, who in the opening act of the play, makes this clearly obvious to the audience stating "I am not what I am"(1.1.65). Although it is not yet revealed to the audience who Iago really is (i.e. the Devil), this statement is a direct rev...
... middle of paper ...
...o: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Literature. N. p.: Random House, 1986.
Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.
Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.
Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.
Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. “The Engaging Qualities of Othello.” Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Introduction to The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. N. p.: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1957
“I am not what I am,” proclaims one of Shakespeare’s darkest and most enigmatic villains, Iago, in the tragedy Othello. Iago’s journey for revenge enables him to become capable of immoral acts, and whilst his malevolence excites us, we are no more intrigued by his attributes than we are of the play’s tragic hero, Othellos’. Rather, both characters’ confrontation with jealousy and their subsequent moral demise as a result of failing to control such an emotion provides the true excitement for audiences. Iago’s spiteful manipulation of Othello makes him a multifaceted character — whose corrupt attributes make the audience examine their own morality. However, the same can be said of Othello; his failure to withstand Iago’s ‘pouring of pestilence’
Iago, the antagonist of Shakespeare’s work, Othello, is often considered purely evil or sociopathic. At first glance, Iago appears to be a static, two-dimensional villain, but he is much more. Shakespeare, renown for his awareness of the human condition, leaves many important aspects of Iago’s life up to interpretation. In published works and critical interpretations, Iago is commonly attached to a myriad of mental illnesses and personality disorders. Because it seems that Iago’s life revolves around Othello and Desdemona, it is understandable how people may suggest that Iago is in love with Othello, or that he is a psychopath with no true motives. Shakespeare never discloses much about Iago’s past, raising the questions:
Lamb, Charles. On the Tragedies of Shakespeare. N.p.: n.p.. 1811. Rpt in Shakespearean Tragedy. Bratchell, D. F. New York, NY: Routledge, 1990.
all companies that were traded on the stock exchanges as well as banking firms and
In Othello, Iago is Shakespeare’s most malicious character and serves as a vehicle to these two themes. Iago despises Othello; he has a strong will to destroy Othello’s life, yet the motive behind his plan goes unexplained. Iago is a great manipulator of the tongue and lies to everyone in order to advance his plan; however, every character in the play considers Iago an honest character, and Othello even associates Iago with light and eyesight. Othello continuously asks Iago to explain or make something clearer. Until the very end, Iago appears to be honest and helpful to the other characters, but underneath this seemingly harmless façade, Iago is a demon with the strongest will; he will stop at nothing until he ruins Othello’s life. Iago uses a positive appearance to enact his
Along his journey in college he was very much intimated by other classmates for racial and he doubted himself even more about his goals and opportunities he has. For example, “You have to stay and prove to them you have what it takes . . . . We all care about and love you” (pg. 97). Cedric was at the point of wanting to run away from his problems and not look back. He had people who cared for him and wanted to make it to the top and not let no one get in his way of making it happen, This making him have second thoughts and convince himself her can do anything and show all the people who doubt him he can make it in college. Cedric is a strong minded boy he might have some worries and scares, but it does something to him, it gives him power, strength to push himself harder to prove everyone
The Motivations of Iago in Othello Have you ever met a devil who does evil for his own sake? Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello could seem like he has good motives, but I feel that he uses them as his excuses. The first thing that I did was uncover Iago's motives. Iago is the most controversial character in Othello. He is able to keep his true thoughts and motives from everyone.
...n the end of the play. Iago is not really evil or the vice character he is the misunderstood and wonderful character who can only be seen through a certain lens before it all goes back to black and white and good and evil fights one another for the main stage again. Shakespeare pulled many themes into this story but in all truth I believe that Iago is true main character, not Othello or Cassio, but Iago with all of his problems and vices, he is the truest expression of being human.
Mowat, Barbara A. and Paul Werstine, ed. Introduction. Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.
Guess?, Inc. designs, markets, and distributes clothing apparel and accessories for men and women. It was created by three brothers, known as the Marciano brothers who grew up in Southern France. Maurice Marciano oversees the company’s design direction, Paul Marciano is the Co-Chairman and Co-chief officer, and Armand Marciano is the Senior Executive Vice President . They were inspired by the American western tradition to begin the clothing designs of Guess ?. After Bloomingdale’s agreed to purchase two dozen of their jeans as a favor they were sold out with in hours. That’s when, in 1981, the official Guess ? label was born, and would become one of the most recognized brand names.
Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.
Shakespeare. Othello. The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. Rossi. New York: Longman, 1999. 312-379.
In this tragedy, Othello, Shakespeare, has created a villain who behaves in this manner. Iago’s hatred, method of revenge, and vengeful hatred are the reasons for the lives lost in this play and the reasons that led to Iago’s downfall. Iago’s hatred of Othello and Cassio causes him to seek revenge, and he is able to succeed because his victims are too innocent to suspect him. Iago is a Machiavellian Shakespearean character who cunningly convinces his victims of his full moral support and proves his innocence in a way that his victims do not suspect him. When Cassio finishes his conversation with Desdemona about how he will not have his job back, Iago unfolds his mischievous plan against Desdemona when he says that, “so will I turn her virtue into pitch, And out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all” (Shakespeare, 49).
During this period the world trade has increased more than 300%, the world nominal gross increased by 250% and exports of goods and services increased by 340% (Gunter and van der Hoeven, 2004). These increases are mainly through the liberalization of world trade. The higher the income per country, the higher the increase of international trade (Gunter and van der Hoeven, 2004). The high income countries are mostly developing countries, because the developing countries had higher levels of protection than industrialized countries, they had a higher increase of international trade. Foreign direct investments as well as portfolio investments have decreased in low- and middle-income countries, high-income countries had a significant decrease and china and India had an increase (Gunter and van der Hoeven, 2004). The production of goods has been internationalized, such as assembling and producing products in different countries (Gunter and van der Hoeven, 2004). Opponents of globalization believe that the increase of economic drives multinationals in a “race to the bottom” to manufacture in countries with the lowest labor costs and the weakest labour standards (Gunter and Van der Hoeven, 2004). Proponents of globalization believe that if nations produce their products they are best in, will result in a more efficiency and productivity
The friction's that arise due to the process of globalization are enormous, the burden of this process falls upon the countries, governments, and the actual citizens. The latter is the hardest to fall or we may say the one that will carry most of the burden no matter how the leaders justify this movement. The upraise of the global market lead to the division of the world in to three categories: first world country -developed -, second world country -communist-, and thirdly the third world country -developing-. Later this division was shifted to the first and the third divisions only. The attempts by the governments of the third world countries to become uniformly united with the first world countries is what lead them to step over its own sovereignty. How is that threat accompanied with globalization ?