Character Study of Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello
In 'Othello', Iago works to bring about the downfall of the characters
that he hates, particularly Othello and Michael Cassio. In order to do
this, he uses not only the weaknesses of his victims, but their
strengths and good qualities as well.
Iago says this about Desdemona:
"So will I turn her virtue into pitch,
And out of her own goodness makes the net
That shall enmesh them all" (Act 2 Scene 3)
Iago's victims have virtues, which he uses to undermine them and plot
their downfall. Othello is a noble and heroic gentleman. He is open
and honest. He has a trusting nature and he is romantic. Othello is a
brave person who is not person of words but sorts problems out by
fighting or by action.
Iago says: "The Moor is of a free and open nature,
That thinks men honest that but seem to be so,
And will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are" (Act 1 Scene3)
Othello is courageous and fearless.
"The Moor, nowbe't I endure him not,
Is of a constant, loving, noble nature" (Act 2 Scene 1)
Othello has self-control over his passionate nature. When it breaks,
nothing can stop Othello's rage. Othello is quick thinking and
self-reliant.
He decides and acts instantly, without reflection.
Desdomona has loyalty for her friends "Makes her plead for Cassio's
reinstatement and therefore increases Othello's suspicions of her
unfaithfulness"
Desdemona: I assure thee,
If I do vow a friendship,
I'll perform it to the last article (Act 3 Scene 3)
Desdemona has kindness and goodness, which makes her unsuspecting of
Iago's evil plans.
Ia...
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... respect him a lot.
Cyprus is a rough and tough place. We know this because Othello's life
disintegrates and everything falls apart. There are murders and
drinking. There is no justice in Cyprus. It is a chaotic area.
People lose their jobs and reputation. There's always fighting and
Cyprus is under attack by the Turks.
Cyprus is therefore a good setting for Iago to do his mischief because
there is no law and order in Cyprus. It is easier for him to do it in
Cyprus than in Venice. Justice does not exist in Cyprus because it is
a chaotic place.
The play Othello includes different themes like love, trickery,
jealousy and racism. It gives a negative view of the human race. It
seems to suggest that people's positives and their good qualities not
only protect but also makes them vulnerable to the attack of evil.
“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 is the main antagonists against Othello, throughout the entire play. Iago is not realistically motivated. Even though Iago makes many of his decisions with careful thought, he does have a main flaw that will come back to haunt him in the end. Iago unlike other characters, doesn’t have true honorable morals. Because of this, he makes many situations which are manageable, and takes them further out of proportion he does this for his own pure enjoyment to create havoc for sport. Iago manipulates the characters who trust too easily, such are Roderigo and Othello. Iago uses them as an addition to his plans, which he manages so they will work in his favor in the end, or so he believes they will.
William Shakespeare's Othello is a remarkable tale of trust, deceitfulness, lust and the most destructive of human emotions: vengeance and hatred. Iago better known as Othello's antagonist embodies vengeance and hatred to move an agenda to squash all who oppose Iago's plans. As defined by Merrium-Webster the definition of a protagonist is a principal character in a literary work or a leading actor, character, or participant in a literary work. Othello by Shakespeare is a play about Othello an example of a tragic hero with all figures centered around Othello as the protagonist yet, Othello has two main leading characters. Iago and Othello have stark contrasts as leading roles and different themes represented through the actions, words, and moral compass of both characters. As Othello plays out the audience finds that Iago is the driving force behind Othello and the cause for all chaos. Iago's thirst for vengeance due to feeling dissatisfied and passed over potential lieutenant position pushes Iago to ruin the lives of all associated with Othello. The thirst for vengeance drives Iago as Iago drives the plot achieving all goals and because of this Iago is the true protagonist of Othello.
Critics such as M. R. Ridley believe that the ability to hurt is the most
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.
Character Development of Iago, Desdemona and Othello The three characters of Iago, Desdemona and Othello are gradually revealed to the audience as Act One unfolds. All three are linked to one another and talk to and about each other. Their characters unfold through their interaction with others and how they behave in isolation. The first impression formed of Iago comes from what Roderigo says.
Act 3 scene 1 is one of the most important parts in the play; there
The play "Othello" by William Shakespeare is based on an Italian story in Giraldi Cinthio's Hecatommithi (Groliers). In "Othello" we encounter Iago, one of Shakespeare's most evil characters. Iago is an ensign in Othello's army and is jealous of Cassio's promotion to Lieutenant. Through deception and appearance, we see unfolded a plethora of lies and clever schemes. The astonishing thing about Iago is that he seems to make up his malicious schemes as he goes along without any forethought. Noted writer Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes Iago's plan as "motive-hunting of a motiveless malignity" (Scott 413). Iago seizes every opportunity to further advance his plan to his advantage. Greed plays a major role as a motive for his various schemes. Throughout the story, Iago portrays himself as a Satan figure. In many ways, Iago can compare with Satan.
Scene 2 act 2 is one of the most important scenes in the play. This is
Iago's Manipulation of Characters in William Shakespeare's Othello. Introduction The play 'Othello' was created by William Shakespeare. Othello is a tale set in Venice at the time when adultery was a hanging offence. It is a tale all about jealousy and manipulation by one of the main characters, i.e. the characters, Iago.
The tragedy, "Othello" by William Shakespeare, is not just a play of jealousy. It is a drama about the collision of two worlds. One of them is a world of an absolute cynic, Iago the manipulator. A second world is a world experienced by all the other characters of the tragedy. The ability to understand the true nature of people around Iago makes him quickly navigate the situation. Given by nature, the psychological technique of manipulation, Iago is a master to wear different masks, because he can predict the further course and he is proficient of destroying everything to achieve success.
Make an argument that Iago is the hero, not the villain of this play. Why could we look at him that way? If he is the hero, who does this cast as the villain and why? What values are important if Iago is the hero?
How does one create the perfect villain for a story? What qualities are needed in such a character? A good place to start when constructing a villain is to look at William Shakespeare’s villain in Othello, a man called Iago. Iago is wonderfully devious. Throughout the play, he not only poisons Othello’s vision of Desdemona, he does this with no one, excepting Roderigo, the wiser. There are several reasons that make Iago such a terrifying villain. Shakespeare gave certain qualities to his creation that made Iago more than just a evil character. These qualities transform Iago into the truly insidious character seen in the play. From the beginning of Othello to the time that Iago is revealed as the culprit, everyone trusts Iago and looks to him for advice. This gives Iago the means and opportunity to pull off his villainy.
Iago has been to blame for the downfall of Othello because he is the one that created the jealousy within Othello. Iago started this because he was jealous of Othello because he was not made lieutenant, and Cassio was. Iago has been selfish and takes it upon himself to get revenge against Othello.
‘Bring me the fairest creature…And let us make incision for your love/ To prove whose blood is reddest, or mine.’ (Act II Scene i)