In the first act of Othello, Iago, a malicious character, is introduced. From the very beginning, it can be seen that Iago is a dishonest figure, obsessed with causing harm to Othello. After going through the first act, with Iago sparking several controversial events, the act comes to an end, where Iago delivers a soliloquy. As he addresses himself and/or the audience in this speech, he displays the inner workings of his mind. The soliloquy also reveals the cunning plots he will carry out, and how he plans to do so.
Before the soliloquy is delivered, it seems as though Iago is giving Roderigo genuine advice, and is trying to help Roderigo take care of his problems, when telling him to “put money in [his] purse” (I.iii.382). However, at the beginning of the soliloquy,
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This allows the audience to see the thinking and truth behind Iago’s actions.
The main aspect of the soliloquy regards Iago’s cunning plans to slowly convince Othello that “[Cassio] is too familiar,” or too intimate “with [Othello’s] wife” (I.iii.439). After this, Iago plots to finally bring Othello to his knees through taking advantage of his “free and open nature,” and his view of Iago as an honest man (I.iii.442). This part of the soliloquy allows the audience to have a deeper look into what holds for the future of the play, and creates a feeling of anticipation of what will happen next, keeping the audience at the edge of their
In Shakespeare's play Othello, Iago Is shown to be the villain. With the cunning use of his brilliance and manipulation, he is able to orchestrate an entire plot to take his revenge on Othello the center of all his ill tempered aggression. By lying to characters like Roderigo and many others, including his wife, in order to
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
Iago tells Roderigo that he can make Desdemona fall in love with him for a ‘small fee.’ Iago used Roderigo to make money. Iago also told Roderigo that Cassio was talking to Desdemona. Roderigo did not approve and Iago persuaded him to fight Cassio. Cassio ended up losing his ‘good reputation” and his position as Lieutenant, in the fight with Roderigo. Iago became the Lieutenant, just as he had
Iago is a man wronged by Othello in the fact that he was not chosen to be Othello’s lieutenant, which is what put the dastardly idea into Iago’s head to trick them all and bring them to their knees. As Iago tells Roderigo within the first act and scene of “Othello”, Despise me if I do not. Three great ones of the city,/ In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,... ... middle of paper ... ... n the end of the play.
Iago is a twenty- eight years old Caucasian married man and he is soldier in the Venetian army. Iago is viewed as modest, honest, and a good friend to people in public. People refer to him as “honest Iago” which lead them to trust him. Iago plans to destroy Othello by manipulating him to believe that his wife is being unfaithful to him with his promoted lieutenant Cassio, a position Iago wanted to have. Although the scandal that Iago came up with is a complete lie, Othello ends up believing him. Iago uses his ability to talk to people in order to accomplish his plan of destroying Othello because he wasn’t granted the position of the Venice army. (Sorto 1)
Iago is one of the most complex characters in William Shakespeare’s Othello. To most of the characters, he is “Honest Iago” (Shakespeare, 5.2.73). however, the audience knows that Iago is the furthest thing from honest. Iago is a devil bent on destroying the lives of everyone around him. At the beginning of the play, the audience learns that Iago is determined to ruin Othello’s marriage to Desdemona. He has appointed a new lieutenant, Michael Cassio. This angers Iago because he feels that he has much more military experience and should be the lieutenant. Iago has also heard rumours that both Othello and Cassio have slept with his wife Emilia. He concocts a malicious plan to ruin the lives of all who have wronged him, and consequently establishing
In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, Iago demonstrates a mastery of manipulation over people who had previously trusted and confided in him. His sudden turn from Othello’s loyal ensign to rage-filled villain seems indicative of a man who can no longer accept his position in life. Iago’s plotting of Othello’s demise starts as idle talk of a disgruntled 28 year-old career military man passed over for promotion. Iago believes that such a promotion may never come after Othello rejects his candidacy and makes it clear that he did not believe him suitable. He sees Othello is only concerned with personal and political gain with his choice of Cassio as lieutenant. When Iago teams with love-scorned and desperate Roderigo, he begins to construct Othello’s downfall. Iago is declaring an all-out covert war on Othello, Cassio, and anyone else who gets in his way. In Iago’s first speech in Act I Scene II, he proclaims hatred for Othello and lays out his plan for seeking vengeance. “After some time, to abuse Othello’s ears that he is too familiar with his wife (Shakespeare 1473).”
Shakespeare develops the character Iago into an instigator and evil man. Iago attempts and succeeds to convince Othello that his wife has had an affair with his friend Cassio. We see Iago beginning his plans at the very start of the play. “But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at, I am not what I am.”(Oth 1:1:64-65) He immediately tries to start trouble with Brabantio and Othello over the marriage to Desdemona. Iago want to get in Othello’s way because he was passed over for general and Cassio was chosen instead. We see from the start how he plots against Othello and he involves several characters in his plans. “And what’s he then that says I play the villain? When this advice is free. I give and honest, probal to thinking, and indeed the course to win the Moor again? For tis easy Th’ inclining Desdemona to subdue in any honest suit; she’s framed as fruitful…”(2:3:295-300).
In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is the antagonist and villain who causes all the trouble and disorder. Othello is the protagonist, and is the main person Iago’s destruction and revenge is aimed towards. Othello is naïve and gives everybody his trust even though he may not know them or they haven’t earned his trust yet. He often refers to Iago has “Honest” Iago, which is a direct showing of irony because Iago is not honest at all (Shakespeare, I, iii. 289). Iago is so angry that Othello didn’t give him the promotion that was given to Cassio that he plans to seek revenge against Othello. He seeks his revenge against Othello by manipulating and lying to all of the people around him including his closest friend Roderigo, Cassio, Othello’s wife Desdemona and even his own wife Emilia. In the end, Iago’s lies and manipulation led to the deaths of Roderigo, Emilia, Othello and Desdemona. This isn’t the first time many of these individual characteristics have shown up in one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Critical Analysis of Iago's Soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3 of Othello by William Shakespeare
Iago is a powerful predator who exploits those around him by infecting their perceptions of truth with carefully chosen fallacy. His skill in finding the proverbial chinks in others' armor allows him to skillfully weave his machinations of destroying Othello into their minds and actions; by manipulating character's perceptions of Desdemona, Iago gains the leverage he needs to exploit each character. No one is impervious to Iago's seething purpose; even Othello falls prey to Iago's suggestions and insinuations about Desdemona. Iago's constant presence as the stager, as well as his ceaseless - but subtle - reinforcement of events through narration, allows him to be the pivotal force that directs Shakespeare's Othello.
Iago has been excellent at saying the what is needed to get to people, he misleads them to get a reaction he wants out of them. He is clever with his words to avoid confrontation that can easily happen. “Othello 's confusion is the human experience of language. In other words, language itself, not the outside world, determines meaning” (Christofides 2). Iago uses his words against Othello to get him to do Iago’s doings. Iago has an eloquence with
Iago’s vast knowledge and understanding of humanistic behavior is the greatest contributor to his most prominent characteristic; which is definitely his ability to easily manipulate others. This is first seen in many areas of his first soliloquy. This soliloquy comes about during a conversation between him and Roderigo.
Iago can be viewed as the narrator of this play. He is left alone on stage several times trough out the play to more or less speak to the audience. One such instance is the last part of the first act where Iago devisee’s his plan of attack on every character in the play. At this point the only reason we have seen for his anger is that he has not been appointed Othello’s lieutenant, despite his recommendations. “But for my sport and profit, I hate the moor…”(1.3.365). It is obvious that Iago is the villain in the play. But this line is very important. Iago hates Othello it seems because of his unapointed position. This line asks us, the audience, a good question: does Iago hate Othello enough to go trough all the trouble creating enemies of the entire cast? There could have been much simpler ways to get at Othello without dragging everyone else into the picture. Also after Rodrigo lost his luetiency it would have been simple for Iago to fill the newly vacant position. I believe, as the line says, Iago hates Othello only for amusement. “But for my sport and profit…” (1.3.365) Iago engages in the act of hating not because he has a disregard for Othello. Iago engages in the act of hating only to hate, whether it be Othello or his own mother. Iago hates for his own “sport and profit.” thus understand this concept of Iago puts a whole new spin on the evil which consumes him.
Iago seduces Roderigo’s compliance in the disaster by dripping sweetened words of his attempts to sway Desdemona away from Othello. Roderigo, in his naïve and loving mind, give Iago the financial means to further his plot of disaster. Iago tells Roderigo that the money and jewels he spends go to Desdemona, but there is little evidence of this. And it seems unlikely that Iago needed large sums of money to exact his revenge on the Moor. He does it with words and a handkerchief, not rubies and emeralds.