Iago Deviousness In Othello

If Iago is evil personified, cite specific incidents that help us to see and explore his physiological

deviousness. Do you believe that Iago’s lack of promotion is the main cause for his deviousness,

or is that just a reason for Iago to act the way he does?

Since the publication of Othello by Shakespeare, in 1622, there have been many other

simplifications of it published, however all staying on the original story. But there’s gotten to be

some of controversy over many parts of the book, and relates to what the rest of the essay will

discuss. “The theme of sacrifice is prevalent throughout all of Shakespeare’s writings, and is

embodied as sacrifice for the greater good, sacrifice for an ultimate gain, and sacrifice to keep a

Iago plays on Othello’s personal insecurities to bring out the monster inside. Othello is

visibly an outcast being the only black man in a white society. Throughout the whole book he

was referred to as “The Moor”. His skin color results in negative assumptions, referring to him as

evil and savage animal characteristics. Whenever Othello and Desdemona went and got married,

her father Brabantio accused Othello of drugging Desdemona, he says that’s the only way she

could ever love him. “Against all rules of nature, and must be driven / To find out practices of

cunning hell / Why this should be. I therefore vouch again / That with some mixtures pow’rful

o’er the blood, / Or with some dram (conjur’d to this effect) / He wrought upon her.” (I iii, 101-

106). As a result of society’s prejudice, Othello’s self-esteem diminishes, allowing Iago to

capitalize on his insecurity to invoke the feeling of jealousy in Othello. To start off Iago

insinuates that Desdemona in unfaithful to Othello, as she prefers only people of her ‘type’, a

class Othello will never belong. Iago convincingly states, “As (to be bold with you) / Not