Iago Machiavellian Character Essay

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William Shakespeare heavily utilizes a machiavellian character in his tragedy Othello. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a machiavellian character is an individual who “[uses] clever lies and tricks in order to get or achieve something”(CITATION). In Othello, Iago is the exact literary illustration of a machiavellian character.Iago has become so self-involved in seeking Othello’s position that he begins to manipulate other crucial characters in order to cause Othello’s destruction. Overall, Iago mainly manipulated Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello in order demote and steal Othello 's position as general. In addition, Iago has no regard for anyone but himself, despite the consequences that may arrive. In Shakespeare 's play Othello, Iago is a machiavellian character who sets out to destroy all characters who stand in the way of his success. …show more content…

Othello seems to be a man that knows who and what he believes in, but his flaw outweighs the trust he so strongly puts in the individuals who surround him. Since the beginning of Iago’s career alongside Othello, he has slowly been gaining Othello’s trust and Friendship. Othello blindly trusts him because of the outward appearance of Iago’s nature. Slowly Iago begins causing doubts in the mind of Othello, but he advises him to “beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on” (CITATION). Iago falsely gives faith to Othello that everything might be a lie in order to further gain his trust as honest Iago. In addition, Iago retains his lies in order to make Othello 's think that he is trying to be a good friend to Cassio as well by keeping this a secret from Othello. The way Othello begins to trust Iago so greatly is his fault. Iago uses Othello 's throughout the fourth act heavily through a series of lies he construes, these lies are not only the end of Othello, Desdemona, and other characters, but the end of Iago as

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