Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Iago importance in othello
Cultural conflicts in othello
Iago's character analysis in othello
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Iago importance in othello
Iago uses the people surrounding him by exploiting their weaknesses. Iago uses Roderigo’s gullibility and reckless lust for Desdemona to his advantage. Roderigo believes anything Iago is saying because he is captivated with making Desdemona his own. Initially, Iago says, “Put money in thy purse” to Roderigo, who being blinded does (Shakespeare). He tells him that the riches are a gift for Desdemona, but Iago secretly intends on keeping them. Iago, a mountebank, exploits Roderigo’s lust for Desdemona by swindling him of his wealth. But, Iago reveals the true conclusion of how much he controls Roderigo in how he manipulates him into killing Cassio. Iago accomplishes this by enflaring Roderigo’s lust for Desdemona and taking advantage of his disregard
Iago would most commonly be referred to as dishonest, however beyond that he is also downright amoral and uses other’s weaknesses to manipulate them into doing what he pleases. From the very beginning we see how Iago manipulates Roderigo by pretending he is looking out for his best interests in the matter of Othello’s elopement with Desdemona. He makes Barbantio angry with Othello and Desdemona by telling him about their elopement then lying about the consummation of their relationship. He then leaves Roderigo to take responsibility for his (Iago’s) actions. In the meantime he goes off to inform Othello that Roderigo is accountable for telling Barbantio about the relationship and saying horrible things about Othello. Iago later brings Roderigo back into his quest for revenge when he tries to get Cassio fired from the position that Iago originally wished to obtain. Although Cassio knows it is against his better judgement to drink, Iago manipulates him into getting drunk then stages a fight between Roderigo and Cassio. He even goes as far as to try to make Cassio look bad by telling Montano that he gets drunk regularly. Upon Iago’s explanation of the situation Othello promptly fires Cassio from his position and Iago becomes more respected in Othello’s eyes. Roderigo is a prime example of how Iago uses people to fulfil his desires. Iago convinces Roderigo that he could win Desdemona’s love away from Othello and the only man that stands in the way is Cassio. In this way when he plans to humiliate Cassio it seems as if he is doing it to help out Roderigo when, in actuality, he is seeking revenge on Cassio for taking his position.
Iago takes on many different persona’s to enact his plan of revenge upon Othello. He plays the friend, a trustworthy and credible source of information for Othello in his feat of drama with his innocent wife, Desdemona. He also plays the wingman for Roderigo who is madly in love with Desdemona, encouraging him to make advances towards her to woo Desdemona away from Othello. Iago even persuades Roderigo to kill Cassio with his lies about Cassio and Desdemona’s affair. “...you may take him at your pleasure: I will be near to second your attempt, and he shall fall between us.” Iago promises to assist Roderigo in the murder of Cassio and he will be rewarded with Desdemona’s love (Navigators.) Iago’s true persona, though, is a heartless, woman-hating villain who would go to great lengths to get revenge against Othello for preferring Cassio over him for the military promotion.
...e used Roderigo to do his dirty work and without him he would have never been able to compromise Cassio in the first place. Roderigo seems to know Iago the best, possibly having figured out that he may have been betrayed by him, he writes letters he keeps with him which later serve to compromise Iago’s character and motives completely. Iago throughout the whole play feels like he is justified in his actions and does not let sympathy or understanding as a result.
Iago has a close friend named, Roderigo, he loves Desdemona and wishes she loved him back. Iago starts his scheme by saying “I am not what I am”(I.i.71). This is one of many warnings that Iago gives the people that he schemes against. This warning is telling him that what you see is not what you are going to get. One can also elude from this warning that he will only let you see what he wants you to see. One can see that Iago is clearly going to lie to Roderigo by that single statement. The statement alone should shoot red flags up in anyone’s mind. Once Roderigo gets Brabantio out of bed; Iago says something strange to Roderigo, “Though I do hate him as I do hell, yet, for necessity of present life, I must show out a flag and sign of love”(I.i.171-173). Subsequently warning Roderigo about how he lies to people, Iago expects Roderigo to trust him. Unfortunately Roderigo falls into the trap and trusts Iago. Well along Cassio loses his lieutenancy Roderigo is discombobulated. He begins complaining about things Iago asked him to trust him with; corresponding his money, him getting into a ...
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
In the first scene we are thrown right into the action with the argument between Iago and Roderigo. This first argument shows us how Iago is cunning and sly because he has already manipulated a weak Roderigo into paying him for something he hasn't even done yet. Roderigo who is obviously weak and simple has asked Iago to help him woo Desdemona in exchange for money, he thinks Iago has not done this because Desdemona is now at this moment marrying the moor. Yet Iago manages to convince Roderigo of his sheer hatred for Othello and swindle him out of his money. As he later exerts in his soliloquy at the end of Act I.3 ' thus do I ever make my fool my purse' this shows his attitude to Roderigo he is just money for Iago a pawn in his plan. This attitude shows how to a certain extent Iago primes the character he will use later in his plan showing a consistent strategy, he knows he can use Roderigo in the future so keeps him on his side instead of being rude and sharp with him. You can see that Iago finds Roderigo tedious but keeps him a friend for his money and possible use in the future.
His plan is to continue giving Roderigo unfulfilled promises. Iago continues to manipulate Roderigo. He convinces him that Desdemona will soon grow tired of Othello and begin to search for a younger, handsome man to fulfill her desires. Continuing to build on Roderigo’s rationality, Iago tells him that Desdemona will fall for Cassio, and the only way to win Desdemona is by taking Cassio out of the picture.... ...
By Act II, Scene iii, it is evident that Roderigo is inferior to Iago because he latches onto Iago, who has a much stronger character. It is also evident that their friendship is false. He does not realize that he is being used for Iago's personal gain. Roderigo admits he is weaker than everyone and that he has lost all patience and motivation to go on: "not like a hound that hunts…almost spent" (II, iii, 363-5). Iago immediately turns Roderigo around by saying he is poor because he has no "patience" (II, iii, 370). Roderigo feels as if he is being used but Iago always talks him into seeing a just cause for his actions: "And thou by that small hurt…first will first be ripe" (II, iii, 375-7). Iago is using Roderigo's love for Desdemona to keep him motivated. He uses food imagery to say that soon Roderigo's hunger for love will be fulfilled soon, and he only needs to take hold of patience. He says that now that Cassio is out of the way, Roderigo has a straight line to get to Desdemona. But what Iago really wants is for Cassio to be removed of his rank and Iago can take his place and gain power, then becoming closer to separating Othello and Desdemona: "Two things are to be done…coldness and delay" (II, iii, 382-8). Without Iago, Roderigo is in fact stronger. Alone, he begins to walk down the path towards the truth and loses strength to go on. But Iago always leads him off into a direction away from what is known by all but Roderigo.
Iago lulls Roderigo into believing that there is just one more thing standing in the way of Roderigo having Desdemona. Iago understands how to use people. He knows what to say and how to act to influence people’s actions. This is why he is such a terrifying villain. The character of Iago is the perfect mould to start with when crafting the perfect villain.
Roderigo’s most predominant characteristic is his impressionability. He is easily convinced and quickly caves to pressure. In act 1, scene 1, when speaking directly to the audience, Iago remarks “If I would time expend with such a snipe / But for my sport and profit” (Shakespeare 1.1.742); Roderigo is so dumb and impressionable that Iago wouldn’t even associate with him were it not to his direct benefit. Furthermore, even Roderigo knows that he is impressionable. Before attacking Cassio (upon Iago’s suggestion), he remarks “I have no great devotion to the deed / And yet [Iago] hath given me satisfying reasons. / ‘Tis but a man gone” (Shakespeare, 5.1.8-10). He doesn’t even want Cassio dead, and yet he was convinced by Iago that it would get him closer to his ultimate aspiration of being with Desdemona. His seemingly endless impressionability allows Iago to play puppet master to Roderigo throughout the entire play, right up until his untimely death.
One person Iago deceives is Roderigo. Throughout the play, Iago tells him that he hates Othello and that Roderigo should make some money so he could give gifts to Desdemona, who he admires from afar. Thinking that this is sound advice, Roderigo does just that. However, Iago is actually keeping the gifts that Roderigo plans to give Desdemona for himself. Eventually, Roderigo begins to catch on to the act and confronts Iago, but he falls right into Iago’s trap again when he tells him that killing Cassio will help him win over Desdemona. Roderigo is then lead to his death by the hands of "Honest Iago."
Iago has a sophisticated way of deceiving the characters of the play, making him a very intelligent person. Early in the play Othello introduces Iago to the Duke of Venice as, “My ancient / A man he is of honesty and trust” (!. iii. 284-85). This is but one of the times in the play that Iago is referred to as honest and true. Throughout the play Iago is considered to be honest, but is actuality the villain. In order to maintain this false image one has to have a beguiling character. After Othello and his lieutenant, Michael Cassio, return from the war against the Ottomans, there is a celebration. At this celebration Iago puts his manipulation to work. He knows that Othello and Desdemona’s love for each other is very true, but he tells Rodrigo that Desdemona had love for Cassio: “With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. / Ay, smile upon her, do…” (II. I. 164-65). This quote shows that Iago deceives Roderigo into believing that Desdemona loves Cassio, when in Roderigo’s eyes it is virtually impossible. Iago basically controls Rodrigo because Iago deceives him into believing that he can have Desdemona, by both Cassio and Othello.
Love continues to play a massive role throughout the play. As a result of Roderigo’s love for Desdemona, Iago is able to manipulate Roderigo into thinking that Iago can help him. Iago also manipulates other people with the idea of false love. He puts on a fake persona of a man that is extremely honest and caring; however, he uses this persona to make people trust and love him just so that he can manipulate them. For example when
Iago’s repetition of the phrase “Put money in thy purse” acts as a subliminal, metaphorical command for Rodorigo to follow. Iago wants Rodorigo to take control of the situation he is on while still unknowingly fulfilling his larger plan of destroying Othello’s relationship with Desdemona. Indeed, Rodorigo is known to have an infatuation with Desdemona (1.1.101-107) and thus when he is distraught that he will never be able to love her due to her marriage to Othello, Iago plays on this by this to his advantage. Rodorigo states, “It is silliness to live when to live is torment […]” (1.3.328) which means that a life without Desdemona is not a life worth living to which Iago responds by saying, “Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners […]” (1.3.339) which Iago uses to plant the idea that Rodorigo is not helpless in this situation at all.
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.