iago

Iago is a clever calculating villain. I found it ironic that in Othello, Iago was known as an honest person, when in reality he was anything but honest. Through my research, I was able to find out that Shakespearean’s definition of honest, and the definition of honest that we use today, are not the same thing. Today’s definition of honest implies that someone is truthful. In Shakespearean’s time however, it carried a completely different definition. An honest person was someone who gave the appearance to the public as being a gentleman. While Iago was a gentleman in public, in private he was not. Instead he was out for revenge, and manipulated so many characters in the play.

In Othello, Iago presents two different motives behind his hatred of Othello. The first motive that Iago uses is that, he was passed over for a promotion, and that the job he deserves was given to Cassio. Cassio was someone who had never seen the battlefield. To Iago this is a complete slap in the face. Two scenes later Iago presents another reason for his hatred for Othello. Rumors have spread around that Othello and Emilia have slept together. Whether or not this is true, Iago sees this as enough reason to get his revenge. As he sets out to destroy more than Cassio throughout the play, Iago was able to plant seeds of doubt, insecurities, and lies. He put this into action with all the supporting characters around him to cause Othello to believe that his wife was in fact having an affair with Cassio, and that was the furthest thing from the truth. He is a master manipulator because he was able to plant these ideas into the other characters heads, and he was able to have other characters around him carry out the actions that nurtured these lies into perceived...

... middle of paper ...

... having to improvise, and make it seem as if Cassio had killed Roderigo in the duel, by stabbing him. Also in various sections of the play where Iago is by himself, you see that Iago relishes in his cleverness, and his manipulation of others. These instances combined can give light into Iago’s obsession, and if that obsession is effecting his own sanity.

When it comes to it, Iago was a brilliant character, and a clever calculating villain. People believed Iago to be trustworthy, when in fact he wasn’t. Through this gullibility it allows him to manipulate them all. He was the main reason that this play was so interesting to me. He is the master manipulator and he was able to plant these seeds of lies into each characters head, without them realizing that he was the bad guy. In my opinion Iago is one of Shakespeare’s best characters. Othello was a great play!