Iago as the Hero of Shakespeare's Othello

1131 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Discuss the role of iago in othello

Iago as the Hero of Othello

Roderigo, a soldier in Othello's army, is in love with Desdemona and is deceived by Iago into thinking that Desdemona holds some affection for him. Iago, who is Othello's "ancient" or his counselor, desires to hold Othello's position and so tries to devise a plan to become general. As proved by the outcome of the play, Othello was too naive and kindhearted to properly lead an army. Iago felt that he should have been promoted to be Othello's lieutenant but Cassio was promoted instead. The outcome of the play also proves that Iago was more efficient in achieving his goals. Iago's plan is one that involves Cassio, Othello's second in command, Roderigo and Desdemona. Iago is better qualified than either Cassio or Othello if he devised such a plan without either of them noticing. The same strategies he uses in everyday life he would be able to employ in battles. Iago has proven to be the ultimate soldier. Iago instills jealousy in both Roderigo and Othello by leading each of them to think that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. He accomplishes all this without being discovered until the end.

During the course of the play, Othello is further deceived by Iago to believe that Desdemona is unfaithful to him. Emilia, Iago's wife, unknowingly helps Iago fool Othello when she gives her husband the handkerchief that was given to Desdemona by Othello on their wedding night. Desdemona always keeps this by her side, as a result of Othello's command. When Iago tells Othello that he has seen Cassio with his gift to Desdemona, Othello becomes enraged and vows to kill her. He also makes Iago swear that he will kill Cassio.

Through Iago's planning, Roderigo gets a chance to kill Cassio but fails. When Iago sees Roderigo's failure to carry through with the plan, he wounds Cassio in the leg and kills Roderigo. When Othello hears commotion in the streets below he thinks that Cassio is dead and smothers Desdemona. When Cassio, Gratiano (relative to Brabantio), Montano (Cyprus official), and Iago hear Emilia's screams from Othello's bedroom they discover what he has done. Iago is revealed as the culprit and he then kills Emilia. After this Othello commits suicide and Iago is taken away to be punished.

Iago was seeking a revenge that can be justified because he felt that Othello had had an affair with Emilia.

Show More
Related

  • Dreyer's Vampyr

    1804 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...0 years ago. The film is not so horrific as it is lyrically creepy. There are so many famous images from "Vampyr" which are found in most film history books. I've seen many stills from this film and found that the movie is still full of other images which are just as striking as the famous shot of the vampire looking into the hero's coffin during a nightmare. The camera is rarely if ever stationary. There are many tracking shots which must have been an influence on Scorsese. People enter and leave the shot which may travel from outside and through several rooms of the house. All of this makes the movie fly by as there is little or no static in the movie.

    Read More

  • The Autobiography Of Frederick Douglass: The Evils Of Slavery

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his influential autobiography, Frederick Douglass helps pave the way for the early abolitionist movement using his own life story to bring forth the evils of slavery. He illustrates the hardships of slavery during antebellum America, focusing not only on the historical and economic issues of slavery, but mainly on the innate morality of human beings. Although many readers during this period were skeptic of the works authenticity, it brought the proper awareness to an issue in which corrupted America for many years. Frederick Douglass’s account against slavery exploits the brutal nature of slavery in way that shocked those who had looked past its harsh nature. By putting the reader in first perspective on the everyday life of a child born into slavery, he successfully uses the transitions of his life to open the people’s eyes to the crime that is slavery.

    Read More

  • The Dual Nature of Characters in Shakespeare's Othello

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    Iago used his public perception, and the insecurities of Othello being a Moor, to allow him to manipulate Othello. Othello had a public perception of being a military man, and a courageous leader. “ Valiant Othello, We must straight employ you.” “Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor.” Othello has been a soldier since he was seven years of age, and has experience on the battle field.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass's Rebellion

    1519 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the year 1826 Fredrick Douglass realized that he would eventually escape slavery. He would recount this thought four times in his life when he has to become most rebellious in order to survive slaveholders attempting to establish control and dominance in different ways. Each time one comes along Douglass responds using a different form of retaliation or rebellion to show his masters that they don’t own as much control over him as they think they do. All of these attempts to resist his masters control, slavery, and what slavery stood for were detrimental to Fredrick’s escape but the most influential one, the resistive act that started, and kept, the ball rolling was Fredrick’s determination to become literate. Knowledge is power and without his ability to read and write Douglass would have never escaped slavery or written a Narrative of his life.

    Read More

  • Literacy For Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis

    381 Words  | 1 Pages

    Literacy for Frederick is not only about liberating himself but also about being a part of society and community - which were continually denied to him as a slave. Douglass figured out that why literacy was not appropriate for slaves and that his master was not just talking about freedom but also his psychological wellbeing and his ability to take control of his own psyche. If Douglass was literate he would no longer be able to live in the system of slavery; he would be outside of it and try to run away with himself. Frederick knew that literacy would transform the life of child-slave into a free-man’s life.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: Drunk Driving

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    Repetition is often used in the safe driving campaign in order to successfully convey their message and also to ensure, that the viewer retains their main idea. Fear is also often used in an effort reach the viewer on an emotional level. Presently the Government and the transport department have worked in collaboration with one another to bring forth a message to the public about road safety. And since road fatalities have affected Australia so much that the advice has become propaganda in every sense of the term ? There is one idea propagated repeatedly in an emotional manner with appropriate cartoons and even name-calling. But has the massive propaganda campaign set out by the Government and the transport department been effective in ensuring the safety of motorist

    Read More

  • Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    Frederick Douglass is an exemplary example of why literacy was such a guarded commodity during the 1800’s. When Douglass went to live with the Auld family, the mistress Mrs. Auld had never before owned a slave. Her behavior towards Douglass was different—kinder, and she even began to teach him the alphabet. When her husband, Mr. Auld, found out of her actions she was scolded and told that a slave should never be taught how to read. From that day on, Mrs. Auld never again taught Douglass any letters. Her attitude completely changed. Not only was the issue of slaves being illiterate keeping slaves ignorant, but the masters also. By Mrs. Auld’s sudden change in attitude to Douglass it became apparent that the idea of slavery was not a natural occurrence, it was taught. When Douglass saw how protective Mr. Auld was over keeping him illiterate, he became more curious and concluded that education would be vital to the emancipation of his race. He used his knowledge of the alphabet to eventually learn how to read and write.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Othello - The Motivations of Iago in Othello

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    As early as the first scene of the play Iago shows us strong motives for his actions. In this first scene we see Othello, a general of Venice, has made Cassio his new lieutant. Iago feels he truly deserves his promotion as he says "I know my price, I am worth more no worse a place."(l.i.12) Iago over here is confused why Othello has made such a stupid decision. Iago is a man with a tremendous ego who knows, sometimes overestimates, his worth. Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman, understands Iago when Iago said that he is "affined to love the Moor."(l.i.41-42) What Iago really means is "I follow him to serve my term upon him."(l.i.45) Iago wants to use Othello for his personal goals. We also must put ourselves into Iago's shoes. He is a man whose self-esteem and professional carrier have just been torn apart. Iago makes his actions of revenge toward Othello almost immediately by informing Brabantio, a Venetian senator and father of Desdemona, that "an old black ram (Othello) is tupping (his) white ewe (Desdemona)."(l.i.97)

    Read More

  • Kate Chopin's The Awakening

    1882 Words  | 4 Pages

    Wood, Ann Douglas. "'The Fashionable Diseases': Women's Complaints and Their Treatment in Nineteenth-Century America." Women and Health in America. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, Ltd., 1984.

    Read More

  • Drink Up - Drunk Driving Should Be Legalized

    366 Words  | 1 Pages

    of people that used to break the law by driving while drunk. Allowing people to

    Read More

  • Iago Vs. Moriarty: an Argumentative Comparison

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Women's Suffrage Movement

    1257 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the early 19th century women were expected to wear long, heavy skirts and tight corsets, which often made breathing strenuous. Those who rejected these styles found themselves the center of public humiliation. Gerrit Smith, a top United States politician and abolonist declared, “Women could not hope to be accepted by men as equals until they began to dress more practically.” (George Sullivan) Gerrit Smith’s ideas sparked an idea in his daughter, Elizabeth Smith Miller’s mind. Elizabeth thought of wearing a pair of ballooning pants under a skirt at knee level. This impressed Elizabeth’s cousin Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was an American social activist and was extremely influential in the Women’s right movement. Elizabeth loved her cousin, Elizabeth Smith...

    Read More

  • How Does Iago Change In Othello

    2005 Words  | 5 Pages

    Iago is a very strategic and clever person, and he despises Othello because Othello appointed Cassio as a lieutenant over Iago. He plans to ruin Othello’s life by ruining his relationship with Desdemona. He starts off by telling Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, of Othello and Desdemona’s secret marriage. Iago goes to

    Read More

  • Character Analysis of Roderigo in Othello

    992 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... sake of his reputation, Iago persuades Roderigo to kill Cassio. In doing so, Roderigo only injures the lieutenant. Iago sees his plan collapsing and rushes in to kill Roderigo. Betrayed by his friend, Roderigo died in pursuit of Desdemona’s love.

    Read More

  • Fashion Theory: The Downsides Of Strict Dress Codes

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    We all have a sense of individuality but is it worth giving it up for a chance to fit in with the crowd? Does the use of school uniforms constrict the freedom of expression or is it possible that conformity provides useful benefits for participants? Are uniforms a tangible measure of the amount of control a school needs to provide to reach their educational goals or a distraction from the real issues that may be at hand?

    Read More

More about Iago as the Hero of Shakespeare's Othello

Open Document