In the play, Othello, by Shakespeare, there is a ferocious war going on. However, it is not the bloody war against the Turks that the audience anticipated. It is a more dangerous war than that: a psychological war that uses a person’s emotional state of mind and biggest fears against them. At the hands of all this is Iago, who stands by and watches his genius at work. Iago’s passion of war is what drove him to commit his acts of treachery, not his jealousy of Cassio nor his loathing of Othello. When he could not set sail to Cyprus with the other soldiers and participate in the war, he found a way to start a new war, one that he could be the general of. Through manipulation, he is able to start a psychological war that ends in bloodshed. His manipulation is the driving force of the play.
Before the Venetian soldiers even set sail to Cyprus to battle the Turks, Iago is an obedient soldier. Even though he hates Othello for not promoting him, he knows he needs to respect Othello, if he wants to even step foot on the battlefield. For that reason, Iago puts his anger aside and tolerates Othello. Iago says “Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains. / Yet, for necessity of present life, / I must show out a flag and sign of love, / Which is indeed but sign” (1.1.158-161). “Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains” compares Iago’s hatred of Othello to the pain of damnation. This illustrates the extent of his hatred towards Othello. “Necessity of present life” refers to Iago’s present circumstance; he is an ancient and Othello is his general. Regardless of how much he loathes Othello, Othello has authority over him and all of the soldiers; he decides who does what, when, where, and how they do it. There is a war coming up and Iago cannot do...
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...ng that no one else does, now he has authority over everyone. “From this time forth I never will speak word” confirms that Iago in now giving orders. He, in his own twisted way, is the general. His manipulation drove the play, and carried out to this point where Iago has reached the position of general.
In conclusion, war is a dominant theme in Othello, as it looms in the background of the plot. However, the war that was anticipated was not the war that was carried out. Instead, another type of warfare is adopted, one that uses completely different tactics to destroy the enemy. Psychological war is present in the play as Iago manipulates those around him in order to destroy Othello. Iago used psychological warfare as a substitute for actual war, since his chance to go to war was hindered by Othello. His manipulation, though, manifests itself and ends in bloodshed.
As Othello's most trusted friend Iago has the upper hand when it comes to influencing Othello. When Othello passes Iago up for the position of lieutenant he claims to be angry; he is ready to seek revenge. Othello and Iago have been through countless battles and Othello feels as if he can trust “Honest” Iago. When there is a problem Iago is there to lend a helping hand. Iago uses his trusted advice to manipulate the mind of Othello and other main characters. He even calls himself honest, “As honest as I am” Iago uses these words to convince his credibility (Othello, Shakespeare, Act II Scene I Line
“I am not what I am,” proclaims one of Shakespeare’s darkest and most enigmatic villains, Iago, in the tragedy Othello. Iago’s journey for revenge enables him to become capable of immoral acts, and whilst his malevolence excites us, we are no more intrigued by his attributes than we are of the play’s tragic hero, Othellos’. Rather, both characters’ confrontation with jealousy and their subsequent moral demise as a result of failing to control such an emotion provides the true excitement for audiences. Iago’s spiteful manipulation of Othello makes him a multifaceted character — whose corrupt attributes make the audience examine their own morality. However, the same can be said of Othello; his failure to withstand Iago’s ‘pouring of pestilence’
Iago is Othello’s ensign, and Shakespeare’s greatest villain. His public face of bravery and honesty conceals a satanic delight in manipulation and destruction. Passed over for a promotion by his commander, he vows to destroy the moor. Iago feels that he was best suited to hold the position of lieutenant, as opposed to Cassio. From this Iago manufactures accusations of adultery these accusations are merely excuses to validate his actions and greed.
Othello's Iago and Othello enter the battlefields of passion as they emotionally claw their ways through their sinister days. Iago embodies the cunning and deceptive warrior strategically mapping out his enemy, Othello, the powerful one-man army built for strength. The cunning warrior slyly waits for the opportunity to attack. He looks for that brief moment the gargantuan beast lets down his guard. With a final blow the beast is dead; for he was unaware that danger was always lurking behind him. Iago enters the emotions of Othello through his venomous words. Iago, as the deceitful warrior, delivers the final blow upon Othello through his dialect, which severs him both psychologically and physically, from his true emotions with the iniquitous knife of malice and jealousy.
Not only does Iago hate Othello, he also has a strong hatred for Cassio. His hatred for Cassio also has to do with the want for power. There was a position open under Othello and the two soldiers it came down to when considering who may receive the position were Cassio and Iago. Iago believed he worked extremely hard to earn the position, and he considered himself to be a strong, capable candidate to feel the position of general's second in command. Iago is not able to understand why Cassio was given the position over him because Cassio is a math guy, and Iago thinks of himself as the next
The story begins in Venice where Iago's character is parallel to the setting that is “orderly [and] law-binding”, of the city where the society is peaceful. Iago's charter reflects the current setting, since Iago has not yet caused any problems. He is acting orderly, like when he did not get the promotion, Iago simply said “there’s no remedy” (). Which develops his character as a peaceful person,because he simply accepted Othello's decision and dose not fight back or go against it. Thus reflecting the setting, because just like the setting Iago is acting orderly and peaceful. Not only did Iago not fight back when he did not receive the promotion, he also questioned himself “weather I in any.. term am affined to love [the] Moor” (1.1.40). By Iago questioning himself, it shows that Iago is being civil, because he is not attacking Othello, or hating Othello right away for not promoting him. Instead he is making a decision through thinking logically weather or not he likes Othello. So like the orderly setting of Venice, Iago’s character is the same because by thickening through the options you have before making a decision represents order since the decision will have reason behind it. Furthermore, Iago not only thought through his decisions while in the tranquil city of Venice, but he also provided security for Ro...
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 in Iago's shoes. He is a man whose self-esteem and professional career have just been torn apart.
In Shakespeare’s play Othello, the author depicts Iago as an all knowing character that knows the human nature of the characters and uses it to gain power. Once he gets the characters to Cyprus, he can use his power to manipulate them and tempt them into making irrational decisions, causing their fall. Even though Iago causes their downfalls, he fails to see his own coming.
Iago is a twenty- eight years old Caucasian married man and he is soldier in the Venetian army. Iago is viewed as modest, honest, and a good friend to people in public. People refer to him as “honest Iago” which lead them to trust him. Iago plans to destroy Othello by manipulating him to believe that his wife is being unfaithful to him with his promoted lieutenant Cassio, a position Iago wanted to have. Although the scandal that Iago came up with is a complete lie, Othello ends up believing him. Iago uses his ability to talk to people in order to accomplish his plan of destroying Othello because he wasn’t granted the position of the Venice army. (Sorto 1)
In Othello, we are first introduced to Iago, a military officer under the command of the Othello, a well-respected Moorish captain. Iago’s hatred for Othello is revealed in the very first lines of the play, when it is revealed that he has been...
Characters in the play fail to comprehend Iago’s true nature until it is too late. Those interacting with Iago fall into the belief that Iago is loyal to his superiors, when Iago is actually focused on bringing them (Cassio and Othello) down. Iago constructs a false impression of his loyalty to Othello through ...
To better understand Iago’s effect on these different characters, it is important to look in to his own character. Iago’s motives are not clear, however, it is true that he despises Othello, and that he is jealous of the fact that Michael Cassio had taken over the role of lieutenant; a role that Iago wanted very badly. It is in the beginning of the play that Iago confesses to follow Othello but not be loyal to him,
In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Othello, the power of jealousy rips relationships apart and destroys the peace amongst a once pleasant society. The principle character for the aggravation of the other characters is Iago. Iago is angry at Othello for not appointing him as his lieutenant and refuses to let it go. For selfish reasons, Iago plots an evil schemes of revenge towards Othello by making him, and everyone necessary to bring Othello down.
The evil side of Othello’s tragic flaw came from without, in the form of Iago. The internal flaw exists only in his heartrendingly unshakable goodness and honor. One of the first impressions gained of Othello is that he is a great war hero. Before much else is said of him, tales of his skill and valor in battle are illustrated and he is shown to be a great and famed warrior. He naturally possesses many attributes typically associated with soldiers.
Iago has been excellent at saying the what is needed to get to people, he misleads them to get a reaction he wants out of them. He is clever with his words to avoid confrontation that can easily happen. “Othello 's confusion is the human experience of language. In other words, language itself, not the outside world, determines meaning” (Christofides 2). Iago uses his words against Othello to get him to do Iago’s doings. Iago has an eloquence with