Coleridge's Assessment of Iago from William Shakespeare's Othello
This essay will explore Coleridge’s assessment of Iago. In Iago’s
soliloquies, Iago gives many reasons as to why he hates Othello but he
often abandons his ideas and searches for new ones. This is because he
is not completely sure himself why he hates Othello so much and is
just trying to find reasons so that he can plot against him. Iago
often does not know if his reasons are true but will behave as if they
are just so that he has a reason to hate Othello. Iago is always
looking to justify himself and his hatred because it annoys him that
he does not know why he despises Othello so much. We cannot rely on
speeches of Iago talking to other characters because he is not always
acting himself; most of the time he is just putting on an act. In his
soliloquies however, we can see what Iago is really like.
Iago’s first reason for hating Othello is because Cassio was given the
job as lieutenant which was the job that Iago sought after. We can see
his sense of inferiority, as he feels resentful of rewards and
promotions when he is not the one receiving them.
Despise me if I do not: three great ones of the city,
In personal suit to make me his lieutenant
(Act I, Scene I, Line 8)
Iago is jealous of Cassio who got the job and Iago thinks very highly
of himself – he thinks he could do a much better job than Cassio
because he thinks he is cleverer than anyone else. Iago does not think
Cassio is a proper soldier because he thinks he does not have enough
experience and he just learns everything from books.
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
A fellow almost damn’...
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... just see him as a psychopath because there
is no other way to describe him and no way to answer to why someone is
evil – they just are. Another one of his motives is that he hates
goodness and wants to destroy anything that makes people happy such as
Othello’s marriage. Iago can also not keep his sense of inferiority
and superiority in balance.
I do however agree with the part of the quote “the motive hunting”
because it is true that Iago does not know why he hates Othello so
much therefore he needs to invent many reasons for hating him. I also
agree with Iago being a “malignity” because he causes harm to others
intentionally.
In this play, Shakespeare explores the question “why are people evil?”
but he does not know the answer. He suggests that sometimes there is
no reason; someone such as Iago is just evil.
as he is moody throughout the first act and is not able to come out of
Iago is the main antagonists against Othello, throughout the entire play. Iago is not realistically motivated. Even though Iago makes many of his decisions with careful thought, he does have a main flaw that will come back to haunt him in the end. Iago unlike other characters, doesn’t have true honorable morals. Because of this, he makes many situations which are manageable, and takes them further out of proportion he does this for his own pure enjoyment to create havoc for sport. Iago manipulates the characters who trust too easily, such are Roderigo and Othello. Iago uses them as an addition to his plans, which he manages so they will work in his favor in the end, or so he believes they will.
A Shakespearean play always includes a typical villain character. He is boisterous, egotistical, sometimes witty, and all too eager to seek revenge. In William Shakespeare Othello, Iago is the well-liked, trusted, and brave ensign of the great Venetian general Othello, or so it appears. Iago actually possesses all of the typical villainous qualities, however Iago conducts himself with great composure, and by manipulating his counterparts, he makes people believe he is on their side. I find this characteristic to be a very intriguing one that is not easy to perform. It is perhaps Iago's villainous actions throughout this play that lead me to believe that he is the hero rather than the typical villain.
The old cliché "One bad apple ruins the bunch" is what enters one's mind when discussing the villainous, deceitful, protagonist Iago in Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello." It is amazing how one person alone can completely destroy, or deteriorate a group of good natured, trusting, loyal peoples' lives in a matter of days- three to be exact. What is the motive behind Iago's heinous, selfish acts, one may ask? A rather obvious theme in the Shakespeare's tragedy, "Othello", is that of the many facets of jealousy, which instigate the evil-doings of protagonist, Iago. Jealousy can be best defined, in the thinking of Renaissance, as a derivative or compounded passion. It is a species of envy, which is in turn a species of hatred. Hatred finds its opposite in love and is opposed to love. Envy is opposed to mercy. Yet while jealousy is opposed to love, it often rises from love. Like envy, it has something of the grief or fear that comes from seeing another in possession of what which we would possess solely for ourselves. Though jealousy is compounded, it still partakes in the nature of hatred, and hatred brings in its wake anger and revenge (Nardo 122). This could not be more accurate in the horrid actions Iago resorts to in his insatiable desire to get what he feels is rightfully his, regardless of who he hurts along the way. Iago serves as a prime example that keeping your enemies closest does not always work to your advantage. Let us now examine the heights of deceit to which Iago rises in his selfish, tactless rage to acquire what he wants. The best demonstration of Iago's jealous ways are shown through his twisted motives and his strategically planned out course of action in which he...
Iago is one of the most complex characters in William Shakespeare’s Othello. To most of the characters, he is “Honest Iago” (Shakespeare, 5.2.73). however, the audience knows that Iago is the furthest thing from honest. Iago is a devil bent on destroying the lives of everyone around him. At the beginning of the play, the audience learns that Iago is determined to ruin Othello’s marriage to Desdemona. He has appointed a new lieutenant, Michael Cassio. This angers Iago because he feels that he has much more military experience and should be the lieutenant. Iago has also heard rumours that both Othello and Cassio have slept with his wife Emilia. He concocts a malicious plan to ruin the lives of all who have wronged him, and consequently establishing
In any story with a recurring dark theme there always must be an outsider from humanity who somehow stands out from the seemingly equal community. In the case of Shakespeare’s Othello the outsider from humanity would be Iago for he truly stands out from the rest of society. Although Othello may be physically put out of the community, it seems that on an emotional and egotistical level Iago puts himself out of society further then Othello’s blackness does. He is not merely manipulative, as other villains are; he turns aspects of truth and good qualities, which he does not possess, and uses them as weakness for his own scheme. He deceives people to follow his plans by telling them the truth and what seems to be good advice. By standing on the side and watching people he seems to learn more about them then they even know themselves. He seems to envy these people and the relationships that they possess, becuase he will never know what these connections feel like. He uses people’s strengths as their weaknesses to bring them to their doom. He causes much destruction and is driven by a force that the reader cannot even understand. Iago makes himself an outsider by not realizing that his ego causes him to hate and disrespect all of humanity.
So the only true character Iago truly despises is Cassio. Iago dislikes Othello, but ultimately would rather be his buddy than his enemy. Iago sees Othello as a good guy, but simply sees Othello’s pick of Cassio as just a lapse in judgement. So Iago takes it upon himself to change what he sees as wrong. The only problem is the way he goes about it.
He says: "I love the gentle Desdemona", and this suffices to explain his feelings. It is obvious that Othello is a much 'deeper', more sensitive man than Iago. Another contrast is that Iago's motivation is himself and his self-interest. Iago desires success and gain for himself and no other. It appears that his major grudge against Othello is that he promoted "a fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife" (that is, Cassio) above himself.
Make an argument that Iago is the hero, not the villain of this play. Why could we look at him that way? If he is the hero, who does this cast as the villain and why? What values are important if Iago is the hero?
Here is what he wrote on the subject:- Iago is represented as now assigning one, and then another, and again a third motive for his conduct, alike the mere fictions of his own restless nature, distempered by a keen sense of his intellectual superiority, and haunted by the love of exerting power on those especially who are his superiors in practical and moral excellence. Thus Coleridge asserts that Iago's impulses are simply to carry out evil acts - he has an inner malignancy that drives his "keen sense of his intellectual superiority" and his "love of exerting power". And so Iago's malignity is "motiveless" because his motives - being passed over for promotion, his suspicion that Othello and later Cassio are having affairs with Emelia - are merely rationalisations for his impulses; his drive to do evil. There is much evidence in the text to support this theory of Iago. Shakespeare does much to allude to the fact that Iago loves evil for his own sake and thus has his own... ...
Critical Analysis of Iago's Soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3 of Othello by William Shakespeare
Without a doubt, one of the main themes that runs throughout William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Othello, is that of honesty. In the play, the most interesting character is Iago, who is commonly called and known as "Honest Iago." However, this could not be farther from the truth. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits and moves him closer to his own goals. He is smart and an expert at judging the characters of others. Because of this, Iago pushes everyone to their tragic end.
Othello has had Iago as his ensign for many years. They have gone to battle many times over. In war, every little thing can affect the outcome, everything is vital information. During this time, Othello, when he was upset or unsure of what to do, has learned to trust and listen to Iago’s insights about strategy and war. Othello shows that his trust in Iago extends beyond the battlefield when he asks Iago to take care of his wife during the voyage to Cyprus. It’s this trust that backfires on him. When Othello hears Iago’s off hand remark about Cassio, he trusts that Iago would not have said anything if it wasn’t something to worry about. Then, Iago, knowing how Othello thinks of his character, makes Othello think there is more to his thoughts than he is willing to speak of. Iago knows just what to say and how to articulate it to make Othello think the worst. He even manages to look like a friend who wants to keep...
reason he "would expend time with such a snipe" is but to use him. He
Of all the characters in Shakespeare 's literature, Iago is the most innately evil antagonist created. Although Shakespeare’s other antagonists show reasoning behind their actions, Iago lacks any type of motive. In the tragedy, Othello, by William Shakespeare, Iago, the manipulative antagonist plays the role of a master puppeteer who successfully creates chaos and disorder throughout the entire play with no motives behind them. Early on, Iago is seen by the other characters as an honest and trustworthy ensign. Although as the play progresses, this multilayered character manipulates numerous good-natured minds to become as sinful as his own. Iago’s ability to exploit his victims’ flaws in such an unsuspecting manner