Othello is a famous literal work of Shakespeare. In most of his literal writings, he addresses the ideas and concepts of human behavior, varying from love, to hate, to revenge and many other aspects (Domı´nguez-Rue´and Mrotzekb, p. 671). In Othello, he presents yet another masterpiece which talks about the tragedy of the noble hero who is brought down and destroyed by a human flaw which is jealousy. Othello is a domestic tragedy and encompasses different timeless themes that include; love, revenge, hate, jealousy and trust (Feather, p. 244). This essay concentrates on the theme of revenge and how the different characters exhibit revenge in their actions. Iago is the major character that this essay will focus on in talking about revenge.
I. traits and motivations
Iago is a character that Shakespeare chooses to depict in different forms; he represents every bad human flaw that one can have in society. He is a perfect example of what man should not be and what he should strive to avoid. A bad friend, back stabber, a liar and a schemer is what Iago is. All these character traits are used to bring out the malicious nature of Iago, and to create a vivid picture of people in society that may pose as friends but in real sense hate the fact that one is happy or prosperous. At a glance, Iago appears to be normal and not that evil at all, but with a deeper delve into the plot the reader is confronted with shocking character traits that Iago depicts. When he says that he is not who he is, he explains better to the reader to expect totally opposite traits from him. (Shakespeare, and Alexander, Act 1, scene 1, line 64). One may think that he is an honest person but as it turns out, Iago feels that Cassio is ignorant and not well suited to be g...
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...of the wrongs they commit to them end up having far much worse outcomes even for the avenger. This is clearly brought out in Othello through Iago and what he faces after his revengeful acts against Othello. Othello, who is a noble hero, is also brought down as a result of revenge. The revengeful nature has to be conquered and tamed if man is to proceed in life, acts of forgiveness and love must instead replace the urge to avenge a misdeed.
Works Cited
Domı´nguez-Rue´, E and Mrotzekb, M. Shakespearean tragedies dynamics: identifying a generic structure in Shakespeare’s four major tragedies. International Journal of General Systems. (2012). 671
Feather, J. O blood, blood, blood": Violence and Identity in Shakespeare's Othello . (n.d.). 244
Shakespeare, William, and Alexander Dyce. Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. Vol. 31. B. Tauchnitz, (1868).
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York; Washington Square Press, 1993.
Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.
Iago’s hatred for Othello has developed through the influence of not only his personal values, but the social and contextual values of the time. Thus, Iago is compelled to manipulate Othello and cause the tragedy. It is evident that Iago’s upbringing in the Venetian context of valuing and prioritising reputation and power, has caused him to have a strong sense of arrogance and selfish entitlement. Therefore, Iago is seen to be extremely greedy, as he not only seeks power, but also a better reputation and social standing. However, Othello denies him of this position, leading Iago to resent Othello and start his plan. Iago openly admits that he will “follow him to serve
Shakespearian tales always leave us with a plethora to ponder about the Elizabethan age and Shakespeare himself. “Othello” is no break in this mold, leaving us to ponder the roll of Iago within the harsh tale of love and murder. Iago is the one to tell Othello of his wife’s betrayal with Cassio, hence making up a story that will work to his favor yet betray those around him. Iago betrays his wife, Emilia, but not only her as he drags Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio into the mix of lies and the hatred he is spreading to improve his rank with Othello. But were Iago’s acts unjust and done for the sake of it? Is he a heartless man who’s only happiness is to bring sorrow upon others? No, Iago has a just reason for what he does, even though he causes the deaths of Cassio, Emilia, and Desdemona in his search for revenge; Iago is not a heartless fiend, just a man wronged.
There exists a kind of person who can be called by no other name than by “Magnificent Bastard”. They are masters of deception, bloody brilliant, unstoppable in achieving their goals even when it means grinding others into the dust, and yet they have such a flair, such a charming disposition, that they are often admired by even those who are wronged by them. Iago in Shakespeare’s play Othello is one such character. The audience may love or hate him, but either way they must admit that he commands the spot-light. In spite of this, the reason why Iago acts as he does is shrouded in mystery. Even when directly speaking to the audience about his motivations, Iago is not always truthful. In reality, while Iago derives great pleasure from manipulating others, his driving motivation throughout the entire play is his own jealousy; from being unrecognized for his greatness, to an impossible love for Desdemona, and of the virtuous characters all around him.
Golden, L. (1984). "Othello, hamlet", and aristotelian tragedy. Shakespeare Quarterly, 35, 142. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/740689230?accountid=12085
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. "Othello". The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.
Desdemona is one of the protagonists of the play contributes to the play and also fleshes out certain aspects of characterisation mainly where Othello and Iago are concerned. Thus her relevance is highlighted consistently throughout Othello, since without her ppresence, Iago would not have succeeded in manipulating Othello, and Othello's drastic transformation would not have been made evident.
Berry, Edward. “Othello’s Alienation.” Studies in English Literature 30.2 (1990): 315-33. JSTOR. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
Throughout history, there have been many human beings whom have been seen as either a hero or a villain. In their childhood, these people must had obstacles that were in their way, causing each individual to either work harder or give up. People, however; must understand that each individual has a potential in achieving their goals, but if one is mistreated or deceived due to jealousy, resentment, hatred, or ambition, it can lead to many catastrophic events. People who have pride and arrogance do not want to have equals, rather they want to see their victims suffer. These people have no difficulty in achieving their goals due to the fact that their victims have too innocent a nature to suspect the nefarious motives of their enemies. In this tragedy, Othello, Shakespeare has created a villain who behaves in this manner. Iago’s hatred, method of revenge, and vengeful hatred are the reasons of the lives lost in this play and the reasons that lead to Iago’s downfall.
Barthelemy, Anthony G. "Introduction" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 1-19)
In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is the antagonist and villain who causes all the trouble and disorder. Othello is the protagonist, and is the main person Iago’s destruction and revenge is aimed towards. Othello is naïve and gives everybody his trust even though he may not know them or they haven’t earned his trust yet. He often refers to Iago has “Honest” Iago, which is a direct showing of irony because Iago is not honest at all (Shakespeare, I, iii. 289). Iago is so angry that Othello didn’t give him the promotion that was given to Cassio that he plans to seek revenge against Othello. He seeks his revenge against Othello by manipulating and lying to all of the people around him including his closest friend Roderigo, Cassio, Othello’s wife Desdemona and even his own wife Emilia. In the end, Iago’s lies and manipulation led to the deaths of Roderigo, Emilia, Othello and Desdemona. This isn’t the first time many of these individual characteristics have shown up in one of Shakespeare’s plays.
- - -. Othello. 1968. Ed. Kenneth Muir. The New Penguin Shakespeare. London: Penguin Books, 1996.