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What is the role of iago in the book othello
What Is The Conflict In Othello
What Is The Conflict In Othello
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How Iago Convinces Othello that Desdemona and Cassio Must Die
In Act Three, Scene Three of ‘Othello’, by William Shakespeare, the
main theme is Iago’s plan to convince Othello of Desdemona’s
infidelity with Cassio; and ultimately get them punished. By the end
of the scene, Iago has succeeded in his malicious plan and Othello is
sure that Cassio and Desdemona must be killed. Iago manages to do this
through skilfully using his ability to manipulate and entrap Othello
into having total faith in his words.
In the beginning of the scene, Iago plays on Othello’s already
slightly suspicious mind (due to previously telling him that he
suspects Desdemona is sleeping with Cassio) by muttering: “Ha! I Like
Not That”; when Cassio leaves Desdemona’s side just as Iago and
Othello arrived. Othello, having not fully heard what Iago said asks
Iago to repeat it, and Iago replies by saying he didn’t say anything,
which obviously would make Othello suspicious. Othello asks if it was
Cassio who left from Desdemona’s side, although he most likely knew
that it was Cassio, as he would have seen him. Therefore, when Iago
replies: “Cassio, my lord? No, sure I cannot think it that he would
steal away so guilty-like, seeing you coming”; it effectively plants
the idea into Othello’s head that Cassio has something to be guilty
about, making him even more wary of Cassio.
Throughout the scene, Iago continually drops deceptive hints about
Cassio. This is demonstrated in lines 93 onwards when Iago asks
Othello; “Did Michael Cassio, when you wooed my lady, know of your
love?” After Othello tells him that he did, and asks why Iago wanted
to know, Iago once again...
... middle of paper ...
...affair, and the only way to prevent himself looking a Cuckold and a
fool will be to have them both killed. Through small but effective
hints and stories about Desdemona and Cassio, like Cassio’s supposed
dream, Iago leads Othello to believe that there is no other
possibility but that they are in a relationship. Iago’s malicious
intent means he will say almost anything to make Othello believe that
what he is telling him is true, fooling Othello into having complete
trust in Iago. Iago not only skilfully traps Othello in his web of
lies, but also makes it inevitable for Desdemona and Cassio to look
suspicious one way or the other- like with the handkerchief or
Desdemona pleading for Cassio’s reinstatement. This all adds to
Othello’s growing doubt of Desdemona’s fidelity until he is certain
that she, and Cassio, must die.
Actions and events that are happening around a character often contribute to the decisions that they make. Desdemona tries to talk to Othello about giving Cassio his lieutenant position back but she keeps asking " But shall ’t be shortly?" (Shakespeare 3.3.56) and badgering Othello. This causes Othello to become exasperated with her and need some time alone. Desdemona is increasing Othello's suspicion that she is cheating on him by talking to Cassio and only talking about Cassio. Othello is most certainly not going to give Cassio his position back because he think Cassio is untrustworthy and a cheater. In The Other Wes Moore, Tony's actions contributed to many of the other Wes Moore's actions and decisions. One of the first actions Tony had
Ways that Iago Manipulates Othello in Act Three Scene Three in Othello by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare is prominent not only in inventing new words, but also in using such themes as death, love, and betrayal throughout his works including Othello. However the central theme of the play is jealousy which we face right from the beginning meeting Roderigo, who envies Othello because he wants to be with Desdemona. In the end of the play we see how furiously jealous Othello is because he is sure Cassio and Desdemona have an affair. In the story of Othello by Shakespeare it is clear that Iago plays a significant part as he is introduced right from the first scene. Iago was Othello 's ensign who was passed over for the lieutenant position in favor of Cassio. We tend to follow Iago during the play more than Othello. Iago leads us through
When the concept of murder is brought, it is thought of weapons being used for reasons such as crime and for justice. Nevertheless, what if a particular attribute exhibited by someone ends up being the root cause of somebody’s death? No doubt, Iago is a devious character who would get away with about anything to fulfill his obligation into acquiring a higher position of authority. The overall concept of the play can be perplexing to the reader when it comes to who is to blame for the death of several major characters – Othello’s inability to control his emotions or take other people’s feelings into account leads to death of his beloved with and himself; none of this wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for Iago who made this plan in the first place.
Implicitly targeting Othello’s doubts about marrying Desdemona and insecurities about her actions with infidelity, Iago eventually impacts Othello enough that the General himself confides in Iago about his own wife. Earlier in the play, ‘honest Iago’ needs to first gain Othello’s confidence and he does so by expressing his loyalty to Cassio, “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/ Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio”, while Othello is present in a conflict (2.3. 203-204). Then, later in the play Iago baits Othello by suggesting that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. Immediately, Othello wants more information; however, Iago nervously responds with, “…vicious in my guess-/ As I confess…” and tries to calm Othello by saying, “My noble lord-” (3.3 46-47, 93). When voicing his devotion to Cassio, Iago immediately begins to play on his false reputation as ‘honest Iago’. He enables Othello, and his fellow characters, to think highly of him and to respect that even when his partner, Cassio, has not been following orders, Iago would even endure physical pain and have his “tongue cut from [his] mouth” and proves his locality (2.3. 203). This leads to when Iago responds to Othello’s queries, about
Despite the fact that Iago deliberately subjects Othello to his twisted thoughts, Othello seems to have a greedy ear for his discourse, and appears to rely on Iago for the underlying truths of this white, male-dominated society he wants to belong to. Perhaps that helps explain how easily Othello is fooled without any real evidence. Once Iago has sown the seed of doubt in Othello's mind about Cassio, whom they both presumably see as a proper man (I.
The Motivations of Iago in Othello Have you ever met a devil who does evil for his own sake? Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello could seem like he has good motives, but I feel that he uses them as his excuses. The first thing that I did was uncover Iago's motives. Iago is the most controversial character in Othello. He is able to keep his true thoughts and motives from everyone.
Iago didn’t even try to kill Cassio himself, he convinced Roderigo to do it. Iago doesn’t like Cassio, but doesn’t have the motivation to kill him. After Desdemona died, Iago’s wife told Othello everything. Iago immediately killed his wife. After it was all said and done, Iago remained silent.
The situation above leaves an opening for Iago to fulfill his vital plan to bring down Othello through Desdemona. Cassio was a mental wreck and told Iago that his reputation was ruined. Iago told him that he can get his rank back through Desdemona and get back on Othello's good side. "Confess yourself freely to her, importune her help to put you in your place again (p. 54)." Once Cassio talks to Desdemona, Iago will speak with Othello and get him to think of his wife's trust. In Act three Scene three Iago is speaking to Othello and warns him to look out for Cassio and Desdemona. Othello asks Iago if it was just Cassio that left from speaking with his wife.
The tragedy, "Othello" by William Shakespeare, is not just a play of jealousy. It is a drama about the collision of two worlds. One of them is a world of an absolute cynic, Iago the manipulator. A second world is a world experienced by all the other characters of the tragedy. The ability to understand the true nature of people around Iago makes him quickly navigate the situation. Given by nature, the psychological technique of manipulation, Iago is a master to wear different masks, because he can predict the further course and he is proficient of destroying everything to achieve success.
The events that occur in the first half of Act 1 are all in anticipation of the lead character Othello who we are not immediately introduced too. We learn Iago’s name in the second line of the play and Roderigo’s soon after, but Othello is not mentioned by his name once. Instead he is referred to as ‘he’, ‘him’ and is frequently described as ‘the moor’ (1.1.58) he is also described as having ‘thick lips’ (1.1.67) and later as being a ‘Barbary horse’ (1.1.111) is continuously described by his critics, mainly Iago, as a ‘moor’, demonstrating Iago’s frequently concerning nature of race and also portraying Othello as something of an alien. From this reference we are able to immediately understand Iago’s true feelings and motives for Othello.
All Iago had to do was hint at Desdemona being unfaithful and Othello’s becomes very bothered it and eventually starts believing it. The author of an essay does an analysis on Iago and says “He slowly poisons people’s thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without implicating himself. Iago even says himself that the advice he gives is free and honest and thus, people rarely stop to consider the possibility that Iago is fooling them.“ (Shakespeare’s Othello – Honest Iago). So Iago would hint at something going between Desdemona and Cassio so that Othello would become bothered and ask him what he means by that, it was like a game that Iago was playing, he would drop a little hint and then expect Othello to pick up on it and start questioning it and become more even suspicious. Brabantio tells Othello “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee” (I.ii.286-287), So In this scene Brabantio warns Othello that Desdemona has already fooled him and she might fool him too, so be careful, and it turns out, Othello believed in him after all and that’s part of the reason of why he thinks that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him. It leads him to start questioning Desdemona in a very suspicious way. At one point he even hits her in front of a nobleman and that was very shocking to the nobleman because he believed him to be a very calm and collected gentleman but obviously he was a changed man. The nobleman even expresses his shock by saying that “My lord, this would not be believed in Venice, though I should swear I saw’t. ‘Tis very much make her amends; she weeps” (IV .i.217-219). This negative thinking and insecurity was one of the main reasons to Othello’s change in a negative way. A lot of this was Iago’s doing but it was also Othello’s fault to fall for Iago’s
Critical Analysis of Iago's Soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3 of Othello by William Shakespeare
In the play Othello, the character Iago plays a paramount role in the destruction of Othello and all of those around him. Some critics state that Iago's actions are motiveless and that he is a purely evil character. However, during the course of this paper, certain motives for Iago's actions will be discussed.
Throughout Shakespeare’s entire career as a playwright, some would agree that never has there been a more painfully frustrating story than that of Othello. A jealous man is manipulated by an even more jealous man, etcetera, many people end up dead, and leave the audience (who knew the painfully obvious truth all along) in utter frustration and disbelief. The roles seem cookie cutter: Iago a villain, Desdemona, Emilia and Cassio victims, and Roderigo somewhere in between. But among them, there is Othello, the Moor of Venice who turned against the only people in his life whose loyalty lied unquestionably with him. There is obvious part to blame in Iago, who masterminded the entire catastrophe, but shouldn’t Othello have realized that his loving wife, who went against her own father to marry him, wouldn’t cheat on him? Or that his first hand lieutenant, of whom’s devotion was still true even after being demoted, wouldn’t have disrespected him in such a way? While lacking the malice or intent of a murderer/villain, Othello nonetheless allows himself to be manipulated into becoming the villain that even Iago himself wasn’t expecting.