Othello and Iago's Relationship
The most striking and relevant tone behind this extract, is the irony
between the two men, whereby there roles are reversed in the audiences
eyes. This is shown with Othello being the General, hence superior to
Iago, but in social and mental terms Iago is taking control, using his
intelligence and deceitful malice, to manipulate and destroy the
strong Othello, first seen at the beginning of the play.
However there is more to this irony, in terms of dramatic irony, seen
throughout the whole extract. Where Othello, in effort to find the
start of the conflict between the two men, approaches Iago saying, '
'Tis monstrous. Iago, who began't,' so the audience is now left with a
huge knowledge over Othello, about the real motives of Iago, and the
very fact that they can't share it with Othello, and the way he first
turns to Iago for his version, is the torment known as the dramatic
irony.
Iago goes out to use many manipulative angles when concentrating on
Othello. The first of which, shows how observant and how well he knows
Othello, achieving this by sneaking in after his report of the scene,
'But men are men; the best sometimes forget,' this is a little comment
in effort to illustrate his concern for Cassio's situation, hence
mirroring his honesty to a man of superior rank. However he has no
problem of this backfiring, and destroying his plan, as he is under no
perception that Othello will show mercy on Cassio, and his position as
lieutenant. This is also backed up in Othello's opening judgment where
he claims, 'Though he had twinned with me, both at birth shall lose
me.' Which interestingly has a link in type of speech used, to that of
the Duke's stand of action, towards the man that took Brabanitio's
daughter, in Act 1 scene 3, 'Wheo'er he be that in this foul
proceeding hath thus beguiled your daughter of herself.
Rhetorical strategies are continually used to get a point across or to manipulate another. Iago uses many devices to put false accusations into Othello’s head. In lines 330-447 in Act 3 scene 3, Iago uses rhetorical question, imagery, and sarcasm. He questions Othello and makes him think the worst between Cassio and Desdemona, and then his use of words adds color and a picture, so it has to be right. Last his sarcasm creates the assurances Othello needed to be duped.
“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’
For Iago, deception, manipulating, and killing are second nature. It doesn’t occur to him that he will be caught and he doesn’t have any conscience about what he has done. These characteristics show that Iago is self-absorbed and out for himself. He is also greedy and jealous and plots to make everyone around him unhappy, while seeking position and honor. High position and honor starts his hatred of Othello. Iago sees Othello as being beneath him because of his race, but having all the glory and honor that he covets. The final straw, Cassio being made lieutenant over him, makes him take action and plot his revenge.
Iago's Ambitions in Shakespeare's Othello ‘Hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light’ (Act 1 sc. 3 L.385-6). This is said by the character Iago during a soliloquy at the end of Act 1 scene 3. This statement could take on many different meaning depending on how it is interpreted.
Bradley's theory that an 'exceptional calamity' leads to the "death of a man 'in high estate". Yet, Othello contradicts himself here, because it is his own 'domestic quarrel' that leads to the murder of his wife, and others in the play. Othello is not thinking rationally, and the reader can see this dramatic irony straight away. Irony is seen as Othello asks Iago to explain a 'monstrous' event. Iago himself is monstrous so he is the only person eligible to give reasons behind the happenings of that night.
hate', aggressiveness is represented in this line with the onomatopoeic repetition of 'dst' which creates a spitting sound when. spoken. The snares are. The first signs of Iago's deceiving character are shown here. as he has already stated he hates Othello and though there is no apparent reason to not believe Iago's claims he knew nothing of the love, secrecy (with no introduction of Othello yet) shadows the situation....
Iago, Othello's friend is being duplicitous. The snares are a snare. That causes rafting between Othello and Desdemona. Which leads to Desdemona being strangled by Othello. Looking at that Othello has been stupid to believe what Iago has said.
As Othello wears his mask that represent his desire for truth, he expects his subordinates to fulfill it. Already establishing trust with him, Iago fulfills Othello’s desire for truth in an exploitative manner. Iago is the most evil when he seems to be doing good. For Othello, Iago is merely an innocent bystander offering aid and doing his job. Figuratively speaking, Iago does not push Othello off the cliff, but instead convinces him that jumping is a rational course of
Language and imagination are among the most dangerous weapons Iago has at his disposal in Othello. Jealous and angered by Othello’s - his commanding officer - passing over him for a promotion, Iago develops a fierce, antagonistic perspective the aforementioned character; this sentiment quickly corrupts his volition, and he subsequently concocts a plot bent on destroying Othello. He renders this revenge scheme credible by concealing his true feelings behind a facade of loyalty and trustworthiness, and fabricating a fictitious story concerning the infidelity of Desdemona, Othello’s wife. Until the play concludes, Iago utilizes purposeful rhetoric to drive his agenda, and also a mastery of deception to mislead the minds of his targets.
Everybody knows that the most enthralling stories have a good villain. A “good” villain refers to a character who is ruthless, cunning, and an all-around mastermind who keeps the audience guessing. One of the most interesting villains is Iago from William Shakespeare’s Othello. Iago is a villain who has been analyzed for 500 years and still has no clear motivations for his evil acts. Fast forward a few centuries from the time Iago was created and take one of the most interesting characters from the CW’s television series The Vampire Diaries who happens to be the elusive vampire, Katherine Pierce. Both of these villains are similar in their manipulative nature, their motivations, and their impacts on the characters and stories.
......Still, if the starting point and destination of Othello’s initial journey were to be compared to Othello’s psychological journey throughout the play (and, more importantly, the development of his relationship with the villain, Iago), they are found to be startlingly similar. Whether Shakespeare intended the parallel or not, and there isn’t really any sure way to tell, the coincidence is great.
While reading the play “The Tragedy Of Othello” by Shakespeare I realized that it was almost like reading one big poem. Many of Shakespeare’s plays have a rhyme scheme this is called blank verse, “written prodomintaly in blank verse, Othello also includes prose passages (many spoken by Iago) and rhymed couplets (which punctuate the ends of some scenes)” (DiYanni 1011). The character I took the most interest in was Iago. He is portrayed as the villain throughout the play. Iago claims that he always speaks the truth when everything is an elaborated lie to manipulate others. Iago is married to Emilia, it was surprising to me that he did have a wife because he doesn’t have a good view on women. He believes they are suppose to be servants and housewives. In his view lying and cheating is the way to get things done. What makes Iago one of the worst shakespeare villains is, he is out to
Iago is widely credited, in the words of Agatha Christie, as “the greatest villain of all time”. He is a manipulative character who “weaves a web of deceit” by exploiting even the tiniest faults in others. By maintaining a facade of comedy and boyishness he uses his honesty and twisted truth to play others “like a virtuoso” and “drive... them to madness”. In the play Othello, Act 2 Scene 1 is perhaps the most enlightening scene with regards to the truly manipulative character of Iago. Containing several soliloquies and interactions between all of the main characters, his manipulation is well encapsulated both in this scene in the play and in the 1965 Stuart Burge film adaptation.
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. From the beginning Othello is noble, quick to act, judicious, trusting, and gives much weight to the importance of duty. These are all traits that serve to make him great at the beginning of the play, and later, ironically become key elements in his downfall. These aspects can be considered the internal causes of Othello’s tragic flaw. “Othello's nature is all of one piece. His trust, where he trusts, is absolute…. Love, if he loves, must be to him the heaven where either he must leave or bear no life. If such a passion as jealousy seizes him, it will swell into a well-night incontrollable flood.” Othello is pure an...
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