Connie Yu
END 2DE
Ms. Hunt
April 14th 2014
Othello Essay Assignment
Gandhi once said “Your values become your destiny.” Shakespeare’s play Othello reflects this in the character Iago. Values are often viewed positively and are attached to good intentions, but they can easily go wrong and turn into vices. Iago’s three main values of ambition, cleverness, and perception quickly go sour and become vices that lead him to his downfall.
One of Iago’s most important values is ambition, but this value takes a nasty turn when he begins using it for villainous desires. Ambition can be a successful motivator, but Iago is ambitious to the point where he is prepared to do any evil to get what he wants. He is Othello’s ancient, but he is not satisfied and feels that he deserves more. Iago desires a promotion to lieutenant, a position that is currently Cassio’s. Also, Iago has heard rumors that Othello slept with his wife Emilia. Even though there is not a shred of evidence, Iago believes the rumors and begins to despise Othello. He frequently refers to Othello as “the Moor” (Shakespeare 2.1.225) in his soliloquies and dehumanizes him by comparing Othello to animals such as an “old black ram” (1.1.88). Iago’s ambition for Cassio’s position and his desire to get back at Othello are two key motives for his actions. He commits crime after crime to get what he wants and there are no apparent limits. Even when he gets Cassio fired, Iago does not stop. His ambition is a monster that cannot be satiated and he continues his schemes. It is clear at this point that what originated as a value of ambition has become a vice of greed. Iago continues to trick Roderigo into giving him money, puts suspicions in Othello’s head about Desdemona and Cassio, and co...
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...dvantage of his own wife’s loyalty to him and convinces her to give him Desdemona’s handkerchief. However, his lies don’t hold up forever. Emilia realizes that Iago has been behind all the chaos and her loyalty to him ends. By the end of the play, Iago is exposed and taken prisoner to be tortured for his actions. Iago’s value of perception plays a big part in his eventual downfall.
When Iago’s values of ambition, cleverness and perceptive thinking turn into vices, not only do they become his own downfall, they also tear apart the lives of those around him. Perhaps at one point in his life, Iago’s values were attached to good intentions, but this is clearly not the case throughout the play. Vices are ingredients in this recipe for disaster and Iago’s values indeed became his destiny. When his values went wrong, so did he and Iago became inevitably destined for ruin.
“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’
What is perhaps the leading cause for the downfall of the characters in the play is Iago’s hypocritical nature that comes with an undeniable desire for fame, and receiving attention from others. To begin with, the audience can develop the idea that Iago greatly appreciates all the compliments that others give to him. Noteworthy evidence includes when Cassio “humbly [thanks Iago] for’t, [never knowing] a Florentine more kind and honest (3.1.27-28), as well as when Othello states that he knows [Iago is] full of love and honesty (3.3.118). The significance behind Othello, Iago, and what others thought about Iago’s qualities that he possesses all share one thing in common – the characters share their feelings for Iago whenever he ensures that he would help find solutions to their problems, such as Roderigo’s fondness for Desdemona, bringing back Cassio’s position as lieutenant, and helping out Othello by ending the alleged relationship between Desdemona and Cassio; this evidence demonstrates how Iago would do whatsoever only for people to praise him and to create a positive reputation of himself so it would be easier for him to hide his felonious schemes from others. Similarly, in order
In Othello, Iago uses his fine reputation as an “honest man” and Othello’s insecurities to manipulate him and carry out his master plan of destroying Cassio, Othello, and Desdemona. Iago’s insight towards the other characters’ weaknesses enables him to let them know exactly what they want to hear, which helps him gain their trust. He plays upon the insecurities of others to maneuver them into carrying out the actions he needs done in order to fulfill his own desires. In looking at Othello, we will consider the Othello’s blind acceptance of “the truth” as it is presented to him and find that when we blindly take another’s “truth” and accept it as our own, we merely become tools utilized by the person who gave us that supposed truth and give up the power of being ourselves—we fail to assert a self. Iago is angry because Othello chose Cassio to hold a position which he thinks he deserves, so he seeks revenge by playing upon Othello’s main flaw—his lack of trust—and putting Cassio in a position that would turn Othello against him.
Within Shakespeare’s Othello, it conveys moral and subsequent reflection of events in its current society. In Act 4, Scene 2 (Part 1) demonstrates the road to Othello’s downfall and the success of Iago’s revenge. Within this scene, Othello interrogates Emilia for suspicion of Desdemona and Cassio’s affair, in which they have none, and with Othello's confrontation, he questions and insults her of her unfaithfulness and infidelity leaving Desdemona confused about what happened to Othello. Iago, called by Emilia, pretends to offer Desdemona comfort and Emilia raises notions of the possibilities and hypothesising that someone is 'feeding' Othello lies. Iago hastily covers these ideas to avoid exposure of the truth. This strong and indecisive scene twists the ideas of human nature within Othello’s mind and convinced perceptions of Desdemona, fulfilling Iago’s Revenge.
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...
This paper will prove that Iago has one clear motive and reason for his madness. Iago is not looking for justification that causes him to act the way he does. There is much more to Iago. He is not a man of only excuses, he has goals with his motives, which causes him to act the way he does. As early as the first scene of the play, Iago shows us strong motives for his actions.
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.
An important reason that makes Iago is such a fascinating character is the fact that there is little known about him. Unlike the other characters in this play, Iago cannot be given any clear description about who he is as a person. Desdemona is the typical pure virgin type, Roderigo is a rich fool in love, and Cassio is a handsome Venetian army Lieutenant. For Iago there is no other apparent about his character other than his snake like personality. The information about him is that he is a general to Othello, and is married to Desdemona’s hand maiden, Emilia. This is all that is known about Iago, the reader is given no background. The main mystery about Iago is why he executes his devious plan. Through the whole play, the reader is looking for reasons or hints as to why Iago has become so evil. By the end of the play there is no clear reason for him going after Othello. When describing why he plans to ruin Othello he gives two reasons; rumors about his wife having an affair with Othello, and a hint about affections for Desdemona. Both of these reasons are said in a vague off-handed type manner, giving the reader no true motive for Iago. Even in the very end of the play, after he’s been caught Iago refuses to give a...
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)
Like every Shakespearean tragedy there is often an untimely doom that ends the life of the "hero" or main character of the play. The main character’s doom only becomes the outcome when they are unable to better the wrongs they or others had committed. However, in this Shakespearean tragedy the person who drives the participants of this play to their doom, isn’t the main character Othello, but Iago, the motiveless character whose jealousy and rage drives him to commit crimes towards the people who believed him and considered him a trusting friend.
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
The Tragedy of Othello, written by William Shakespeare, is a play about a Moor of Venice and his downfall by deception and love. The themes of two-facedness, narcissism, and honor are all prominent in this play; the theme overarching these, however, is loyalty. Similar to a satirist, Shakespeare shows that the true nature of a person’s loyalty is not always as it appears. Othello’s loyalty to his own honor exposes his false loyalty to his wife. Iago, the antagonist, is deceptive in portraying himself as honest and committed to those he supposedly loves, but at the same time he plans their downfall. Honor, narcissism, and deception are each concepts Shakespeare uses to convey the ambiguity of loyalty in people.
Shakespeare develops the character Iago into an instigator and evil man. Iago attempts and succeeds to convince Othello that his wife has had an affair with his friend Cassio. We see Iago beginning his plans at the very start of the play. “But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at, I am not what I am.”(Oth 1:1:64-65) He immediately tries to start trouble with Brabantio and Othello over the marriage to Desdemona. Iago want to get in Othello’s way because he was passed over for general and Cassio was chosen instead. We see from the start how he plots against Othello and he involves several characters in his plans. “And what’s he then that says I play the villain? When this advice is free. I give and honest, probal to thinking, and indeed the course to win the Moor again? For tis easy Th’ inclining Desdemona to subdue in any honest suit; she’s framed as fruitful…”(2:3:295-300).
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 for the lives lost in this play and the reasons that led to Iago’s downfall. Iago’s hatred of Othello and Cassio causes him to seek revenge, and he is able to succeed because his victims are too innocent to suspect him. Iago is a Machiavellian Shakespearean character who cunningly convinces his victims of his full moral support and proves his innocence in a way that his victims do not suspect him. When Cassio finishes his conversation with Desdemona about how he will not have his job back, Iago unfolds his mischievous plan against Desdemona when he says that, “so will I turn her virtue into pitch, And out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all” (Shakespeare, 49).
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.