Character Study of Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello
In 'Othello', Iago works to bring about the downfall of the characters
that he hates, particularly Othello and Michael Cassio. In order to do
this, he uses not only the weaknesses of his victims, but their
strengths and good qualities as well.
Iago says this about Desdemona:
"So will I turn her virtue into pitch,
And out of her own goodness makes the net
That shall enmesh them all" (Act 2 Scene 3)
Iago's victims have virtues, which he uses to undermine them and plot
their downfall. Othello is a noble and heroic gentleman. He is open
and honest. He has a trusting nature and he is romantic. Othello is a
brave person who is not person of words but sorts problems out by
fighting or by action.
Iago says: "The Moor is of a free and open nature,
That thinks men honest that but seem to be so,
And will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are" (Act 1 Scene3)
Othello is courageous and fearless.
"The Moor, nowbe't I endure him not,
Is of a constant, loving, noble nature" (Act 2 Scene 1)
Othello has self-control over his passionate nature. When it breaks,
nothing can stop Othello's rage. Othello is quick thinking and
self-reliant.
He decides and acts instantly, without reflection.
Desdomona has loyalty for her friends "Makes her plead for Cassio's
reinstatement and therefore increases Othello's suspicions of her
unfaithfulness"
Desdemona: I assure thee,
If I do vow a friendship,
I'll perform it to the last article (Act 3 Scene 3)
Desdemona has kindness and goodness, which makes her unsuspecting of
Iago's evil plans.
Ia...
... middle of paper ...
... respect him a lot.
Cyprus is a rough and tough place. We know this because Othello's life
disintegrates and everything falls apart. There are murders and
drinking. There is no justice in Cyprus. It is a chaotic area.
People lose their jobs and reputation. There's always fighting and
Cyprus is under attack by the Turks.
Cyprus is therefore a good setting for Iago to do his mischief because
there is no law and order in Cyprus. It is easier for him to do it in
Cyprus than in Venice. Justice does not exist in Cyprus because it is
a chaotic place.
The play Othello includes different themes like love, trickery,
jealousy and racism. It gives a negative view of the human race. It
seems to suggest that people's positives and their good qualities not
only protect but also makes them vulnerable to the attack of evil.
Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello When the play "Othello" was first written by Cinthio the character of Iago was simple, and he had a legitimate motive for the trouble he was causing. In Cinthio's version Iago had a great love for Desdemona and because he was unable to fulfil his love, he became frustrated and expressed this frustration by creating havoc. Shakespeare, however, upon writing his version of "Othello" rejected this idea and converted Iago into a more complex character, and directed his hatred not against Desdemona but against Othello.
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.
William Shakespeare's Othello is a remarkable tale of trust, deceitfulness, lust and the most destructive of human emotions: vengeance and hatred. Iago better known as Othello's antagonist embodies vengeance and hatred to move an agenda to squash all who oppose Iago's plans. As defined by Merrium-Webster the definition of a protagonist is a principal character in a literary work or a leading actor, character, or participant in a literary work. Othello by Shakespeare is a play about Othello an example of a tragic hero with all figures centered around Othello as the protagonist yet, Othello has two main leading characters. Iago and Othello have stark contrasts as leading roles and different themes represented through the actions, words, and moral compass of both characters. As Othello plays out the audience finds that Iago is the driving force behind Othello and the cause for all chaos. Iago's thirst for vengeance due to feeling dissatisfied and passed over potential lieutenant position pushes Iago to ruin the lives of all associated with Othello. The thirst for vengeance drives Iago as Iago drives the plot achieving all goals and because of this Iago is the true protagonist of Othello.
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
Critics such as M. R. Ridley believe that the ability to hurt is the most
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.
“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’
Character Development of Iago, Desdemona and Othello The three characters of Iago, Desdemona and Othello are gradually revealed to the audience as Act One unfolds. All three are linked to one another and talk to and about each other. Their characters unfold through their interaction with others and how they behave in isolation. The first impression formed of Iago comes from what Roderigo says.
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.
Iago, the villain in Shakespeare’s Othello, is a round character of great depth and many dimensions. Iago works towards an aim that is constantly changing and becomes progressively more tragic. Yet, at times, "honest" Iago does actually seem honest. This essay will explore the complex character of "honest Iago.
In Act 3 Scene 3 (the scene following on from the one in question) the
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?
How does one create the perfect villain for a story? What qualities are needed in such a character? A good place to start when constructing a villain is to look at William Shakespeare’s villain in Othello, a man called Iago. Iago is wonderfully devious. Throughout the play, he not only poisons Othello’s vision of Desdemona, he does this with no one, excepting Roderigo, the wiser. There are several reasons that make Iago such a terrifying villain. Shakespeare gave certain qualities to his creation that made Iago more than just a evil character. These qualities transform Iago into the truly insidious character seen in the play. From the beginning of Othello to the time that Iago is revealed as the culprit, everyone trusts Iago and looks to him for advice. This gives Iago the means and opportunity to pull off his villainy.
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
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