Iago's Use of Language in William Shakespeare's Othello
The play, 'Othello', written in the 17th century by William
Shakespeare is a tragic play which involves romance, love, murder and
deceit. 'Iago', one of the main characters, other than Othello, is
very cunning and manipulative person. He is very sly in his ways and
he will do anything to be more powerful, not caring about whom he
hurts in the process.
In Act 3 Scene 3, we can see that Iago's plan of revenge is on
progress. He lies and cleverly persuades Othello to believe that his
wife Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio and he also involves
Roderigo and Emilia in his plotting. Iago is further assisted in this
by Desdemona chance of dropping handkerchief of great sentimental
value given to her by Othello. Othello commits himself to revenge
wanting Iago to plan Cassio's death while he plans to kill Desdemona.
Thus, this scene is important because it is showing us turning points
of different characters. Othello who appears to be good and less
tempered in previous acts is now angry and obsessed with revenge and
vulnerable in this act. So, we can see a sudden change in Othello's
character.
After reading the act, audience is convinced and can predict that the
play will end tragedically because these scenes have no going back for
Othello.
The audience responds in different ways. At the beginning of the play,
when Iago is talking to Roderigo, we think that Othello is the bad
one. However as the play continues we see Iago's hatred towards him.
The audience does fear Iago to a certain extent as he seems so
faithful on the outside but is deceit and clever from inside. However,
I believe the audience admires Iago, as the way he manages to get
everyone participated in getting revenge on Othello.
Iago focuses on Othello's insecurities and uses them to bring about
suspicion and jealousy from Othello. Leading up to Act 3 Scene 3, Iago
has managed to lower Cassio's rank.
Iago’s Use of Rhetorical Strategies to Manipulate Othello in Shakespeare’s Othello. 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 questioning, imagery, and sarcasm.
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.
Othello sends her off to get Desdemona and says to the audience “She says enough, yet she’s a simple bawd/That cannot say as much. This is a subtle whore,/A closet, lock and key, of villainous secrets./And yet she’ll kneel and pray, I have seen her do ’t.” (4.2.21-24) Othello is dismissing her statement under the principle that any woman would say the same story and the only truth he can trust would be what he is told by a man. Othello uses words such as “whore” and “villainous,” which are words first spoken by Iago. These are used only in the most demeaning way and this shows that he truly believes that no matter what evidence he is shown, or who claims she is a good wife, that she has just hidden her true nature from them as he has seen her “kneel and pray” just like any good wife.
There are many reasons why we study William Shakespeare’s plays today. There is the insight into human nature that he knows well, allusions to old mythology and legends, and others. However, one reason stands out above the rest: his power of language. Also, this power of language is clearly shown in his play, Othello, through Iago, the antagonist of the play. Iago, who is an ensign of Othello, is furious that he was not given the promotion of lieutenancy. As a result, he uses his craftiness and his “power of language” to take revenge on Othello. Although his plan foils, he causes Othello to kill his wife Desdemona and commit suicide, all the while he deceives and exploits other characters for his plan. In Othello, Iago demonstrates his power
“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’
Iago is a powerful predator who exploits those around him by infecting their perceptions of truth with carefully chosen fallacy. His skill in finding the proverbial chinks in others' armor allows him to skillfully weave his machinations of destroying Othello into their minds and actions; by manipulating character's perceptions of Desdemona, Iago gains the leverage he needs to exploit each character. No one is impervious to Iago's seething purpose; even Othello falls prey to Iago's suggestions and insinuations about Desdemona. Iago's constant presence as the stager, as well as his ceaseless - but subtle - reinforcement of events through narration, allows him to be the pivotal force that directs Shakespeare's Othello.
Iago's Manipulation of Characters in William Shakespeare's Othello. Introduction The play 'Othello' was created by William Shakespeare. Othello is a tale set in Venice at the time when adultery was a hanging offence. It is a tale all about jealousy and manipulation by one of the main characters, i.e. the characters, Iago.
Everyone at some point in their lives attempts to convince someone to behave certain ways and to do specific things that ultimately will only benefit the person doing the convincing. Throughout the entire book, Othello, Iago attempts to convince numerous people in order to in the end only benefit and help himself. In this scene, Roderigo is explaining to Iago how he no longer wants to love because he is without Desdemona’s love. Iago then focuses on convincing Roderigo not only out of suicide, but also into getting Desdemona back. If Iago was unable to encourage Roderigo to go back after Desdemona, his plans would have been ruined. In lines 296-395, Iago uses many different uses of language in order to convince Roderigo to do what he wants him to do.
role in the outcome. Iago was very consumed in the idea of revenge and wishing to be of
Cassio, and so in act 3 scene 3 Iago puts his plans into action and
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.
In the very beginning of Act I Iago displays his hatred for Othello. He is angry with him for making Cassio the lieutenant. Jealousy is his first motive. He then tells Roderigo (a former suitor of Desdemona) that Othello and Desdemona are getting married. The two of them then go and tell Desdemona's father, Brabantio, that Othello and his daughter have just eloped. This infuriates Brabantio. Soon after, Brabantio gets a gang after Othello. Iago's treachery is first displayed here. When Othello is confronted Iago is on his side. Iago was the person who instigated the whole situation. Shakespeare does a very good job in showing what kind of person Iago is, right from the beginning of the play. The reader begins to realize this before any of the characters in the play do. He did this so the reader will begin to see how evil Iago is, yet how unjustified his reasoning is. Act I is where Iago pieces together his whole sinister plot to get revenge. He first tells Roderigo to sell all he has and move to Cypress to court Desdemona. The last stanza of Act I is where he manifests his grand scheme. His idea is to get Othello into thinking Cassio is in love with Desdemona.
Iago uses the word "honest" in act three of Othello in three primary ways. The first way he uses it is to mean honourable, about Cassio. He uses this meaning of the word to force Othello to doubt Cassio's honesty, and question his hounorablility. The second way is to mean faithful, both about Desdemona and Cassio. Iago uses it in the context that the two may be "truthful," again to make Othello doubt. The third way is Iago's most effective use, which is to use honest in the context to mean truthful, as in, he has told Othello the truth. However, Shakespeare has created tremendous dramatic irony, for we know that Iago is being anything except truthful. The three uses of the word honest are used largely in the subtext of the act, they are used by Iago to force Othello to question his wife's integrity, and honesty. Shakespeare uses the word by Iago to plant tremendous doubt in Othello's mind. The word is also used by Iago in the action line. His objective is constantly to make Othello think things without actually being told them, and Iago's parroting of the word and constant useage do this quite nicely.
Critical Analysis of Iago's Soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3 of Othello by William Shakespeare
Without a doubt, one of the main themes that runs throughout William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Othello, is that of honesty. In the play, the most interesting character is Iago, who is commonly called and known as "Honest Iago." However, this could not be farther from the truth. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits and moves him closer to his own goals. He is smart and an expert at judging the characters of others. Because of this, Iago pushes everyone to their tragic end.