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iago importance in othello
analysis of the character of othello
character analysis in the play othello
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There are many literary works that contain villains who play an essential role in the development of the work as a whole. However, I believe that the ultimate villain of this kind is Iago in Shakespeare’s play, Othello. Through manipulation and scheming, he beguiles the other characters of the novel. In the analysis of Iago’s character, we find that the true motive for his villainous acts is simply jealousy. Throughout the course of the novel, we are confronted with some of the motives for Iago’s jealousy. He believes that Othello has been having an affair with Emilia. He also despises Cassio because of the promotion he received. One of the means Iago uses to carry out his plan is the use the other characters. Emilia’s part in his plot is to steal Desdemona’s handkerchief, but she is not aware that she plays such an essential role. Desdemona is also an unwilling and unknowing accomplice in Iago’s plan. Her only role is to play on Othello’s tragic flaw, jealousy. The greatest use of another character is Iago’s usage of Roderigo to finance the enforcement of his plan and to do the “dirty work.'; This is probably the most unscrupulous component of his plan. It produces sympathy for the other characters because they are oblivious to Iago’s actions and the part they play in the scheme of things. At the same time, it produces a feeling of repugnance toward Iago for his scheming and calculating ways. As we become more familiar with Iago’s character, his motives become more apparent. Once we learn of Cassio’s promotion, Iago’s jealousy and his resentfulness toward Cassio become unmistakable. At the beginning, the motive for Iago’s focus on Othello is vague, but later we learn of Iago’s belief that Othello has had an affair with Emilia. However, it is the belief of some that Iago had no true motive. The reason behind the entire plot was that he was plain evil.
In Shakespeare's play Othello, Iago Is shown to be the villain. With the cunning use of his brilliance and manipulation, he is able to orchestrate an entire plot to take his revenge on Othello the center of all his ill tempered aggression. By lying to characters like Roderigo and many others, including his wife, in order to
To better understand Iago’s effect on these different characters, it is important to look in to his own character. Iago’s motives are not clear, however, it is true that he despises Othello, and that he is jealous of the fact that Michael Cassio had taken over the role of lieutenant; a role that Iago wanted very badly. It is in the beginning of the play that Iago confesses to follow Othello but not be loyal to him,
Iago wants to ruin Othello because Othello chose Cassio for the promotion instead of him, Iago also heard rumors that Othello slept with his wife, Emilia.
Iago explains his motivation for hating Othello, trying to convince Roderigo to get Othello in trouble: “Three great ones of the city / (In personal suit to make me his lieutenant) … ‘I have already chosen my officer…One Michael Cassio’ [says Othello]” (I.i.9-10, 18, 20). Othello has, instead of choosing Iago who has a plethora of military experience (and who believe himself to be the most worthy person for the position), but an arithmetician with no experience in battle. This causes Iago much more than chagrin. Iago lacks esteem needs here, not getting the status he wants. He takes this to a personal level because Othello refused the requests of high ups for someone else. Nonetheless, some people may say ego defence mechanisms play a more important role in Iago's life because he justifies all the wrongs he plans to do with a defence mechanism called rationalization. Rationalization is the concurring of wrongs by giving self-serving reasons. Nevertheless, Iago feels a lack of security of his job and cares for nothing else at that moment but getting what he believes should be back. This is just like being sick: one does not care about anything but getting well. Contributing to the theme of revenge, Iago’s needs overpower any sense of right and wrong, considering only what he wants,
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
As early as the first scene of the play Iago shows us strong motives for his actions. In this first scene we see Othello, a general of Venice, has made Cassio his new lieutant. Iago feels he truly deserves his promotion as he says "I know my price, I am worth more no worse a place."(l.i.12) Iago over here is confused why Othello has made such a stupid decision. Iago is a man with a tremendous ego who knows, sometimes overestimates, his worth. Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman, understands Iago when Iago said that he is "affined to love the Moor."(l.i.41-42) What Iago really means is "I follow him to serve my term upon him."(l.i.45) Iago wants to use Othello for his personal goals. We also must put ourselves into Iago's shoes. He is a man whose self-esteem and professional carrier have just been torn apart. Iago makes his actions of revenge toward Othello almost immediately by informing Brabantio, a Venetian senator and father of Desdemona, that "an old black ram (Othello) is tupping (his) white ewe (Desdemona)."(l.i.97)
Othello being a Moor commanding the armies of Venice is a celebrated general and heroic figure whose “free and open nature “ will enable Iago to twist his love for his wife, Desdemona into a powerful jealousy. Iago is Othello’s ensign, and Shakespeare’s greatest villain. His public face of honesty and bravery conceals a satanic delight in manipulation and destruction. .
The Reason why Iago develop such as evil plan is because Iago suspect that Othello is having an affair with his wife Emilia. He cited when he said "And it is thought abroad that 'twist my sheets he's done my office." The irony behind this line is that he then says, "I know not if't be true, but I, for mere suspicion in that kind, will do as if for surety." That mean, He is not sure that Othello is having an affair with his wife but he will pay anyhow, this show that Iago is so blind with his jealousy that he will do anything on his reach to make Othello for such act no sure committed.
Annoyed by the fact that Othello overlooked him and promoted Cassio, he states:”I know my price, I am worth no worse a place.../ Horribly stuff’d with epithets of war.../ ’I have already chose my officer/ And what was he?/ Forsooth, a great arithmetician” (1.1.11-19). Iago says this to Roderigo in order to show his ridicule and hate towards Othello’s decision of promoting Cassio implying that he felt Cassio did not deserve the promotion but he did. Based on his sense of justice, Iago felt that because of Othello’s unwise and ridiculous decision for promoting Cassio, Othello deserves to be ruined and punished. Iago also hatefully states “But partly led to diet my revenge,/ For that I do suspect the lusty Moor/ Hath leap’d into my seat; the thought whereof/ Doth gnaw my inwards;/ And nothing can or shall content my soul/ Till I am even with him, wife for wife” (2.1.295-299). Iago is simply stating that he is enraged in the suspicion that Othello may have slept with his wife, Emilia and that he seeks revenge which is Iago’s sense of justice since he believes given this reason, Othello should be punished and deserves revenge that will bring him and his wife to ruin. Thus the driving force that drove Iago is revenge because Iago chose to plot the evil scheme and revenge against Othello believing he deserved and that is was justified. But, others may still claim that the driving force that drove Iago is mainly power, revenge, and
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).
Iago has no conscience. He is an angry man and is happy to take down everyone around him to get what he wants: revenge. It is in Act 1, Scene 3, that he devises his evil plan. Here we can see inside Iago's mind. It is easy to see that his primary motivation is jealousy: jealousy that Othello may have slept with his wife, and jealousy that Othello chose Cassio over him. As he plots his revenge, it is clear Iago respects and cares for no one.
You would assume that this need for revenge was spawned from Jealousy from his relation ship with his wife, but the motive spawned from Othello simply not choosing Iago for a promotion that had come up. Iago’s motive seems trivial but it really isn’t to Iago. This situation triggers the whole plot to ruin the one thing Othello loves the most, Desdemona. Must have been one heck of a promotion or Iago was a very sinister person by nature indeed.
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.
Iago’s initial jealousy of Cassio led him to seek revenge, thus moving the entire plot. He also fuels his hatred of Othello by convincing himself that Othello slept with his wife. His jealousy initiated many of the other characters’ jealousy, which resulted in multiple negative consequences. This included the death of Brabantio, Roderigo, Desdemona, his wife Emilia, and finally Othello. He was also punished for his jealousy. He is arrested and it is implied in the passage that he not be killed, but instead, tortured until he talks.
In Othello, Iago presents two different motives behind his hatred of Othello. The first motive that Iago uses is that, he was passed over for a promotion, and that the job he deserves was given to Cassio. Cassio was someone who had never seen the battlefield. To Iago this is a complete slap in the face. Two scenes later Iago presents another reason for his hatred for Othello. Rumors have spread around that Othello and Emilia have slept together. Whether or not this is true, Iago sees this as enough reason to get his revenge. As he sets out to destroy more than Cassio throughout the play, Iago was able to plant seeds of doubt, insecurities, and lies. He put this into action with all the supporting characters around him to cause Othello to believe that his wife was in fact having an affair with Cassio, and that was the furthest thing from the truth. He is a master manipulator because he was able to plant these ideas into the other characters heads, and he was able to have other characters around him carry out the actions that nurtured these lies into perceived...