Othello Essay On Iago

The Role of Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello As in any Shakespearean tragedy, there are
opposing forces that bring about the tragic ending. William Shakespeare's play Othello would not be
one without an evil catalyst named Iago. He is a standard–bearer, or an "ancient" to the tragic hero
Othello, who was a Moorish general in a Venetian army. In the play,Iago is the Satanic figure in
whatever the word "evil" connotes. The word "evil" means that of which is morally bad or wrong,
or that which causes harm, pain, or misery (Popkin, par. 1).
There are several traits or characteristics that are common to both Iago and Satan. According
Professor William Grace, of Fordham University, "Both Iago and Satan are skilled deceivers,...show
more content...
This quote, which appears in an early monologue by Iago, shows how Iago sees virtue as
meaningless, trivial, and insignificant and that personal will should rule one's decision making.
Also, by his simple condemnation of virtue, Iago is alienating himself from every aspect of
goodness. Satan, on the other hand, was morally pure (Ezek. 28:12–15). Satan was formerly an angel
of God and was also known as Lucifer or "the morning star" (Isa. 14:12). However, he rejected all of
the following to be evil and rebelled against God, the image of goodness (Ezek. 28:15–16). Satan's
rebellion and his goal of corrupting the image of good is symbolically similar to Iago's when Iago
whispers:
IAGO. [...] I have't. It is engender'd. Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's
light (Oth. 1.3.446–447).
In this scene, Iago exposes to the audience his diabolical view of corrupting the light of the world,
which is also light of the glory of God (2 Cor. 4:6). According to Richard H. Popkin, "Evil is the
privation, or absence, of good, as darkness is the absence of light" (par. 3). Iago intends to fulfill
Satan's goal, which is to destroy God and influence the world with corruption (Rev. 12:4a). Iago and
Satan promoted immoral, corrupted, and evil ideas.
Lance Morrow, from his article about "Evil," unfolds another characteristic of Satan, which was
exhibited by Iago:
Satan and evil
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Iago's Ambitions in Shakespeare's Othello Essay
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. I think that it means that whatever
Iago has to do, he will tell everyone that Othello is an evil man. He thinks this because he believes
that he has slept with Emilia, Iago's wife, "'twixt my sheets he's done my office," (Act 1, sc 3, line
369–370). However, it has many other subtle messages and meanings. Iago could be referring to his
evil plan because "hell" tends to be used in the context...show more content...
Iago claims to "hate the Moor" (Act 1, sc 3, line 368) so he wants to do whatever he can to make
Othello unhappy. One of his intentions is to make Othello believe that Desdemona is having an
affair with Cassio, " to abuse Othello's ear that he is too familiar with his wife," (Act 1, sc 3, line
378). This means that, as part of his plan, Iago will suggest the chance of an affair to Othello to
make him suspicious of Desdemona's every move and word. Like all tragic heroes, Othello has a
fatal flaw, which happens to be jealousy, and Iago is going to use this to his advantage. Iago also
wants to make Othello promote Iago over Cassio and to do this he intends to ruin Cassio. He
says," Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me," (Act 2, sc 1, line 289) which shows
that he wants to be rewarded, a promotion. However, he also contradicts himself as he has earlier
said that he hates the Moor. If he truly hated Othello, why would he want Othello to love him? He
may want this because it would make it easier to destroy Othello if he were to be close to him
however; he seems to want Othello's approval of his actions rather than a higher position at work.
For Iago to achieve his ultimate goal he has to take each area of his plan one step at a time. His
first step is to alert Brabantio of Desdemona's marriage to Othello, "Your daughter and the Moor are
now

Othello and Iago Comparison Essay
Othello and Iago Comparison
Othello and Iago are different in their characters as well as in their colours. It could be said also,
however, that they are similar because of their fallibility. Iago is overcome with his desire for
revenge to such an extent that he puts it into action. Othello's love and possessiveness of Desdemona
take over him until he eventually would rather kill her than allow anyone else to have her. In this
way, despite their contrasts, Iago and Othello both represent the extremity of the same thing – human
emotion.
Both characters can be viewed like this throughout Act 1. We immediately see Iago as representative
of the very basest elements of humanity. He uses crude...show more content...
Another grudge is his suspicion of Othello that
"twixt my sheets he has done my office"
Iago has heard a rumour that Othello has slept with his wife, and now he wants revenge. But Iago
does not feel betrayal by his wife, or feel that she has been wronged; it appears to be just another
excuse to get back at Othello.
Whereas Othello does have a sense of self–interest, his interest in other people's happiness is greater.
When confronted with the idea that he has enchanted Desdemona, he replies that if it is true to
"let your sentence fall even to my life".
He would rather be killed than know he is causing his love unhappiness. He would happily sacrifice
everything for others – his sense of duty is strong. Whereas Iago is in the army for personal gain,
promotion and recognition, Othello is in it for the greater good. Despite being on his honeymoon,
he instantly agrees that he should go and fight in Cyprus for his Senate. Neither does he wish his
wife to suffer, so he offers her a choice of following him or staying in safety. Othello is an
honourable man.
Iago, on the other hand, is anything but honourable. He is always forming a devious plot for
someone else's undoing. He uses Roderigo as his pawn in revealing Othello's whereabouts and as a
source of money. The way he disappears into the shadows away from Brabantio's lights is symbolic
of his underhand nature.

How Does Iago Use Racism In Othello
Shakespeare's Othello, analyses the idea of racism in relationships. Racism is explored through the
characters of Iago and Brabantio, where we see racial dialog throughout the play. This racism is
aimed directly at Othello; a brave moor general and supreme commander of the Venetian army. Iago
uses racism to target Othello with racial insults and uses it to manipulate others. White people
during the Elizabethan Era believed that they are the superior race but in reality, they are not; all
races are equal and everyone is equal to one another. Humans are not born racist, racism is a thing
that a person develops and is absorbed under the influence of society. Shakespeare expresses racism
as a negative thing and demonstrates this by showing how...show more content...
Brabantio rejects Desdemona's love towards Othello because during the Elizabethan Era, Venice
was largely occupied by white people and therefore black people were unaccepted throughout the
society. Iago knew that Brabantio was racist towards the "Moor" and used Brabantio's attitude
towards the idea of an interracial marriage to manipulate Brabantio and rile his men against
Othello. "Awake! Brabantio! Thieves, thieves! Look to your house, your daughter and your bags!
Thieves, thieves!" (Act 1, Scene 1). Iago refers Othello as a thief and accuses him of stealing
Brabantio's daughter. Brabantio would not accept that his daughter; Desdemona have fallen in love
with Othello. Brabantio then falsely accuses Othello of using magic to possess his daughter
Desdemona. "Damned as you are, you've put a spell on her!" (Act 1, Scene 1) William Shakespeare
uses the setting in Venice to emphasize the inequality towards the Moors. Everyone is different but
no one deserves to be treated

The Snake: Iago in Othello Essay
The Snake
Mahatma Gandhi explains the destruction of revenge: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world
blind.". (IC: "Quote.") "Eye for an eye" is a metaphor for revenge. It means if something is stolen,
it should be stolen back. In this case, the things being stolen are eyes. The second part "makes the
whole world blind" means that revenge will not solve problem. Instead, it creates problems. In
Othello, the evil Iago manipulates Othello into ruining his own life in the name of revenge. He tells
Othello that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him. He presents Othello fake evidence time and
time again until he is convinced. Othello is so angered that he murders his own wife, who has done
nothing wrong. Only after she is dead, Desdemona...show more content...
When she does, Roderigo must be ready with money. If he has enough, Desdemona will surely
marry him. Of course, the audience and Iago know that Desdemona will never marry Roderigo, no
matter the amount of the money. She is not the type of person who would marry for money. Despite
that, Iago manipulates Roderigo's feelings for his own benefit.
In Act 2, Iago is a deceptive person. He is able to effortlessly pretend that he loves Cassio, even
though he is plotting to get him fired. There is a part of Act 2 of Scene 3, where a brawl has just
taken place between Cassio and Roderigo. Cassio is made drunk by Iago; Roderigo takes
advantage of this and picks a fight with him. (IC; IC) Montano is trying to stop the fight; he places
himself between them and gets hurt instead. (General IC; Specific IC) The ruckus interrupts
Othello's honeymoon night. He asks Iago to reveal who started the fight. Iago feigns innocence at
first, but eventually tells Othello "with reluctance" that it was Cassio: "I had rather have this tongue
cut from my mouth / Than it should do offense to Michael Cassio" (Shakespeare 2.3.236–267). (IC:
"Quote" (citation).) Iago claims that he does not want to say anything bad about Cassio because
he cares for Cassio. The audience obviously knows that Iago set Cassio up to get into a fight and
ultimately get fired. This is because Iago despises Cassio; for, he has a greater power and position
than Iago. Iago is so easily able to lie in front of

Othello vs. Iago Essay
Othello vs. Iago
As the villain in Shakespeare's play Othello, Iago has two main actions. They are to plot and to
deceive. Iago wishes to plot and to deceive because he is jealous of Othello and hates him. Iago's
reasons for why he hates Othello is because he believes that Othello made love to his wife, and Iago
is mad that Cassio was chosen to be Lieutenant instead of himself. From this hate comes the main
conflict of the play. Iago plans to ruin Othello because of Iago's jealousy towards him is by carrying
out a plan to get back at Othello based on lies and deceit. This plan will make Iago the only person
that Othello believes he can trust, and Iago will use this trust to manipulate Othello. Iago plans to
remove Cassio from...show more content...
Cassio's uncharacteristic aggression is what eventually removes his from position as lieutenant.
"Sir, he's rash and very sudden in choler, and haply may strike at you. Provoke him that he may, for
even out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny, whose qualification shall come into no true
taste again but by the displanting of Cassio" (Shakespeare 261–264). This quote is when Iago
explains Cassio to Othello among the numerous times that he does do so. When taste is used, the
line says that the people of Cyprus will not feel comfortable with their nature until Cassio is
removed from his position. "The definition of qualifications is condition, nature or pacification
and uses the word trust instead of taste." (Gray 2) In contrast, when trust is used, Iago's words say
that the people of Cyprus will not be able to trust authorities again until Cassio is no longer
Lieutenant. While Cassio is fighting, Iago is using the violence to create a riot in Cyprus and
upset the people. Cassio is blamed for this riot, and order cannot be restored until he is no longer
Lieutenant. The word trust makes more sense in this sentence, because Cassio lost the trust of the
masses when he acted with aggression. He was always a well mannered and peaceful man, and
now the people of Cyprus do not know who he really is. In the soliloquy following Roderigo's exit,
Iago reveals the real reasons for his plotting against Othello.

Othello
Iago, in Shakespeare's Othello, is a deceiving character because he tells lies in order to get what he
wants. He interacts with people only to manipulate them, but most importantly he never reveals his
true feelings or motives. Iago might say things that suggest what his motive is, but he soon
contradicts himself with another suggestion making it extremely difficult to understand him.
Although Iago's true motives cannot be determined, some motives could be jealousy, the enjoyment
of seeing people suffer, or power. Iago's jealous of Othello and Cassio because he thinks that both of
them slept with his wife, Emilia. In Iago's first soliloquy at the end of act 1, Iago says that Othello
might have slept with his wife and even though this is a...show more content...
Iago is a very clever person and he enjoys seeing how idiots make fools of themselves. One of
these idiots is Iago's "buddy," Roderigo. Roderigo is a typical wealthy, Venetian aristocrat who is
madly in love with Desdemona and he has given Iago the task of helping him woo her. Iago uses
this to his advantage, even though Iago uses Roderigo to ruin Cassio and Othello, he gets some
amusement by watching Roderigo prance around and go nuts over Desdemona. Iago also finds it
funny when Roderigo wants to go kill himself after he finds out that Desdemona married Othello.
There are multiple times throughout the play where Roderigo should have known that Iago was just
using him for money and some laughs and since Roderigo doesn't pick up on this, Iago can use
Roderigo to his advantage.
Power is probably the most important motive. Iago is very conniving and clever and he can use
this to manipulate people. It is clearly seen that Iago thrives for power because he loves
manipulating people so that they doe exactly what he says. He does this to Roderigo many times,
like when Iago tells Roderigo to give him all of his money and when he convinces Roderigo to
kill Cassio. He even controls Othello to the point that Othello suspects his wife and decides to kill
her. Iago's thirst for power is also seen when Cassio is appointed to be Othello's lieutenant because
this was, supposedly, the basis for his revenge. He really wanted to be lieutenant because it is a

Iago In Othello
Emilia also stands up against Iago as she reveals the truth behind Iago's sinister manipulation to
Othello in front of him. After Emilia discovers that Desdemona was smothered by Othello, she
feels great grief and Iago later enters the room. Iago submissively torments Emilia to stay quiet
and to say nothing of his plot but she instead insisted on stating, "'Twill out, 'twill out. I peace!
/ No, I will speak as liberal as the north: / Let heaven and men and devils, let them all, / All, all, cry
shame against me, yet I'll speak....O thou dull Moor! That handkerchief thou speak'st of / I found
by fortune and did give my husband; / For often, with a solemn earnestness, / More than indeed
belonged to such a trifle, / He begged of me to steal it," (Shakespeare 5.2.87). Emilia responds to
Iago's threats by stating that...show more content...
/ No, I will speak as liberal as the north: / Let heaven and men and devils, let them all, / All, all, cry
shame against me, yet I'll speak.". Emilia reveals the truth as she explains that she found the
handkerchief by accident and gave it to Iago because he'd begged her to steal it many times when
she stated, "O thou dull Moor! That handkerchief thou speak'st of / I found by fortune and did
give my husband; / For often, with a solemn earnestness, / More than indeed belonged to such a
trifle, / He begged of me to steal it.". As Emilia reveals Iago's deception, it shows that she standed
up against Iago by how she disregards or ignores his threats to not let them affect her in a way that
silences her and instead resisted to speaking of the truth as she defended herself by simply
expressing that she too is entitled to have the freedom to say whatever she wants and won't let
anyone from stopping her to do so, along with the explanation she provided of how the handkerchief
actually landed into Cassio's possession, rather than fleeing the scene or staying quiet for Iago to
deal with the situation or letting the truth come out some other way and not by

Iago's Manipulation
Shakespeare's Othello presents a complex scenario: on one hand, there is evil and successful
manipulation, and on the other, there is gullibility and naГЇvetГ©. The pivotal character Iago sets
into motion an evil scheme, carefully and slowly, which leads to ultimate tragedy and ruin. Othello, a
loving, gentle, kind–hearted man, falls into a state of near insanity, convinced of falsehoods fed to
him by his trusted aide. Iago is a devious trickster and he secretly despises Othello. Constantly
plotting his next move, Iago manipulates others to do his bidding and acts in ways that further his
plot against Othello, while Othello falls for all of Iago's schemes. Iago is scheming, manipulative,
and devious, whereas Othello is impressionable, overly–trusting, and ultimately, overcome with
jealousy.
Iago is full of contempt for Othello because he hired Michael Cassio over himself. Roderigo, who is
sick with love for Desdemona – and paying Iago for aid in pursuing Desdemona – questions him,
asking why he does not simply resign from his lower status position as he is so distraught. Iago's
response is villainous: "I follow him to serve my turn upon him" (1.1.38). He continues to serve
Othello out of spite, and the actions that follow throughout the play are driven by this deep hatred
of Othello. His first scheme at hurting Othello is to rouse Desdemona's father, Brabantio, and alert
him that Othello and Desdemona have eloped. Roderigo and Iago go to Brabantio's house and call
out into the night, disturbing him. Brabantio, confused, asks why they are summoning him, to
which Iago responds, "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe" (1.1.86). He adds that his
"daughter [is] covered with a Barbary horse" (1.1.109). If these statements are not salacious or
disturbing enough, he finally explains that he has come "to tell you your daughter and the Moor are
making the beast with two backs" (1.1.112–113). Iago puts a horrifying, evil, disgusting image into
Brabantio's mind, while at the same time revealing the great extent to which he despises Othello.
Iago is extremely upsetting in this scene, referring to Othello and Desdemona's relationship in vile,
despicable terms, and this marks only the beginning of the pain he is to cause

Iago in Shakespeare's Othello Essay
Iago in Othello
In William Shakespeare's tragic drama Othello we see a morally depraved character, perhaps a very
mentally sick individual, named Iago. His personality and development during the play is the subject
of this essay.
In Shakespeare's Four Giants Blanche Coles comments on the mental illness that appears to afflict
the despicable Iago:
When such old time critics as H. N. Hudson, who wrote nearly a hundred years ago, saw that Iago
was not acting from revenge, one is more than surprised to find modern critics, who have had the
advantage of the progress that has been made in the study of abnormal psychology, accepting Iago
for anything but what he is, and what Shakespeare intended him to be – a psychopathic...show more
content...
(1.2)
While he and Desdemona and Emilia are lounging about at the port in Cyprus awaiting the arrival
of the Moor's ship, Desdemona tries to analyze how his mind and feelings work, for he seems to
be habitually critical of his wife. She concludes that he is a "slanderer" and that he is full of "old
fond paradoxes to make fools laugh in th' alehouse."
His clever machinations cause grief for every character who has continued contact with him. He
deceives Roderigo about the affections of Desdemona: "Desdemona is directly in love with him
[Cassio]." He deceptively lures Cassio into drunkenness where he is vulnerable to taunts and thus
loses his officership. He further lures him into Desdemona's presence so that Othello can find him
there and be more suspicious: "Was not that Cassio parted from my wife?". Iago misinforms
Montano regarding Cassio ("And 'tis great pity that the noble Moor / Should hazard such a place as
his own second / With one of an ingraft infirmity.") Iago uses Emilia to pass the kerchief, which "so
often you did bid me steal," to him rather than to its owner. He manipulates the Moor into incorrect
views about Desdemona, about Iago himself ("Iago is most honest."), about Cassio's relationship
with Desdemona, etc. Iago even diverts suspicion of the ambush against Cassio against his
prostitute–friend Bianca. In cold blood he eventually murders his gift–giver, Roderigo, so that the
wealthy playboy can't discover that Iago has been

Iago the Machiavellian in Othello
Throughout history, there have been many human beings whom have been seen as either a hero or a
villain. In their childhood, these people must had obstacles that were in their way, causing each
individual to either work harder or give up. People, however; must understand that each individual
has a potential in achieving their goals, but if one is mistreated or deceived due to jealousy,
resentment, hatred, or ambition, it can lead to many catastrophic events. People who have pride and
arrogance do not want to have equals, rather they want to see their victims suffer. These people have
no difficulty in achieving their goals due to the fact that their victims have too innocent a nature to
suspect the nefarious motives of their enemies. In...show more content...
While filling Othello's ears with lies and hatred, Iago says that "I know not that: but such a
handkerchief I am sure it was your wife's– did I today see Cassio wipe his beard with" (Shakespeare,
67). Iago is poisoning Othello's ears by telling him about the ocular proof that Othello was asking
for all along. Furthermore, Iago uses another excellent technique to manipulate Othello by making
remember the past events. Iago says to Othello that, "she did deceive her father, marrying you, and
when she seemed to shake, and fear your looks, she loved them most" (Shakespeare, 59). Iago is
explaining to Othello that if Desdemona can deceive her father by marrying Othello, she can deceive
him too. Iago also tells Othello that Desdemona fell for his looks because he is an outsider. Iago is
excellent at manipulating the situation and filling others' ears with lies, which makes his plan
successful without anyone suspecting him.
Iago's vengeful hatred is responsible for the suffering and in some cases, the tragic deaths of
several innocent characters. Iago cleverly reaches at the final stage of his plan and reaches to a
point where he becomes the cause of deaths of innocent people. Iago continues lying to Othello to
break his calmness resulting in action against Desdemona and Cassio. Othello says to Iago that "ay,
let her rot and perish, and be damned tonight, for shall not live! No, my heart is turned to stone: I
like it, and it turns my

Iago And Othello Essay
Iago and Othello have a copious amount of dissenting opinions and this is never more palpable than
in their sentiment about Othello and even though they are both biased views, with Othello obviously
having an affinity to himself and the both narcissistic and envious Iago having an animosity towards
Othello, they reveal the nature of Othello. Othello is an amalgamation of experiences; he is royalty,
"I fetch my life and being from men of royal siege...(1:2:24–25), he is a respected and trusted
general, "Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you against the general enemy
Ottoman...(1:3:56), and he is confident, even refusing to retreat when Iago warns him of an indignant
Brabantio, "Let him do his spite...(1:2:20). Othello is a man of...show more content...
This is Iago's view on Othello,who is a man of considerable wealth,royalty,prestige and masculinity.
While most people view Othello as close to equal, Iago does not and even though he states that his
hatred stems from not being lieutenant, "But he, sir, had th' election... (1:1:28)" even though he has
proved his worth in the battlefield, "And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof at Rhodes, at
Cyprus...(1:130)".While this is to be a sensible because for his antipathy towards Othello; his
proclamations involving Othello are tainted by racial connotations. When he is revealing Othello and
Desdemona's relationship to Brabantio he incorporates Othellos irrelevant ethnicity, "...old black ram
Is tupping your white ewe.(1:1:91–92)" or "...you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary
horse. You'll have your nephews neigh to you.You'll have coursers for cousins and gennets for
germans. (1:1:116–118". Even though Iago abhors Othello, he understands that Othello is an
unparalleled as a General, "...for he's embarked with such loud reason to the Cyprus wars (which
even now stand in act) that, for their souls,another of his fathom they have none to lead their
business.(1:1:148–152)". His skill is unprecedented that not even a Senator could apprehend Othello
permanently and Iago acknowledges this, "For I do know the state (however this may gall him with
some check) cannot with safety cast him...(1:1146–148)". Iago seems to be

Othello
Unequivocally, Iago plays an important and major function in the tragedy of Othello. By the end
of the play, Iago has been directly responsible for the deaths of Roderigo, Emilia and the
protagonist and his love. Iago's importance to the play is revealed by his contribution to the plot and
his significance relative to other characters. Iago's function, which invariably adds to the importance
he has on the play, is to lead to the downfall of Othello therefore revealing the themes of hate,
jealousy and revenge. Iago also serves to contrast with the characters of Othello and Desdemona and
to create dramatic irony consequently involving the audience in the journey of the play. The
foundation of his success has been built upon his honest...show more content...
This would suggest that this is a fundamental characteristic of his. However, Iago does strive to
appear honest and sincere. 'If I shall stay [with Roderigo] I shall– against the Moor. This is also seen
when he defends Cassio after the drunken brawl. Iago speaks with hesitation and refers to Cassio
being a friend several times. 'I had rather have this tongue cut out from my mouth than it should
do offence to Cassio'. This appearance allows him to gain favour with all characters, especially
those of Cassio and Othello, allowing him to influence them. The success of Iago's deceptive
honesty is most clearly seen in the final scene of the play in which the truth of his dishonesty is
revealed. So successful was Iago's scheme that Othello can only think that Iago must have been a
devil. 'I look down towards his feet– butВ… If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee'. Even when
on stage, Iago appears to have an overriding dominance over the other characters. In Act 3 sn iii,
in which Othello asks Iago to kneel next to him and make a pact in order to destroy Cassio and
Desdemona, we cannot but notice the power Iago evokes in Othello. 'Do not rise yet', Iago cries,
'I am yours forever'. Also Iago's dominance over Othello is seen in Act 4 sn I where Othello has
fallen into a trance. The audience look on with pity as Iago says, 'Thus do credulous fools are
caught.' On stage this would be a powerful scene in which Iago finally subdues Othello. Iago

Iago's Ambition In Othello
At all points of one's life, one has desires; what separates and defines a person is determined by
how that person goes about dealing with those desires. Some believe in working honestly towards
his or her aspirations and others in seizing it at any cost. Iago, the antagonist of the play Othello is
one of those people who would do anything in order to get what he wishes. Because Othello names
Cassio lieutenant instead of him, he begins to device a plan in vengeance to bring Othello and
Cassio down, which ends up tragic for all of the major characters. Iago's obsessive need for revenge
stems from jealousy and ambition, and because he is a master manipulator, the plan goes extremely
smooth for the majority of the play. At the end of Act 1,...show more content...
He gets Cassio to talk to Othello's wife, Desdemona, to ask for his position back and he begins to
point out small things like them whispering. When Cassio exits the scene when Othello
approaches, Iago does not hesitate to make his move and mentions it. Asking of Iago's suspicions,
Iago says, "Good my lord, pardon me, Though I am bound to every act of duty I am not bound to
that all slaves are free to Utter my thoughts" (138–140). This places Othello in the position of being
alarmed because what could be so horrible that this "honest" man would want to keep secret from
him. Eventually, Iago comes out with his fake suspicions and Othello somewhat believes it but
wants some kind of evidence. Fortunately, Iago's wife, Emilia gets a hold of Desdemona's
handkerchief and gives it to him. He puts more of his plan into action saying, "in Cassio's lodging
[I] lose this napkin. And let him find it. Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As
proofs of holy writ. (331–334). This is enough to convince Othello of Desdemona's affair with
Cassio, enraging him to want to murder the two. Othello decides he will kill his wife, and asks Iago
to do the same to

Iago's Influence On Othello
How does hatred consume a person for no reason? Take Iago (from Shakespeare's play Othello) for
example, he attempts and succeeds to destroy Othello's life; yet has no true motive of why. The only
explanation for his cruelty is his standards for the "right" cultural surroundings and social status of
everything and everyone are not being met. Iago is a man who is filled with hate, but there is no
source of where it may stem from. Throughout the play, his reasonings change fromOthello being a
"moor" when he states, "I do hate him, I swear." Line 9 page 3, to Iago being jealous of Othello
appointing the young Cassio to lieutenant over him "A guy that knows more about numbers than
fighting!" Line 18–19 page 3, and lastly to Iago thinking that...show more content...
He should not have been passed over for a higher job position by such a young and inexperienced
man, since Iago is getting older he is very sour that his career was cut so short, "And he's definitely
never commanded men in battle." Line 19–20 page 3. That he should be able to trust his wife
without suspicion, yet he thinks his wife is having affairs. Thanks to Othello, he cannot be certain or
comfortable with anything anymore. His way of life is collapsing and everything that has happened
is fueling his anger, hate, is playing with his

A Character Analysis Of Iago Essay
Iago is one of the most interesting characters in the tragedy "Othello" by William
Shakespeare. Through some carefully thought–out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate
others to do things in a way that benefits him and gets him closer to his goals. He is the driving
force in this play, pushing Othello and everyone else towards the tragic ending.
Iago is not the typical villain in any story or play. The role he plays is unique and complex, far
from what one might expect from a villain. Iago is not only very smart, but he is also an expert
judge character. This gives him a great advantage in the play. For example, he knows Roderigo is in
love with Desdemona and figures that he would do anything to have her as his own....show more
content...
Trust is a very powerful thing that Iago easily abuses. Iago is a master of abusing people's trust to
gain more power and further the completion of his goals.
His "med'cine works! Thus credulous fools are caught...." [pg. 1284, Line 44] Iago
poisons people's thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without implicating himself. "And
what's he then that says I play the villain, when this advice is free I give, and honest," [Act II,
Scene III, Line 299] says Iago, the true master of deception. People rarely stop to consider the
possibility that Honest Iago could be deceiving them or manipulating them.
Iago makes a complete fool out of Roderigo. In fact, as play starts Iago is taking advantage of
Roderigo. Roderigo remarks, "That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse as if the strings
were thine." [Act I, Scene I, Line 2]. Throughout the play, Iago leads Roderigo by the collar
professing that he "hate(s) the Moor" [Act I, Scene III, Line 344] and telling
Roderigo to "make money" [Act I, Scene III, Line 339] to give Desdemona gifts to
win her over. During the Iago keeps the gifts that Roderigo purchases for Desdemona for himself.
Roderigo eventually begins to question Honest Iago, saying "I think it is scurvy, and begin to
find myself fopped in it." [Act IV, Scene II, Line 189]. When faced with this accusation, Iago
simply offers that killing Cassio will

Essay On Iago's Character In Othello
Iago's character throughout the timeless playwright, Othello, is an essential role that drives the plot
of the story. By twisting lies, telling stories and manipulating innocent people, Iago attempts to reach
the top and accumulate self gain, but can we blame him? All we're left with in the story is a
character painted with a manipulative image, but we honestly don't know much about Iago, or his
background. After assessing several sources regarding psychological disorders, racism, and lying,
we can make a few conclusions. PTSD, or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, is an anxiety disorder, that
usually affects people who have had an experience with a traumatic situation or life–event. What we
know about Iago is that he was a soldier, which makes him a perfect...show more content...
There's lots of evidence to points to Iago being racist, for instance, multiple times, Iago referred to
Othello as "thick–lips", and an "old black ram". Iago also often brings attention to the obscurity of a
white Venetian woman, marrying a black military official. More evidence that proves this point
comes from Source C, that stated that most racists form a lot of negative associations, which is quite
accurate considering Iago's secret unfriendly ties with Othello, Cassio, Desdemona, and Roderigo. So
it can be concluded that Iago is a racist, however it may not necessarily be his fault. Studies from
Source B show evidence that Iago could have become racist as early as nine months old! You
certainly can't blame a nine month old baby for being racist, naturally you would blame the
parents, who would have been most influential at the time. This proves that most likely, Iago's
parents or guardians were also racist and raised Iago of that same belief. What this shows is that
there is a possibility that it's not Iago's fault that he is a racist, racism could have been planted into
his brain before he was even able to understand what it

Essay about Iago Of Othello
Iago of "Othello"
What makes a good villain? What qualities make one villain stand out from another? Is it their
demeanor, ruthlessness, or the methods that they employ to accomplish their tasks? In any case, a
great villain must leave the reader with a respect for their methods and a question about their
motives. In Shakespeare's Othello, there is one character in Iago that fulfills all of these
qualifications. Iago is a wonderful villain because he gains other's trust, relentlessly takes
advantage of his peers' flaws, and unapologetically causes the deaths of his counterparts in order to
achieve his goals. The main weapon Iago used in his villainy was trust. Iago knew how to play to
each character's personality to get them to...show more content...
Aside from being Othello's right–hand man throughout a majority of the play, he also has a level of
comfort with Cassio. This comfort is shown in his willingness to talk about Desdemona when the
two are on night patrol. This reliance was something Iago exploited each time he had a chance.
Every time a desire was expressed, Iago was there with a solution that always benefited Iago in
the end. For instance, it was Iago that suggested to Roderigo that he attempt to kill Cassio in
order to get Desdemona to be interested in him. It was also Iago's work in stoking up the fires of
revenge in Othello's belly regarding the "affair" between Desdemona and Cassio. For each
situation, every word that was said was for the advancement of Iago and the destruction of all
others. Iago also acts as a contributor to each character's flaws in the play. For example, in act
two, Iago influences Cassio to have some drinks in order to start a quarrel between Cassio and
Roderigo. In another example, in act three, Iago gets Othello to believe that there is an affair
between Desdemona and Cassio by building on the suspicions and doubts that Othello had before
Iago even spoke to him. Finally, as the "smoking gun" that Othello was looking for, Iago presents the
handkerchief to Othello along with a fabricated story about it's whereabouts. These actions
contribute to the eventual demise of all of these characters, but it also leads to

Iago Is The Protagonist In Othello
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...show more content...
As a masterful leading machiavellian character Iago exploits the flaw all characters poses in
Othello which is faith versus doubt in others. A powerful role to mold an entire play behind the
goal of a singular entity under the eyes of a scholar qualifies as a protagonist( Hull). Iago breaks
the boundaries that define antagonist or protagonist by being complex enough and having
enough lines that place him on par if not above Othello (West 42 ). The main flaw in the
protagonist argument is how Iago is a static character without any clear transformation. Evidence
from his lack of change exist in act one and to the final act is continuously lying and trying to
create chaos. Antagonist or protagonist Iago's actions qualify as morally wrong when usually a
protagonist that drives the plot is working for good; however, by definition a protagonist is not
inertly of good moral code. ( Hull) Iago has an interesting set of flaws and advantages showing
characteristics of a psychopath. Without flaws Iago would lose his humane characteristics and
potentially lose the audiences interest ( West 13). Iago has no positive moral compass and an
unexplained desire to destroy friend or foe even after the fact that Othello murders Desdemona
qualifies the character as psychotic. Iago even recognizes his planning of evil actions to ruin
Othello as simply a game " Let us be conjunctive against him. If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost
thyself a pleasure, me a sport. (Act 1 Scene

Iago as the Perfect Villain of Othello
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.
One of the most interesting questions that crops up is concerning Iago's motives. What are his
reasons to kill every major Venetian in Cyprus?Shakespeare seemingly sets the stage for Iago's
actions, giving him two distinct reasons to avenge Othello. The first is the fact that Othello promotes
Cassio, an "arithmetician" to the rank of lieutenant and passes over Iago who is but a...show more
content...
Shakespeare portrays Othello as the general without faults, perfect. Yet, he slowly reveals the
weaknesses of Othello's love for Desdemona. For this love he will forsake anything. Iago is quick to
pick on this and starts working towards destroying Othello through his only shortcoming.
Iago uses a gamut of devious methods to achieve his means. His use of Roderigo is a masterly
move. From being "a Venetian gentleman," Roderigo becomes Iago's gull. In the very first scene he
gets him to confront a sleepy Brabantio and give him the news of his daughters escapades with the
Moor.
At the end of the court scene in the first act, Iago and Roderigo are left alone with the poor doting
lover in great despair. Roderigo takes a decision to drown himself. Iago easily convinces him out of
it by pointing out Othello's shortcomings. Says he,
"She must change for youth: when she is sated with his body,
she will find the errors of his choice."
This satisfies Roderigo and Iago's hate starts taking definite shape:
"I hate the moor,
And it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets
He's done my office."
This is of course, unlikely and serves only as a justification for his evil.
In Cyprus, Iago designs a brawl with Cassio and Roderigo by having the latter insult the former
while they are drunk. This, of course, results in Cassio's dismissal by Othello but it far from

satisfies Iago. He then in turn advises Cassio on how to regain his

Othello Essay On Iago

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Othello Essay On Iago