Category: Iago

Villainy is often born from jealousy, insecurity, and paranoia. Iago from Shakespeare’s Othello, though dubbed as motiveless, is no exception; what starts as an optimistic heterosexual romance ends as a tragedy brought about by homoerotic envy, competition, and fear of emasculation. The play is centered around a military environment, which puts emphasis on traditional indications of masculinity such as physical prowess and belligerent disposition. The military ranks also imply men’s superiority over women, thus making femininity a sign of weakness. This consequently creates a homosocial expectation that Othello betrays by marrying Desdemona, thus catalyzing Iago’s jealous spiral and an ensuing paranoia of emasculation. Through his repulsion of women, contempt for Cassio, and his twisted seduction of Othello, Iago demonstrates an underlying homosexual desire that encourages him to manipulate Othello and drive him into causing the play’s infamous domestic calamity.

One of the most telling implications of Iago’s sexuality is his hateful attitude towards women, namely Emilia and Desdemona. In 2.1, he spews harsh insults towards his wife by calling her naggy to Cassio, saying “would she give you so much of her lips / As of her tongue she oft bestows on me / You would have enough” (2.1.105-106). He then calls the women “Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds” (2.1.111), implying that a woman’s only work is done during sex to imply promiscuity and discredit their domestic work. He has evident contempt towards Desdemona because of the marriage bed she shares with Othello; however, this hatred also spreads to Emilia, when he begins to “suspect the lusty Moor / Hath leaped into [his] seat…” (2.1.78-79). Not only is Iago concerned with how her potential infidelity could affect his reputation, but there is a deeper obsession connected to his relationship with Othello. In the article “Iago Psychoanalytically Motivated,” Stanley Edgar Hyman notes that cuckolding is an indirect form of homosexual intimacy because it is “two men symbolically uniting sexually by sharing the body of the same woman” (Hyman 372). Iago feigns anger towards Othello under the speculation that he potentially slept with his wife, when in reality, he is expressing an obsession with the idea of becoming intimate with the military captain, albeit indirectly. The accusation was sudden and not founded upon proof, demonstrating his lack of logic. Sharing a woman is also a more acceptable and masculine way of becoming homosexually intimate. Iago’s misogyny can also be attributed to the fact that marriage is a betrayal of the homosocial bond that being in the military curated. He has developed a resentment for women as a result of his stark loyalty to masculinity. Since women were not allowed to be in the ranks, it is an exclusive attribute that the men of the play share; it also gives him a reason to call women lazy. Treachery is a major component of the story that occurs through a domino effect; Iago’s masculinity feels betrayed when Othello marries a woman and promotes Cassio, and he therefore conjures a plot to betray Othello’s masculinity in turn.

The play’s characteristic snake-like destruction of Othello’s relationships is not limited to his marriage. Iago’s envy of Cassio is indicative of his desire for Othello’s approval and affection, further confirming his underlying desire. Competition for a military position is a more masculine depiction of a love triangle; although attached to glory and an improved reputation, the true stakes of the promotion is Othello’s admiration. Initially, Iago is enraged because Cassio “…never set a squadron in the field / Nor the division of a battle knows / More than a spinster…” (1.1.21-22). Iago’s criticism of Cassio’s military ability can be seen as an attack on his manhood; by calling him inept on the battlefield, he is also calling him inept in the bedroom and in romantic pursuits. He is also equated to a spinster, an unmarried woman, which further emasculates him. Although Iago is successful in tarnishing Cassio’s reputation and getting him demoted, the threat still lingers when Othello admits to still loving Cassio, even after the slip-up in his behavior. In turn, Iago becomes frustrated and ultimately concludes that killing Cassio is the only way to eliminate the competition. Involving Cassio in the adulterous lie about Desdemona would convince Othello to hate him enough to take his life. Additionally, it would be satisfying for Iago to see his leader react with such disdain towards the man who took his promotion. It is also noteworthy that Cassio’s unwavering good name threatens Iago’s reputation in comparison; this fact is acknowledged when Iago says “He hath a daily beauty in his life / That makes me ugly” (5.1.19-20). By vocalizing his concerns about Cassio’s attractiveness, Iago is making it clear that he both notices and values the appearances of men. Interestingly, his use of the word “beauty” rather than “handsomeness” in an attempt to feminize Cassio and validate why he finds Cassio to be visually appealing. His jealousy is indicative of his fear of the feminine and being feminized, which causes him to project these feelings onto other military men. He is compensating for his homosexual desires by making himself appear more manly by stripping away the manliness of his comrades.

Iago’s actions throughout the story function as a sick and twisted seduction of Othello in order to tear him away from Desdemona. The Moor’s marriage is demonstrative of romantic love and is notably different from his relationship with Iago. The villain’s feelings can most accurately be described as desire or lust, because love would implicate warmth and selflessness, which are two traits he obviously lacks. Consequently, Othello’s attention is turned away from his military comrades out of heterosexual devotion to his wife. This idea enrages Iago, and his ultimate goal becomes to isolate Othello from everyone else through manipulation in order to earn his superior’s utter attention and admiration. This aggressive pursuit rewards Iago with a pseudo-marriage in 3.3, where the kneeling imagery and vows are reminiscent of a legitimate ceremony; this particular moment marks the point in the play when Othello’s loyalty changes from Desdemona to Iago. Othello makes this promise by saying, “I greet thy love / Not with vain thanks but with acceptance bounteous / And will upon the instant put thee to’t” (3.3.463-465). Iago’s most haunting line, “I am your own forever” (3.3.473), echoes one of the only truths he tells in the play – that he is eternally connected to Othello. This highlights the fact that the male-and-male relationship takes subconscious precedence over the heterosexual relationship. Iago has successfully called Othello’s masculinity into question, causing him to adopt a similar paranoia of emasculation. By instilling this insecurity into Othello, Iago becomes the catalyst to the play’s domestic tragedy: Othello murdering Desdemona and betraying their marriage. His justification for killing her is voiced just moments before the crime: “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” (5.2.6). Interestingly, Othello’s ultimate resolve is to kill his wife in order to protect other men; this fact further confirms his loyalty to the homosocial bond that Iago was so desperate to rekindle. Iago’s manipulation also encouraged Othello’s subsequent repulsion of women, seen through the accusatory and harsh language he begins to use towards Desdemona. He asks her, “Are you not a strumpet?” (4.2.81) and “What, not a whore?” (4.2.84), implying sexual promiscuity through name-calling, which is reminiscent of Iago’s language in 2.1. Marriage is the ultimate symbol of unification; ironically, by the end of the play, Othello is more unified with Iago than he ever was with his wife. Iago was successful in encouraging the domestic tragedy, but loses all of his masculine attributes in the process: His wife, his honest reputation, and his military position.

Othello’s military atmosphere establishes complex gender dynamics that tie in with its underlying exploration of homosexuality. Especially considering the time period, masculinity was an incredibly sacred attribute in contrast to femininity, which was seen as weak, vulnerable, and useless. Social standing and combat experience were two aspects that heavily defined manhood in the time period, and they are called into question for Iago as the story unfolds. Iago’s villainy initially seems pointless. The readers are lead to believe that he is evil with no motivation; however, after exploring his behavior in relationship to the context of the story, it is clear that it stems from his deeply rooted masculine insecurities and jealousy. His hatred of women can be attributed to his fear of the feminine, which is expressed as utter repulsion. His jealousy of Cassio is explicitly caused by comparison and insecurity in his own masculinity. His drive to incite Desdemona’s murder is born from a sense of homosocial betrayal on Othello’s part, which he believes deserves to be punished; unconsciously, he also desires Othello, which in turn inspires the “seduction” of him to betray his heterosexual side. Ultimately, Iago’s treachery and sabotage curate the play’s overarching theme of envy and insecurity and result in the infamous domestic tragedy.

Works Cited

1. Hyman, Stanley Edgar. “IAGO PSYCHOANALYTICALLY MOTIVATED.” The Centennial Review, vol. 14, no. 4, 1970, pp. 369–384. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23737771.
2. Shakespeare, William. Othello. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt et. al. 3rd ed. 2 vols. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2008. 2: 380-454.

Most other Shakespearean characters do terrible things to accomplish a specific objective. As a rule, the guilty party is aspiration, as in Macbeth, or retribution, as in Hamlet. The thing about Iago is that one never truly knows for certain why it is that Iago needs to pulverize Othello. All through the play, Iago gives different and inconsistent thought of processes to despising Othello. At a certain point, Iago says he is furious that Othello disregarded him for an advancement. Iago’s character is shown to be deceitful.

Many times, throughout Othello, Iago manipulates everyone to get his way. Iago begins by telling the group of spectators how he finds extra assets. He has utilized his appeal to catch Roderigo into accepting that Desdemona will drop out of affection with Othello. He at that point proceeds to say that he would not invest energy with Roderigo, if not, for his own benefit. Iago shows his capacity of discovering weakness in an individual’s character, which makes Roderigo effectively convinced. Roderigo has a significant influence in the realization of Iago’s plot as Iago again mists Roderigo’s psyche with a ridiculous prize. Conceivably the most appalling scalawag in Shakespeare, Iago is entrancing for his most awful trademark: his articulate absence of persuading inspiration for his activities. In the primary scene, he professes to resent Othello for having disregarded him for the situation of lieutenant. Toward the finish of Act 1, scene III, Iago explains how he figures Othello may have laid down with his better half, Emilia “It is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets/He has done my office” (I.iii.369-370).

Iago refers to this doubt again toward the finish of Act II, scene I, clarifying that he yearns for Desdemona considering the facts that he needs to settle the score with Othello “wife for wife” (II.i.286). None of these cases appears to satisfactorily clarify Iago’s profound scorn of Othello and Iago’s absence of inspiration-or his failure and reluctance to express his actual inspiration-makes his activities all the even more unnerving. He is happy to deliver retribution on anybody-Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, even Emilia at the smallest incitement and appreciates the torment and harm he causes. Iago is an ace at control. Through his unimportant words, he plants seeds of uncertainty in Othello. Really, Iago is unpretentious in his allegation as he only recommends that Cassio might be taking part in an extramarital entanglement with Desdemona. Almost certainly, Iago controls the circumstance to persuade Othello that his significant other is unfaithful with Cassio.

When Cassio and Desdemona are just talking, Iago drives Othello to the scene. As Othello sees the scene, Iago plants seeds of uncertainty and desire in Othello. He utilizes delay as he talks. This makes Othello question what Iago is truly saying. With Othello’s request, Iago yields and communicates his aversion of Cassio and Desdemona conversing with each other. When Cassio notices Othello is coming, he rapidly leaves the scene. Iago utilizes this minute to make Othello believe that Cassio is taking endlessly because he is liable of having a cozy chat with Othello’s better half. Iago remarks about Cassio rapidly escaping from the scene. Iago is encompassed with unpleasant incongruity. He isn’t as he appears, his great is awful for other people, individuals more than once depend on him, and he double-crosses them. He gets a kick out of the chance to have others accidentally attempting to fill his needs. In any case, for this, as his plot against Othello. Begins moving and assembling energy, he loses control of it and must go out on a limb to keep it from smashing. Iago is a man with a fixation for control and control over other people who has given this fixation a chance to assume control over as long as he can remember.

Need pressures him to disclosure more than what would have been prudent, and to obliterate Othello, he should likewise decimate Roderigo, Emilia, Desdemona, and at last, himself. Regardless of how one may decide to decipher it, consider the way that Iago is frequently the concentration in the play. Readers pursue his storyline more than Othello’s, and because of this, readers invest more energy with him than Othello. Readers watch him in an assortment of connections-his control of Roderigo, his treatment of his better half, his pseudo-companionship with Othello. If not for the way that Iago experiences fundamentally zero changes, you could even contend that he’s the principle character. Iago was all around set up to be so fruitful in his activities some time before he started his plotting. Iago is a mentally talented man. He clearly has a vital mindset, since he is a leader in the military. He can utilize this present for both great and malevolence. He first uses this ability to effectively battle for his nation and to in the long run get himself elevated to an instructing position.

Be that as it may, this equivalent key perspective to put to utilize when he starts to plot his vengeance against Othello. Another favorable position lies as a part of his character. Iago appears to be a reliable and legit character. All through the play it is emphasized that he has a notoriety of being honest. He can exploit his own notoriety and use it an as instrument against his unfortunate casualties. His notoriety has similarly as a significant impact in his fruitful control as does his characteristic ability to plot. Without being a reliable individual, none of his falsehoods, which represent the greater part of his plot, would have been purchased by his exploited people and his endeavors for retribution would be a disappointment. Iago is a tricky controller. He certainly makes Othello question Desdemona’s uprightness.

Simultaneously, Iago guarantees Othello that he has just undermined Desdemona in view of his adoration for Othello. Iago does not stand by his honor. He manipulates his way through people for his own needs. Now, with every love story, there must be someone playing the character where they must be deceitful. Iago truly did play that part. He was jealous of people’s happiness, starting with his relationship with Emilia. He seemed to want revenge for others from that point on. This must be why he wanted to intervene the relationship between Othello and Desdemona. His truth and purpose were difficult throughout the story but showed two sides of him. It was clear to see the bad side of Iago, but there was also a sad side. He wanted to hurt so many people because of his own experiences.

In William Shakespeare’s play Othello, Shakespear uses diction in Iago’s monolog to further the plot and for the reader to higher apprehend who Iago’s character is and what his plan is. In addition to this, Shakespear moreover makes use of diction to create pathos to create a hateful and untrusting feeling towards Iago by portraying him as manipulative, scheming, and two-faced. Shakespeare can paint Iago’s true nature of a master manipulator with the usage of diction in Iago’s monologue to understand the scheming of his plan.

The first usage of Iago’s monolog is while Iago is scheming a plan that will grant him the lieutenancy, and he has to make Cassio’s appearance look bad. He starts with this declaration, ‘I hate the Moor,.. After some time, to abuse Othello’s (ear) That he is too familiar with his wife…To be suspected, framed to make women false…’ (1.Iii. 438-439, 441). In this announcement, the reader sees Iago’s true nature and the way he plans to control Othello into bestowing him what he desires. The terminology used within the passage displays Shakespeare’s use of diction to create pathos that creates the readers aversion toward Iago’s character. Iago’s nature is communicated clearly through the diction that Shakespear demonstrates for the reader to apprehend what Iago’s scheming will lead up too, and how he is converted as a character. Iago’s nature reflects through his monolog; furthermore, when he says he will make Othello believe that Cassio and his wife are having an affair. He does this because he despises Othello and wants to obtain the job Othello gave to Cassio. Shakespeare effectively portrays Iago’s character to the audience with his utilization of diction and pathos that allows the reader to apprehend Iago’s individual fully.

The second part of Iago’s monolog also shows Shakespeare’s utilization of diction and pathos, however he likewise creates another set of feelings when Iago discusses Othello. He says, ‘The Moor is of a free and open nature. That thinks men honest that but seem to be so…’ (i.iii.442-443). Iago discusses Othello’s kindness and how he generally observes best in others. Shakespeare uses pathos in Iago’s monolog to create a sentiment of sympathy towards Othello on the grounds that the reader knows what Iago’s arrangement is. Shakespeare makes a differentiation of Othello and Iago when Iago is discussing Othello, creating pathos. The reader can plainly observe that Iago character speaks only about his deceit and his evil planning while, Shakespeare use of diction in Iago’s words about how he will manipulate Othello’s weaknesses such as, his kindness and ability to see the best in others, creates sympathy towards Othello. Another statement by Iago, “And will tenderly be led by th’ nose As asses are ”(i.iii.444-445), again abuses Othello’s weakness and how Iago will be able to utilizes this to go through with his plan. Shakespeare uses diction in Iago’s words so the reader feels hatred towards Iago but, sympathy towards Othello. Iago is essentially saying, Othello will be easily manipulated and controlling him will be as easily as leading a donkey. Iago’s comparison of Othello to a donkey is a type of illustration that Shakespeare uses to once again, create pathos. The statement successfully creates diction to create stronger emotion of sentiment towards Othello because the reader knows that he can be easily controlled and Iago will use this for his own purpose.

In summary, Shakespeare uses diction to create the character of Iago, and this creates pathos because the reader can see Othello as a victim because of Iago’s plan to trick him. The choice of words used by Shakespeare in Iago’s monolog helps the reader easily identify him as the villain and his plan creates a hateful feeling for him and a sense of compassion for Othello.

Shakespeare’s Othello is a tale of misplaced jealousy, deception, and tragedy. Iago, the main antagonist of the play, masterfully weaves a plan to bring down Othello, a general in the Venetian army and target of his manipulative schemes, by using his good reputation to mask his deceit and keep him close enough to Othello to maintain his trust until the very end. However, his arrogance and cowardice become his undoing, as even though he fulfills his goal to bring down Othello, he is not able to escape justice and is caught at the end of the play. Shakespeare uses other character’s description of Iago, his improvised actions, and dialogue to build Iago as reputable and clever yet arrogant and cowardly.

Iago’s motivation to destroy Othello is rooted in his ambition, jealousy, and sadism. In the first scene of the play, Iago reveals to Roderigo that Othello has promoted Cassio to lieutenant over him, even though Iago has more field experience, wounding Iago’s self-worth as he states, “I know my price; I am worth no worse a place” (I.i.11). This is enough for Iago to want to manipulate Cassio out of his position and to hate Othello for this insult. To add to this injury, Iago also suspects Othello has had an affair with his wife, Emilia, “And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets/ H’as done my office” (I.iii.365-366). Even though Iago has never confirmed it, he treats it as true and his malicious plans for revenge on Othello extend into destroying his new marriage to Desdemona, “nothing can or shall content my soul/ Till I am evened with him, wife for wife;” (II.i.271-272). However, what really pushes Iago to torture Othello to the length that he does, is the pleasure he takes in controlling and torturing people. This is apparent when he tells Roderigo, “If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a pleasure, me a sport” (I.iii.348-349), he enjoys bringing pain to others so much he considers it a game. His bruised ego and jealousy for his wife caused Iago’s hatred for Othello and is fueled by his sadistic streak.

To fulfill his destruction of Othello, Iago relies on his strengths in intelligence, eloquence, and in being a reputable man. Although Iago is a villain through and through, his villainy succeeds in large part due to his intelligence as he is quick to identify one’s weaknesses and skillfully use it against him. With Cassio, he appeals to his low tolerance of liquor to get him to drink and become his own undoing. Once Cassio falls from Othello’s good graces, Iago turns him into a pawn, using his shame as the seed to plant the web of adulterous fantasies he builds in Othello’s mind, “That he [Cassio] would steal away so guilty-like/ Seeing your coming” (III.iii. 38-39). Then he promptly uses Othello’s insecurities as an outsider and an old man to make him doubt Desdemona’s faithful and love for him, pointing out the oddity that she rejected many proposals “Of her own clime, complexion, and degree,/ Whereto we see in all things nature tends—” (III.iii.230-231). With all his lies, Iago knows he needs something to hide his true intentions, so he leverages his reputation and eloquence. Iago has a reputation for being honest, as his name is often preceded with “honest” by Othello and Cassio. Whether Iago is a morally good guy corrupted by jealousy, or just false from the beginning, his reputation puts him in a position of trust with his enemies, allowing his lies to be readily accepted as truthful. Iago’s way with words also allows him to remain in the favor of others. When Othello asks who started the brawl in act two Iago says, “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/ Than it should do offense to Michael Cassio” (II.iii.198-199), giving away Cassio as the initiator while maintaining the mask of loyal friend. His eloquence allows Iago to lie and manipulate smoothly under a near perfect guise of friendship. When paired with his intelligence and reputation, there is almost nothing to ruin his plans for revenge.

For all his strengths, ultimately Iago’s downfall is caused by his jealousy, cowardice, and arrogance. If not for his jealousy of Cassio and for his wife Emilia, Iago may never have begun his malicious schemes. Perhaps that is why he chooses to inspire jealousy in Othello, to mask his own weakness and because he is so familiar with it, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!/It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/The meat it feeds on” (III.iii. 165-167). Furthermore, Iago’s plans start to unravel as in his cowardice, he enlists Roderigo to kill Cassio for him. When Roderigo fails, he is forced to kill Cassio himself, and then Roderigo as well, to escape any suspicion of his involvement. Due to this, Iago’s plans start to slip from his control as he must make quick, rash decisions to maintain the mask of his good reputation, yet another sign of his cowardice, as he is fearful to be himself around others. Even in the end when Iago is finally caught, he chooses the cowards way out and hides himself with silence, “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know./ From this time forth I never will speak word” (V.ii.302-303). However, the biggest weakness in Iago is his arrogance which leads him to underestimate his wife who ultimately reveals him as the villain. He thinks so lowly of her that even when she begins to suspect someone is orchestrating Othello’s jealousy, he simply dismisses her, “You are a fool. Go to” (IV.ii.148), not expecting her to connect all the dots and expose him. When he realizes her threat too late, Iago is so surprised that he is at a loss for words to save himself from suspicion and he kills her, confirming his guilt. Ultimately, when Iago’s control starts to slip, so does his mask of honesty and in his panic, Iago forgets his strengths and reveals his weaknesses.

Iago is considered by many to be the greatest villain of all time. This is not without merit as throughout most of the play he seemingly has complete control over others and almost manages to escape all suspicion. He expertly plays his intelligence, eloquence, and good reputation to their fullest potential to spin a near perfect web to trap his enemies while going unsuspected. The sheer pleasure he takes in torturing others gives him a degree of sinister above the average evil human being, however his character is grounded in the jealousy and ambition motivating him and the arrogance that ruins him. The genius and skill of his villainy and his true character are all revealed through his dialogue, his description, and his actions.

Work Citied

1. Schilb, John, and John Clifford. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2017, pp. 546-633.

Iago is the antagonist of Skaepeare’s play Othello. Iago is a big factor in this play. Although he is very clever and cunning, he uses his skills for evil. Perhaps one of the most intriguing Shakespeare characters, Iago is a fanatic villain. What makes him a fantastic villain is that he may have no motivation at all. He controls the action in the play in one of the most obvious yet nefarious ways possible. Throughout the play he manipulates almost every character, mainly Othello. It seems to be that the motivation behind Iago destroys Othello’s life is not exactly specified. In fact, Iago is simply carrying out his sinister plans for petty reasons and out of spite. Iago hates the Moor and does not understand why a black man would be any position of power and feels if he can’t be the one with power then no one can. Iago is very important since he single handedly causes Othello’s downfall, the downfall of those around him and eventually his own downfall. He did this because Othello married the girl of his own dream which is Desdomona.

I believe that Iago make unjust choices in the play. The reasons I believe that because he doesn’t think of his choices very thoughtful at all. Iago action to me is unwise because he can handle it in a better way instead of going around lying to mess up people’s lives. Iago can’t get mad because Desdomona doesn’t love him and wants to be with Othello. Iago is a flat character because he remains the same throughout the whole play.

Iago main motivation throughout the whole play is to gain revenge on Othello. To do so, Igago comes up with the most evil plans ever. He confides in Roderigo to help him ruining Othello’ life. Iago is motivated by hate. H e clearly states “hates the moor”. Iago feeling of hatred towards Othello is one of the main themes of the play. Iago’s individual goals include tricking Othello into thinking ill of his wife and demoting Casio his position of lieutenant. Iagi affects Desdoman and his own wife, Emilia while tricking Othello. Desdomona has no clue as to why her husband is acting this way and so she and Emilia do their best to conceive him otherwise. By demoting Cassio, Iago affects himself, Desdoman and Othello. Iago is now placed as lieutenant and Othello has to deal with the idea of Cassio committing adultery with his love. Desdoman is affected because she believes that Cassio deserves a second chance and lead Othello to believe that they have a relationship.

Iago is many different things such as jealous, cunning, creative, and manipulative. He is by far the most genius character and the most complex. His personality is so layered, it is hard to see all of the parts. Iago is able to identify weaknesses of others and play them to his advantage. Iago is very jealous; his jealousy of Cassio as lieutenant and of Othello when he heard of Emilia sleeping with him. His jealousy is what given as his motivation for all of his diabolical plans. Iago changes his personality to fit what those around him will trust. This makes him very two faced and allows him to deceive people. Everyone knows him as “Honest Iago” wheen really he is”Despicable Iago”. Iago manipulates everyone in the play. They are his puppets and he is pulling the strings so his plan plays out perfectly.

The epic poem Beowulf features two characters Grendel and Beowulf who are distinctive. Through the course of the story, Beowulf is a heroic warrior that saved the Danes, who were attacked by Grendel, a horrendous monster living as an outcast. As a matter of fact, Shakespeare identified this characterization technique in the year of 1600s in one of his most beloved works the common foil characters. In the play Othello, Shakespeare forms a divergence between Othello a rational, calm person unlike Iago. At the end they have similarity of expressing severe human emotion that is jealousy.

To begin with, Othello is an analytical character, while Iago is a preposterous. he shows outmost control, courtesy, and dignity. This is amply coherent when an enraged Brabantio raises his sword at Othello, confronting him to a fight. Othello acknowledges calmly, “Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them. Good senior, you shall more command with years than weapons.” (Shakespeare 1. 2. 61-63). Not only is Othello against solving the problem with violence, but he certainly shows respect for his elders, and more importantly, his father in law. Iago on the other hand, he is irrational. Iago despises Othello as he thinks Othello has slept with Emilia. The thought consumes him, and he won’t be satisfied “Till I am evened with him, wife for wife.” (Shakespeare 2. 1. 327). Iago wants to make Othello jealous that he would not be able to handle his temper. Iago is irrational as he is not even sure that Othello slept with his wife, but he wants to believe he did to have another reason to put a plan to be Othello lieutenant. At the end Iago is successful.

Furthermore, Iago is a manipulative character unlike Othello who is an honest person. Iago manipulates Othello by ravening on and causing suspicion and insecurities. He hints to Othello that Desdemona, his wife, is having an affair with Cassio. More importantly, Iago makes his indication sound reluctant so that Othello is more persuaded to believe him. This is clear when Iago shows his “disapproval” of Desdemona and Cassio talking as he states, “Ha! I don’t like that.” (Shakespeare 3.3.33). This makes Othello to question Iago of what he said Iago answers “Nothing my lord” (Shakespear 3. 3. 3). This is where he begins his conniving plan. Othello is an open and sincere person. Othello says to Iago, “I know, Iago Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter.” (Shakespear 2. 3. 210). after Iago tells Othello about Cassio’s association in a fight while drunk. Absurdly, Othello thinks that Iago is being truthful and trying to keep Cassio out of blame. This shows how Othello is blinded by Iago thinking that he is an honest.

At the end of the play, there are no marked differences between Iago and Othello, but strong similarity that suggest both represent jealousy as an intense human feeling. Michael Cassio is a character that Othello and Iago are defined by, creating twist of events. As Othello learns from the manipulative Iago that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio, Othello is bewildered with jealousy that he believes, ‘she must die” (Shakespeare 5. 2. 6). Othello allows his affection and possessiveness of Desdemona to take over him until he ultimately would rather kill her than allow any other man to have her. Iago is jealous due to Othello giving Cassio the position of being lieutenant. Iago’s jealousy is shown when he states, “I know my price, I am worth no worse a place” (Shakespeare 1. 1. 13). His jealousy is driven by ambition for revenge to a point where he creates a plan and put it to action to get what he desires, being lieutenant. As the story comes to an end the two-foil character share similar emotion.

All in all, throughout the play, Shakespeare illustrates character foil in literature. In Othello, the antagonist Iago share a similarity with the protagonist Othello the emotion of jealousy, but many differences in their rationality and honesty. This is same as Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort being foil in their persona as good and evil.

How can one be so manipulative to the ones they call friends. Do factors such as greed, money, or even jealousy contribute to the bigger picture? In the Shakespearean play Othello, Iago sets out to manipulate everyone he comes in contact with to the point where it is hard for readers to figure out why he does what he does. Because Iago is a manipulator, he manipulates the rest of the characters throughout the play by preying on and triggering their individual insecurities and doubts. What drives Iago’s jealousy? To what extent would he go to see Othello fall? Throughout the play we see Iago is driven by greed, jealousy, and power. But all these things are linked to psychopathic behaviors that will be shown through this paper.According to the article, “Iago the Psychopath,” by Fred West, it states, “Aggressive and highly impulsive like all psychopaths, Iago’s only motivation in an immature urge toward instant pleasure. Bluff and affable among his fellows, he is still unable to form lasting bonds of affection, not even with his wife. He has no real loyalties, but serves only his own ends, using people ruthlessly with no concern for their feelings.”

I completely agree with West, in the context of Iago’s inability to form lasting bonds of affection with others. We see this with Roderigo, Desdemona, Cassio, Othello and even his wife, Emilia. He uses all these for his personal gains and when he is done she destroys their lives. For example, when Iago spitefully got Cassio drunk do that he can lose his job as lieutenant. Iago humiliated Cassio, by the actions he did and destroyed his reputation. After that he still did not feel any less of himself. What does he gain by doing this? Absolutely nothing! At different moments in the play we see Iago displaying behaviors such as cold hearted ness, shallow emotions, lack of guilt and the urging desire to manipulate to other characters. In Act 3, Iago says, “I humbly do beseech you of your pardon/For too much loving you”(III.III.210-211). He says this to Othello because he is pretending to be his friend and confined in him, so Othello would not think anything of it. He plays the sympathetic towards Othello and does it well, but as a reader I knew better than to believe in his lies. He is seen as “Honest” to all the people he deceived just so that he can be the first in command. In the first Act of Othello, the readers gets introduced to Iago’s true personality and motives. As the play goes on, we see that Iago is pretending to be Othello’s honest right-hand man, but once Iago is left alone with Roderigo, he begins plotting Othello’s downfall. When he is left alone with the audience, he reveals loyalty to no one, and he admits he uses Roderigo for his money and continually hating Othello for more than just one reason. One of the reasons as to why Iago despises Othello is because Othello overlooked him for a promotion over Michael Cassio. Iago states:

One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,

A fellow almost damned in a fair wife,

That never set a squadron in the field,

Nor the division of a battle knows

More than a spinster—unless the bookish theoric,

Wherein the togèd consuls can propose

As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice

Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election;

And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof

At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds

Christian and heathen, must be be-leed and calmed

By debitor and creditor. This counter-caster,

He, in good time, must his lieutenant be. (I.I.18-30)

Within this soliloquy, we can see some of the hatred Iago has towards Othello because he did not get the job as a military lieutenant. He is jealous of the fact that Othello makes all the decisions because he is in charge, and Iago thinks that Othello is unsuitable for the job. Iago claims that Cassio does not have the experience to be a lieutenant because he’s a bookworm. Any reader can see that Iago is clearly jealous of Cassio, but is this the real reason Iago sets out to destroy Othello? Or is this just an excuse? Or is this part of his psychopathic tendencies? I believe that this is just a game to him, because he wants everyone that shows any type of love, compassion, or even respect for Othello to be destroyed.

Iago’s poisonous lies are so powerful that he starts to believe what he is telling others is true. While talking to Roderigo, Iago explains why he was passed up for the promotion, and eventually provides a rumor that he heard. Iago says:

But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor,

And it is thought abroad that twixt my sheets

He’s done my office. I know not if’t be true,

But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,

Will do as if for surety. (I.III. 364-368)

The rumor that Iago disclosed to Roderigo was that Othello was sleeping with his wife, Emilia. He refers to Othello as “the Moor.” Iago does not have the slightest clue about if this rumor is true or not, but he decides to continue his evil schemes against Othello. With no proof or evidence, Iago acts on a rumor, which is really crazy. Rumors make people feel doubtful, but that does not make them true; evidence does. We all have people in our lives that share the same characteristics as Iago. They lie so often that they start to believe what they say, and we question the truth from the lie, which makes it hard for a reader to believe what Iago says. We live in a world with multiple Iagos. According to the article, “‘Honest’ Iago and the Evil Nature of Words” by Dr. Francesco Ancona, he states, “We want to see Iago as evil—which he is—but we want to see all the others as innocents ‘poisoned’ by Iago’s devilry. But the truth is they are not honest. They are not innocents. And Iago’s evil is merely his ability to use the truth as a poison to turn them inside out and turn their surface beauty into pitch, the pitch that was inside all along.” One can agree to disagree with Dr. Ancona because it can be seen in both aspect, but I am one to disagree. How can one not see that the others are innocent? They were manipulated by someone they consider to be their friend, acquaintance, and even husband. I believe that they are innocent and very naive for that matter. If someone has a friend that they confide in, they would not expect their friend to be jealous or envious of them. They also would not want their friends to hurt them either. How can one justify Iago’s actions as sane and alright? He used the truth and fabricated it with different things to hurt the people close to him. Once something is fabricated it cannot be the truth! Look at how Iago continually lie to Roderigo about getting with Desdemona, knowing she is married to Othello. What does he gain by doing this? Money, jewels, and gifts that is not even for him. Iago wants everyone around him to be seen as bad people, while he acts concern and play the innocent card. Once a liar always a liar and Iago is one of the best ones I’ve come across. Readers such as myself start to question Iago because we start to learn that Iago is a habitual liar that believes in his lies and wants everyone around him to believe in them also. He finds the flaws and insecurities in other characters and eventually uses them against these characters to get what he wants. Iago’s lies send others over the edge with consequences, and the craziest thing about him is that he is the one who is sympathetic and always there for them to confide in. Roderigo is one of the main characters that throughout the play confides in Iago the most. Iago knows that Roderigo is controlled by his emotions and is not really a logical thinker. To be frankly honest, Roderigo is gullible and because of that Iago plays him. Iago uses Roderigo and Roderigo’s money for his own personal games to harm Othello. One of the examples was when Iago lies to Roderigo about getting married to Desdemona. Iago says “Plague him with flies” (I.I.69). Iago uses this to manipulate Roderigo into going to Desdemona’s father and telling him that his daughter is married to the Moor, Othello. All of this is part of Iago’s plan; he wants Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, to dislike the Moor because Othello did not make Iago his lieutenant. Once again, we see how hurt Iago is about not getting the promotion, and that he is willing to do anything necessary for Othello to suffer. Later we find out that Roderigo was told by Iago to tell Brabantio that Othello and Desdemona are married so that Brabantio might make them divorce or break them up. This way Roderigo will have a chance with Desdemona and express his love to her. Iago says, “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse” (I.III.361). Iago convinces Roderigo that money can buy him anything, even Desdemona’s love. Roderigo believes him, blinded by his love for Desdemona, and sells his land to get money for gifts. Roderigo is continually deceived by Iago whom he trusted so dearly. Iago goes on to manipulate Desdemona and Othello’s relationship. Iago knows how valuable a particular handkerchief is to their marriage. The handkerchief is a symbol of their love because it was the first gift Desdemona received from Othello, and she keeps it on her constantly. It is also seen as marital fidelity because Othello told Desdemona the story of how his mother used it to keep his father faithful to her. It represents Othello’s love and faithfulness to Desdemona. Iago uses his wife Emilia to take the handkerchief, and since it is in his possession, he is able to use it as evidence of her infidelity. In Act 4 when Iago is left alone with Othello, he starts playing mind games with him forcing him to imagine Desdemona and Cassio in bed together because he knows how much Othello values the handkerchief. Iago then brings up the lost handkerchief again and makes a claim that Cassio slept with Desdemona, but he has no proof of it. Iago says:

What if I had said I had seen him do you wrong?

Or heard him say—as knaves be such abroad,

Who having, by their own importunate suit,

Or voluntary dotage of some mistress,

Convincèd or supplied them, cannot choose

But they must blab— (IV.I.23-28).

This is a perfect example of how Iago manipulates his wife into getting his hands on Othello and Desdemona’s valuable possession, so that he can uuseit against them. Why would Iago bring speculation to Othello, if he is not trying to destroy his relationship with his wife or even destroy Othello himself. What if I saw this? What if i said that? All because of a promotion that he did not get. This is not way to treat someone. Then Iago goes on to say “With her, on her, what you will (IV.I.32). He is trying everything that he can to wrap Othello around his hand to trap him and execute his plan, which is all a part of his psychopathic behavior. Having no heart or sympathy for the pain he causes to others. Iago’s motivation is never revealed in the play, but after closely analyzing his character one can conclude that his motivation is based off of greed, money, and power, which are all linked to his psychopathic behaviors. All cares about is himself! He targets people around him insecurities to bring others to their downfall. What if Iago got the promotion? Would he still be the same way? I would say yes. He wants to be in charge of everything and everyone under his command. He only listens to use what has been told to him in a harmful way. Would you want someone like that to be in charge of things? No.

W.H. Auden once aforementioned, “​There is more than meets the eye.​” suggesting that there could be a hidden or deeper meaning behind a person’s initial look. Lies, deceits and dishonesty is one of the foremost themes in Shakespeare’s play ​ ​Othello​. ​ The character of Iago isn’t any different from those deceptive individuals. Behind his facade of a trustworthy ensign and friend, Iago is multilayered, deceptive and a manipulative villain, concocting chaos and inflicting mishaps to other characters for revenge. Iago uses his deft and shrewd strategic acts of manipulation to undermine each character’s weakness. He exploits Roderigo’s love for Desdemona, cajols Cassio under the semblance of friendship and toys with Othello’s mind by playing on his insecurities. Evidently, Iago manipulates people around him by using their weakness for his advantage.

Iago uses Roderigo’s naive and gullible temperament to his advantage. Roderigo’s love for Desdemona renders him at risk of Iago’s manipulation. This causes him to hands down believe anything Iago says in hopes of getting Desdemona. At first Iago robs Roderigo of his fortune. He convinces him that the gold and jewels are given to Desdemona as a proclamation of his love when in reality, he plans to keep it to himself. Iago states, “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse” (1.3.426). Patently, Iago takes advantage of Roderigo’s devotion by conning him out of all his money. Similarly, Iago uses Roderigo yet again by convincing him to kill Cassio. Even though Roderigo is reluctant initially, he relents once Iago insists by serving to him, Roderigo can win Desdemona’s heart. Roderigo states,”I have no great devotion to the deed./And yet he hath given me the satisfying reasons. Tis but a man gone. Forth my sword: he dies.” (5.1.9-11).

Evidently, gullible Rodrigo falls for Iago’s perfidy and makes an attempt to kill Cassio. This portrays the way Iago ruthlessly takes advantage of foolish Roderigo for his own desires and disposes him once his value is used up. Overall “​Roderigo is a pawn in Iago’s schemes, controlled and enslaved through his blind lust for Desdemona.​” (Baker and Womack 1538). Thus, Iago exploits Roderigo’s ​ naiveté ​and obsession with desdemona to give birth to the downfall of other characters.

Iago capitalizes on Cassio’s trusting nature by dissembling to be his friend whereas clandestinely confusing him. At first Iago pressures Cassio to drink, getting him intoxicated to cause a fight. As a result, Othello demotes Cassio from his high ranking position as lieutenant, Cassio’s status is of utmost importance to him, having simply been demoted exposes him to Iago’s schemes. In fact, despite the actual fact that Iago is behind Cassio’s disturbance, he betrayed him by telling Montano that Cassio is alcoholic. Iago tells Montano, “​Tis evermore the prologue to his sleep/ He’ll watch the horologe a double set/ If drink rock not his cradle​” (2.3.134-36). Iago knowingly slanders Cassio to diminish his name despite pretending to be Cassio’s friend. With this in mind, Iago further plots against Cassio by advising him with malicious intentions. He provides Cassio hope of obtaining his position back by telling him to ask Othello’s better half, Desdemona to succour. Though this might look like a legitimate recommendation, Iago plans to use this in his play to bring him down. Iago appeals to Cassio’s trusting nature “​I protest, in the sincerity of love and honest/ Kindness,”​ ​(2.3.347-348) but follows it up by sarcastically saying a soliloquy:

“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? (2.3.356-359)

Patently, Iago deliberately misleads Cassio so he could use Cassio’s misguided behavior to insinuate that he wants Desdemona. it’s terribly clear that “​Iago is fully aware of himself as an improviser and revels in his ability to manipulate his victims.​” (qtd. In Where Iago Lies, par. 3). In a sense, Iago may be a devil in disguise, preying on Cassio’s trusting nature. Similar to how he uses Roderigo’s gullible nature tuen him into a pawn, he manages to try and do the same to the trusting and unwitting Cassio. In short, Iago manipulates Cassio by taking advantage of his trusting nature to deceive him by pretending to be in a friendly relationship.

Iago plays on Othello’s personal insecurities to accomplish his downfall. Othello is notably and outcast, being the sole Black person in a white society. At all time in the play, he is referred to as “The Moor”. The colour of his skin leads to unfavourable planned presumptions and also the association of savage doctrine characteristics. Even “​his relationship is in a period where such a marriage would be rare and controversial​” (Baker and Womack 1534). As a result of society’s prejudice, Othello’s self-confidence diminishes, permitting Iago to exploit his insecurity to invoke the hunch of jealousy in him. To start, Iago insinuates that Desdemona is unfaithful to Othello as she only prefers people of her ‘type’, a category Othello can ne’er belong. Iago convincingly states,

“​As, to be bold with you

Not to affect many proposed matches

Of her own clime, complexion and degree

Whereto we see in all things nature tends​” (3.3.268-271)

Keeping this logic in mind, Iago claims that Desdemona would like Cassio, who is like her in age, race and sophistication as critical Othello, on the contrary is older, black and unattractive. Similarly, Iago uses Desdemona’s gender and past to make Othello believe of her infidelity. iago states,”​ She did deceive her father marrying you./ And when she seemed to shake and fear your looks,/ She loved them most​” (3.3.238-240). He suggests that Desdemona, having betrayed her father, is extremely likely to betray Othello. Combined with the understanding, that women of that time were unvirtuous and unfaithful, this tips Othello over the edge. Piece by piece, Iago wears down Othello’s layers, and places a thick cloud of doubt and jealousy around him. To continue, Iago muddles with Othello’s mind to such extent that Othello believes nobody however him. He cocoons Othello coats of lies, maneuvering his doubt and jealousy against Desdemona.

Beyond any doubt, Othello shapes a string of truth from Iago’s lies and promoted Iago to his desired position as lieutenant. Ironically, Othello accepts Iago’s lies and believes them to be the reality, however believes Desdemona’s truthful pleas to be a lie. In essence, iago takes advantage of Othello’s personality to cradle him in a deceitful surroundings. Thus, Iago toys with Othello’s mind by playing with his insecurities and using them against him. Iago undermines every characters weakness to make sure of the success of his strategic schemes against them. This idea permits Shakespeare to form a plot of deceptiveness that plays a significant role within the theme of the play. The gullible fool Roderigo, the trusting Cassio and also the noble Moor, all fall for Iago’s wiles, illustrating his convincing nature and talent to fiendishly manipulate characters. Iago is sort of a spider, twisting his prey deeper while spinning the web of lies around them. All in all, Iago masterminds the downfall and deaths of the many characters and currently he lives with all the implications of his actions and also the weight of all the deaths he caused on his shoulders.

The author behind one of the most well-known television series once stated that, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.” George R. R. Martin, the writer of the book series A Song of Ice and Fire later adapted into the HBO series Game of Thrones, modernized a once-popular William Shakespeare quote for one of his novels; who knew that this one quote would be heard by millions of people who have never read his books, let alone included in this graduation speech. As someone who doesn’t read much outside of the classroom, I felt a bit offended when I first heard this quote. In middle school, there was a girl sitting next to me reading a book. I asked what it was called and she replied that I ‘wouldn’t understand’ because I don’t read. First of all, rude. Second of all, just because I don’t read doesn’t mean I don’t understand English. That’s when she proceeded to quote Martin; it felt as if she had just threatened me and my intelligence. Looking back at that memory now, I feel slightly less offended partly because I noticed she was reading an Archie Comic and partly because I can finally understand the full meaning of the quote. Reading a book is like taking a class from a professor. Reading and evaluating literature is one of the many ways we can learn and grow.

This year we read multiple iconic pieces of literature and were given the opportunity to share our ideas and opinions on the topics. The first book we were assigned was Lord of the Flies by William Golding which had one of the most memorable scenes by far. Everyone’s heartstrings were pulled when perhaps one of the most relatable characters was crushed by rocks after falling off a cliff. Piggy was often the comic relief in this tale of savagery and civilization. He was a light in the story meant to shed knowledge and logic over the other characters as well as a beacon of hope for anyone who would listen. Like the characters in this book, we are also kids. And like them, we’re about to be dropped somewhere scary and unknown. We all used to be Piggy at some point in our lives: quoting an adult like they are the bible, wanting to make a better name for ourselves, and full of hope. We need to go back to being that kid again if we want to continue growing and enjoying life; maybe not caring about our childhood nicknames as much but still having hope. Either it’s hope that we’ll be rescued from an island we crash-landed on or hope that we are making the right decision and are taking the right steps into our futures. While most of us probably won’t remember what exactly the Lord of the Flies was about in 25 years, we will remember Piggy, his tragic end, and the hope he displayed through such strange and scary times.

While Lord of the Flies may have been an interesting novel, it didn’t teach us many new lessons. Unless, of course, you didn’t previously know that you shouldn’t set a forest on fire to kill a little boy. Our most recent read, however, did reinforce a lesson many of us already have been taught. Wuthering Heights and its theme of nature versus nurture provide insight into what a difficult and disastrous life looks like. This piece of literature was full of abusive father figures, poisonous love, and death. Plenty of death. Its main theme was based on the philosophical question of whether a person’s behavior stems from their inherited traits or acquired traits. Wuthering Heights is the poster child for the popular saying “your past doesn’t define you.” The contrast created between Heathcliff and Hareton illustrates the different ways someone can respond to the struggles in their life. While displaying this nature versus nurture idea, the book highlights the fact that the one person you can always depend on is yourself. You dictate how you react to the obstacles in your life, which leads to the main lesson you can learn from the novel. We must take care of ourselves. Let’s look at Hareton for a second. The way this kid’s life was going, he shouldn’t have lived to be the hard-working and kind-hearted man he is. He probably shouldn’t even have made it to be twenty. Heathcliff made it his life’s purpose to destroy that kid and turn him into a monster like himself. Hareton refused to let his dark upbringing dim down his bright future. Currently, we’re out of school because of a worldwide pandemic. The only way to protect our family and community is by taking care of ourselves physically, and even mentally. We can’t let our past struggles define our future successes. It is our job to take responsibility for ourselves so that each of us can go on to live out the life God has planned for us.

From all the pieces of literature we have read so far, Othello has been my favorite by far. Sure, it taught us about the blurred line between jealousy and love as well as the complexity of doubt and trust, but the advice I took from the play was quite simple. Don’t lie. After reading this story about a manipulative man wanting to ruin the lives of his friends, I learned to not lie. Again, this is probably advice we have all received before but Othello really emphasized this for me. Iago’s whole plan was built on the trust he had with other characters. While Iago is probably one of the smartest villains I know of, his plan would not have been successful if it wasn’t for the common mistake made by the other characters: lying. The characters’ small, white lies here-and-there inhibited their communication with each other allowing Iago’s plan to follow through. As my mom always tells me, “the truth will always find its way out.” I have learned numerous times that, as much as I hate to admit it, moms are always right. How is this possible? Well, I have no clue but it’s a fact. Think about it. Maybe if Othello had his mommy there, he wouldn’t have killed his faithful wife or himself. Or, if Iago’s mom was there, maybe the plan wouldn’t have even been made to start with. Many tragic deaths could have been prevented if people just stopped lying. If people can just be honest with others as well as themselves, then lying isn’t even necessary.

Fellow graduates, today we are entering the so-called Real World. The idea that we don’t enter the real world until we graduate is such an absurd point of view. As high school students, most of us may not have had to deal with taxes or mortgages yet but that doesn’t mean we haven’t gone through difficult times. Mourning the death of a loved one, struggling to pass a class, being rejected by your crush, having to wave goodbye to life-long friends, and growing up sooner than we wanted to. We have all run into life’s obstacles at some point or another, but we don’t have to let those past struggles define us. This year, we were introduced to Emily Brontë’s masterpiece, Wuthering Heights. We learned that taking care of ourselves should always be a priority since we can always depend on ourselves. We remembered Piggy and honored his unfortunate death as we acknowledged the importance of having hope. Finally, we took advice from the poetic and verbose Shakespeare. He taught us to listen to our mothers when they tell us to speak only the truth. Lying and dwelling on our past only hurt us. However, having hope and caring for ourselves allows us to grow as people and as a community.

Greatest Villain Award

A great villain is one who has all the good qualities of the hero and has the audience begging for more. While nobody wants to admit it, humans thrive off of chaos; it is the perfect entertainment. In Othello, Shakespeare creates an intelligent and skillful actor, Iago. He portrays the kindest, most trustworthy friend a man could ask for. He is even referred to as “Honest Iago” which displays his Machiavellian abilities of deception (Othello I. iii. 292). Like a dirty cop, he is the one people go to for help and would never be the suspect of any crime. The personification of pure evil is the simplest way to describe Iago. An unrepentant, cunning schemer who can gracefully manipulate anyone he wants, Iago is only satisfied by actions that benefit him and harm others. Driven by his want to make all good appear evil, Iago uses his friends merely as instruments to orchestrate his malevolent plans.

Like a true villain, Iago uses his charm and smarts to convince those around him that he is a good guy. However, unlike most villains, Iago has no real motive. He is not a man who lived a long, difficult life. It is human nature to find reasons for a person’s behavior. Humans feel obligated to feel bad for the antagonist because of their past or to root for the protagonist because of their good morals. When the villain is played by a homeless old man whose family was killed, the audience can feel empathy for the character. In Wuthering Heights, the audience feels pity for Heathcliff because of his childhood. Iago is unlike most villains; he is not a homeless old man or an orphan with a disastrous upbringing. He is a twenty-seven year old Venetian with a good reputation who has never truly been wronged. His young age and privileged lifestyle makes it impossible for the audience to feel any empathy towards Iago and his actions; this really only escalates the audience’s hatred for the character. Iago does mention that ‘[Cassio] hath a daily beauty in his life, / That makes [him] ugly’ which implies that envy may be his motive (Othello V.i.19-20). However, he is going to extreme lengths just to satisfy his need for revenge. In reality, Iago has no motive; he is scheming simply because he likes to exercise the power he has over others.

Iago’s ability to speak a million words without opening his mouth grants him another advantage against his targets. It is not only what he tells others, but how he tells others that enables him to plant seeds in the minds of others. Throughout the play, Iago places his own thoughts and ideas into the minds of his friends making them believe it was their consciousness that made it up all along. He plants seeds of doubt by hinting, asking leading questions, and hesitating during specific times of a conversation. Iago utilizes the good qualities of Othello and Desdemona as catalysts in their own downfall since Iago believes that “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Macbeth I.i.11). He abuses all that is ‘good’ and twists it until that ‘good’ can be molded as a weapon for his own recreational use. Iago is a genius in the sense that he makes others do his work for him. In order to convince Othello that his faithful wife is a wretched cheater, Iago declares that he will “turn her virtue into pitch; / and out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all” (Othello II.iii.348–150). His ability to continuously lie to his closest friends makes him appear reliable, ultimately proving to the audience the level of deception he is capable of.

Shakespeare provides Iago with the clever, calculated, and ruthless personality he needs in order to manipulate the innocent characters around him. Iago is indirectly responsible for the deaths of his wife, Roderigo, Desdemona, and Othello. He constantly lies to his closest friends and makes himself look better at the same time; his ability to be perceived as a noble man allows him to accomplish his goals without having to bear much fallout. By following through with such harmful, motiveless schemes, Iago paints himself to be the cold, heartless devil from the beginning; this makes it impossible for the audience to feel any other emotion besides hatred towards him throughout the rest of the play. Driven purely by the want to exercise his power and cause chaos, Iago crowns himself the villain of all villains.

Works Cited

1. Martin, George R. R. A Dance with Dragons. New York, Bantam Books, 2011.
2. Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by Edward Pechter, New York, W. W. Norton & Company, 2004.
3. Shakespeare, William, et al. Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Hoboken, Wiley, 2005.

We are going to analyse Othello, Iago and Desdemona’s characters and how the web of lies engineered by Iago led to the demise of many characters. As Lee Jamieson has stated, Iago “is jealous of Cassio for obtaining the position of Lieutenant over him, jealous of Othello- believing he bedded his wife- and jealous of Othello’s position, despite his race.”

At the beginning of the play we are introduced to Roderigo and Iago. Iago was an ensign in the Venetian army who was overlooked by Othello. In their conversation we learn that Iago is bitter about Cassio being given the lieutenant position and not him, he announces his hatred towards his commander, Othello, because he passed him over and gave the position to someone who was supposedly less experienced than him. It is also in Act I Scene I where we learn about Iago’s conniving behaviour and his hatred towards Othello, he also felt that he was much better than Cassio and he was the person best suited for the job that he undermined Cassio, “And what was he? Forsooth, a great arithmetician, One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, -A fellow almost damned in a fair wife, that never set a squadron in the field…” (Shakespeare, I.I. 20-25). Iago’s duplicity is evident from scene one, he is manipulative, conniving and treacherous. He was able to orchestrate everything because of people who perceived him as an honest person, it is due to that misinterpretation of his appearance that he gained the trust of people which made it easier for him to manipulate them and play on their feelings and insecurities.

Othello was an officer in the Venetian military, and a Moor. Despite his military prowess, the way he is eloquent, how he appeared to be more of a gentleman than those who judged him and he perceived his manners and words as a bit rough (Smith, 2014). He never really felt comfortable in his skin he thought less of himself because he was ‘My name, that was as fresh – As Dian’s visage, is now begrim’d, and black -As mine own face’ (Shakespeare, III.III.392-94) and because of this insecurity, Iago was able to manipulate him easily. As a Moor, he was defensively proud of himself and what he has acquired so he worked very hard to maintain his reputation so that he could be regarded as equal as his white counterparts (Smith, 2013). Othello’s insecurities got the better of him and Iago saw that and seized to opportunity to destroy him, he led him on and made him believe that Desdemona was not being faithful to him. As many characters perceived Iago to be a man of honesty, Othello thought so too and because he was a very proud man the allegations brought forward to him that Desdemona was having an affair really hurt his feelings and his pride even more. They fuelled his “jealousy and vanity because he always wanted to appear as powerful, accomplished, and moral at every possible instance” (Smith, 2013). His pride and jealousy could not make him think straight and played right into Iago’s hands that he ended up taking his wife’s life, even after learning of Iago’s schemes he could not bring himself to acknowledge that he made a mistake, he instead took his own life after stabbing Iago to death.

Desdemona was married to Othello even though he was a bit older than her. She came from a well off family and because of who her father was she overly virtuous and that led her to her death. She felt that it was necessary to defend Cassio by pleading with her husband to restore his rank not realising that it would later have serious repercussions in her marriage; or rather in her life.

Iago had problems with his identity and felt inferior to Othello even though he was a Moor, he used that against him to make himself feel better about his own insecurities “insofar as lago can make Othello experience his own blackness as a contamination that contaminates Desdemona, he succeeds in emptying himself out into Othello; and insofar as Othello becomes in effect lago’s faecal baby, Othello-rather than lago-becomes the bearer of the fantasy of inner filth” (Adelman, 1977:143). As Lee puts it, “Iago is consumed with hatred and envy” and it’s because of his character that Othello ends up murdering his wife in their matrimonial bed. Even though Desdemona was innocent in all of this, she became a collateral damage of Iago’s schemes to get back at Othello.

References:

1. Adelman, J. 1977. Iago’s Alter Ego: Race as Projection in Othello. Shakespeare Quarterly, 48(2), 125-144
2. Lee, J. 2020. “Iago Character Analysis From Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’.” ThoughtCo. Date of access: 19 May 2020. https://www.thoughtco.com/iago-from-othello-2984767.
3. Smith, J.N. Joseph Ward. “Othello Summary”. GradeSaver. Christine McKeever ed. Date of access: 19 May 2020. https://www.gradesaver.com/othello/study-guide/themes in MLA Format
4. Shakespeare, W., & McDonald, R. (2001). 18th ed. The tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. New York: Penguin Books.