Othello - Iago - 2748 Words

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. Iagos importance to the play is revealed by his contribution to the plot and his significance relative to other characters. Iagos 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 a fter 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 Iagos 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 Iagos scheme that Othello can only think that Iago must have been a devil. I look down towards his feet- butÂ… If that thou best 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 Iagos 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. IagoShow MoreRelatedIago Quotes In Othello1008 Words   |  5 Pagescareful who you trust, the devil was once an angel.† (Unknown). Honest Iago, good Iago, many names for the character who created so much chaos throughout Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Othello. Iago manipulated everyone; he went out of his way to destroy Othello’s relationships with Desdemona, take everything from Rodrigo, and the effort to destroy Cassio. Othello had much respect towards Iago and put much trust into him. Iago was very good a hiding his true intentions to take down Othello’s relationshipRead MoreIago the Machiavellian in Othello1420 Words   |  6 Pagesto suspect the nefarious motives of their enemies. In this tragedy, Othello, Shakespeare has created a villain who behaves in this manner. Iago’s hatred, method of revenge, and vengeful hatred are the reasons of the lives lost in this play and the reasons that lead to Iago’s downfall. Iago’s hatred of Othello and Cassio causes him to seek revenge and he is able to succeed because his victims are too innocent to suspect him. Iago is a Machiavellian Shakespearean character who cunningly convincesRead MoreAnalysis Of Othello And Iago 1463 Words   |  6 Pagesof the world. However, in spite of noble intentions, this â€Å"hero† ends up causing much more harm then needed because he is not self-aware and has a different perspective than everyone else. In the play Othello many characters have the same issue with perspective and self-awareness. Othello and Iago are the two main characters that allow their views on themselves to take control over their actions without their awareness. There is a tragic ending to this play and it was all because of differing perspectivesRead MoreOthello: Iago the Outsider1794 Words   |  8 Pagesdark theme there always must be an outsider from humanity who somehow stands out from the seemingly equal community. In the ca se of Shakespeares Othello the outsider from humanity would be Iago for he truly stands out from the rest of society. Although Othello may be physically put out of the community, it seems that on an emotional and egotistical level Iago puts himself out of society further then Othellos blackness does. He is not merely manipulative, as other villains are; he turns aspects of truthRead MoreEssay about Iago Of Othello709 Words   |  3 PagesIago 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 Shakespeares Othello, there is one character in Iago that fulfills all of these qualifications. Iago is a wonderful villain because he gains others trust, relentlessly takes advantageRead More Iago in Shakespeares Othello Essay1128 Words   |  5 PagesIago in Othello  Ã‚      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 moreRead MoreIago in Shakespeares Othello Essay1381 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeares Othello is a remarkable tale of trust, deceitfulness, lust and the most destructive of human emotions: vengeance and hatred. Iago better known as Othellos antagonist embodies vengeance and hatred to move an agenda to squash all who oppose Iagos 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 ofRead MoreEssay on The Evil Iago of Othello603 Words   |  3 Pagessimple community. In the play Othello, the simple ancient, Iago is very successful at his schemes. Iago is able to get the trust of everyone around him, and to appear honest. He is also driven to continue with his schemes and to never quite. From the first scene of the play to the last, Iago is able to be trusted by everyone. This is one of the many reasons why Iago is so successful in his schemes, he is always trusted. In the first scene of the play we learn that Iago is helping Roderigo, win theRead More Shakespeares Othello - There Would be No Othello Without Iago1093 Words   |  5 Pageswould be No Othello without Iagonbsp;nbsp; nbsp; Though the name of the play written by William Shakespeare is called Othello, the character Othello is not the main character, but rather Iago is. Iago is the character who drives the play, he is the one who makes things happen. Without his greed and hated, there would be no play at all. The whole play is centered around Iagos revenge and in doing so, he is willing to make other peoples lives miserable. Through Othello, Iago uses the otherRead MoreIago s Revenge On Othello1119 Words   |  5 PagesWoodson English 1302 24 October 2017 Iago’s Revenge Othello is tragedy by William Shakespeare, in which Iago tries to manipulate most of the character of the play to get revenge on Othello because Othello promotes younger man Cassio instead of Iago in a military post. The whole story is roaming around Iago, because he uses all the character to get what he wants. He does not care about others feeling, all he cares about is succeeding in his plan. Iago wants to take revenge on Othello’s life and marriage