Comparing Betrayal In King Lear And The Tragedy Of

In King Lear by William Shakespeare, betrayal plays an important role throughout this story. The foreshadow to heartbreaks and other awful leading events begin with one of the many motifs/themes to this story, betrayal.

In King Lear, the characters deceive one another constantly. Most of them deliberately misrepresent themselves, but others are naturally difficult to understand. Some are trying to gain power while others are protecting themselves. There is an extreme contrast between reality and what each character appears to be to the other characters. This quality about the characters fuels the plot, bringing it to its ultimate end.

Iago plants ideas in Othello’s head, uses the innocent actions of others as his proof; and Othello, who is not practiced in worldly matters, believes his the misnomer of the “honest Iago”, and eventually is consumed by the lie.

Iago is very notorious for his villainous acts throughout the play “Othello”, by William Shakespeare. Iago’s motives drive him to manipulate and deceive other characters so his “monstrous” (I, iii, 395) plot would succeed. Iago manages to con Roderigo to take his money. Iago also tries to ruin Othello and Desdemona’s relationship by using Cassio as a bait. In this passage, Iago explains how he will manipulate Rodrigo, Cassio and, most importantly, Othello to achieve his goals.

Iago's poison pours on to Othello's mind and makes him to be manipulated by the enemy. Iago, when makes his plan says:

A similarity of both contexts is the deception presented throughout both. Deception being significant issue relevant to both eras, it is outlined throughout both contexts as a large contributor to the moral of the storyline. The deception of ‘Othello’ through Iago’s actions is the reasoning of the issues of jealousy and causing outcomes of rage and evidently death. “I am glad of this: for now I shall have reason to show the love and duty that I bear you.” (Iago) The use of words portray sarcasm as Iago leads Othello to believe that he is a good friend for coming to him with his suspicions. The stage

Shakespeare is known for his use of recurring themes throughout his work, including love, death and betrayal. These themes are present in his work of Othello. However, the most fundamental issue is jealousy. The lives of the characthers in Othello are ruined by jealousy from the beginning to the end of the play. The telling of the story is carried out by passion, jealousy, and death. Shakespeare’s Othello reveals devastating tragic inevitability, stunning psychological depth, and compelling poetic depth; the fragility and mysterious power of love, as well as demons of doubt, and how suspicion can be triggered by manipulative villain (Barthelemy 12).

Known for his sly behavior, in one of Iago’s soliloquys he discloses a strategy to seek revenge on Othello, saying “Let me see now:/To get his place and to plume up my will/In double knavery—How? how?—Let’s see./After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear” (Shakespeare.I.III.435-438). Iago, in his methods for revenge and evil doings, hopes to get close enough to Othello to “abuse his ear” (Shakespeare.I.III.438). This phrase alludes to another saying, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” The closeness of these phrases reveals that Iago’s plans involve a great deal of stealthiness and patience. Iago’s schemes are masked by mystery and secrecy. Literary critic Daniel Stempel deduces that “to Iago, of course, there is no mystery. The will is free to choose, unmoved by good or evil” (252). Iago’s plan to corrupt Othello “after some time,” showcases his conniving façade and his devotion (Shakespeare.I.III.438). In accordance with this, in Act 3, Iago’s strategy for his undertakings begins to bear fruit as he declares, “[The Moor already changes with my poison;]/Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons,” (Shakespeare.III.III.373-377). Through Iago’s “abuse of Othello’s ear” and “poison,” Othello begins to breakdown. The phrase “dangerous conceits are their natures poisons,” is closely related to Milton’s depiction of Adam and Eve. The serpent, in this story, fills Eve

Once a seed of suspicion or doubt is planted in a person’s mind, the noxious effect of jealousy is soon to ensue. Jealousy and suspicion are Othello’s flaws hubris throughout the play and foreshadow to the audience his imminent downfall. He believes what Iago tells him so strongly that he compromises his close relationship with his best friend and his love for his wife. Iago manipulates Othello through the use of extortion, literary techniques, and his keen judge of character. His syntax and diction are so simple yet so powerful because he uses the correct rhetorical questions and addresses Othello with respectful terms such as “my lord.” He allows Othello do most of the talking

Iago's manipulative nature has a profound effect on the decisions made by other characters in Shakespeare's ‘Othello’. Through his relations with those around him Shakespear characterizes him as a man full of malice, vengeance and dishonesty that is wholly inspired by jealousy. Furthermore it would appear that Iago has an exceptional ability to scheme, a talent which he uses to snake his way into the lives of others and exploit them through their weaknesses. Whether he does this for profit or for pleasure is a separate issue.

William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Hamlet, is synonymous with the word betrayal. Every misfortune in the play can be attributed to an act of betrayal, from brother to brother, mother to son, husband to wife, and so forth. Greed is a natural trait in man, and often times we cannot overcome desire. Greed and desire lead to betrayal, which occurs in nearly every relationship in Hamlet. Betrayal is not a theme unfamiliar to Shakespeare; in fact, it ricochets through every tragedy he has written. Othello and Romeo and Juliet are prime examples of Shakespearean tragedies caused by betrayal. Othello is betrayed by lago, and is led to believe that everyone he trusts has betrayed him, leading to his eventual demise. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet

Thesis: Betrayal is a common factor in many pieces of literature including Shakespeare's Othello, William Blake's A Poison Tree, and Jane Austen's Persuasion.

In Act “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! /It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss/Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger,/But, oh, what damnèd minutes tells he o'er/Who dotes, yet doubts— suspects, yet soundly loves!” (3.iii.170-175). Through Iago’s witty nature he is able to nonchalantly set his malignant plan into motion by planting a suspicion in the mind of Othello. Iago harnesses in on the envious agony he endures and uses it as a weapon on the man he is envious of, leading to the destruction of him. Iago knows the ability of jealousy, and with this he knows he can manipulate Othello and make him feel the same discomfort he himself feels. This reveals the enormous amount of preparation Iago has put into his plan and the true evil that is brewing beneath the surface. Iago's loss of self respect and his loss of respect for others have led him to be an evil scheming beast with no account for the lives of others.

Iago’s relationship with Othello becomes a power struggle where Iago attempts to degrade Desdemona in order to position himself so he can ‘poison’ Othello. Here Shakespeare is showing how powerful and manipulative Iago can be with his use of words, and how powerful they can be. This power struggles is exemplified

Shakespeare’s King Lear fabricated a world of its own, in which distinct virtues and vices were personified by individuals with diverse points of view. With each conflict in the play, the characters’ actions and decisions were parallel to the integrity of their heart and mind, exhibiting the virtue or vice they represented. With this strategy, Shakespeare shares that with trust should come discretion.