Custom Written Term Papers: Evil in Othello

He is clever in his diction to avoid confrontation that can easily erupt. An example of Iago’s manipulation is when he and Roderigo confront Brabanzio about his daughter. Brabanzio does not believe what the two say about Desdemona, calling it ridiculous, and he becomes angry because he has been woken up in the middle of the night. Roderigo immediately starts to explain, which only angers Brabanzio even more. Iago, on the other hand, responds by actually complimenting Brabanzio. Brabanzio yells, “Thou art a villain” to which Iago responds, “You are a senator”. The father is taken aback by this surprising comment and it causes him to step back and re-examine the situation, which eases his anger and causes him to believe the two storytellers, especially when he finds Desdemona missing from her bed chamber

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.

However, different ideas can be inferred by his more personal asides, “I hate the Moor,/And it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets/'Has done my office. I know not if 't be true,/But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,/ Will do as if for surety” (Shakespeare.I.III.429-433). One of the reasons for Iago’s evil doings is that he perceives that Othello has slept with his wife. With no real indication of this, Iago is left to stew in his hatred and jealousy. Saying that Othello has “’twixt [his] sheets/’Has done [his] office,” reveals that Iago believes Othello’s relationship with Emilia, exceeded a physical one (Shakespeare.I.III.430-431). Another plausible reason for Iago’s malicious activities is racism. Described as “the Moor,” Othello is segregated from the rest of the nobility throughout the story due to his race. The first indication of Iago’s racist thoughts is when he beckons Roderigo to call upon Barbantio and tell him about Desdemona and Othello. Interjecting, Iago yells to Barbantio, “Zounds, sir, you’re robbed. For shame, put on your/gown!/Your heart is burst. You have lost half your soul./Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!/Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,/Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you./Arise, I say!” (Shakespeare.I.I.94-101). Declaring that Barbantio has been “robbed…for shame,” indicates that

The relationships in Shakespeare’s plays are never simple and even less so when one narrows the field to his tragedies. In the case of Iago and Othello this complicated relationship is made more so by the interwoven theme of appearance verses reality. The idea of Iago, the wolf in sheep’s clothing, fighting both for and against his master that permeates the play. Othello, however, a seasoned warrior being unable to see through the guise is a flaw his companion takes advantage of. Iago’s hatred is the biggest mystery of this play, making the reader wish Shakespeare had written a prequel.

William Shakespeare’s Othello would not be a dramatic tragedy if the smiling villain, Iago, were a deaf mute. There is no doubt that the destruction of each character can be blamed on jealous Iago. The theme of jealousy helps propel the plot naturally and demonstrates the consequences of being morbidly jealous. The circumstantial evidence Iago provides acts like a lethal poison, which surrounds Othello in suspicion and envy but also turns him into an inhuman murderer. Jealousy is the ‘monster’ that unresonably conducts the great suffering in the story.

There are many critical interpretations of Iago’s character. Was he a ‘skillful villain’? Or perhaps he was a ‘mysterious creature of unlimited cynicism’? Or was he simply a ‘wronged man’? More sinned against than sinning?

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.

From the very beginning we see Iago’s hatred toward Othello in these descriptive words. This animalistic imagery initially establishes the dramatic tension in the play, but it also helps satisfy our suspicion of Iago’s cruel motives toward Othello. Iago skillfully uses insinuations, indirect accusations and subtle hints to get his own point across. For example, Shakespeare writes:

Iago is a powerful predator who exploits those around him by infecting their perceptions of truth with carefully chosen fallacy. His skill in finding the proverbial chinks in others' armor allows him to skillfully weave his machinations of destroying Othello into their minds and actions; by manipulating character's perceptions of Desdemona, Iago gains the leverage he needs to exploit each character. No one is impervious to Iago's seething purpose; even Othello falls prey to Iago's suggestions and insinuations about Desdemona. Iago's constant presence as the stager, as well as his ceaseless - but subtle - reinforcement of events through narration, allows him to be the pivotal force that directs

No fictional man has more questionable motives than Othello’s Iago. His individual motives proposed are always contributors, but never the whole story, and altogether they seem more questionable than when apart. From what philosophy Iago draws inspiration is a mystery. In response, Ken Jacobsen’s Iago’s Art of War: The “Machiavellian Moment” in Othello, pens Iago’s strategies and rhetorics as “informed by the doctrines of Niccolo Machiavelli” (498). Though correct in his connection between Iago and Machiavellianism, Iago’s decisions throughout Othello neither follow the morals of the philosophy nor promote its effectiveness.

Only by considering a range of perspectives can we truly appreciate the world of Shakespeare’s Othello. It is through my exploration of these perspectives and their relationship with changing morals and values that has enriched my understanding of the play. One such reading of the play challenges the marginalisation and objectification of woman in a patriarchal Venetian society, while taking into account the changing role of women in modern society. Another interpretation of Othello examines its post colonial elements through the protagonist Othello, and his insecurities of being a black man in a white society. My interpretation of the play as a portrayal of the values existing in Shakespeare’s time is filtered through these

     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.

In Shakespeare's play "Othello, the Moor of Venice" begins with a Vetentain lieutenant who has wed and falling in love with a Venetian woman, Desdemona. Meanwhile, lurking about is Iago, who will cascade an invisible web from insinuation, confusion, and reversed meaning (Omer & Verona, 1991) to cause mayhem and personal gain leaving turmoil and devastation in the course. Nevertheless, Iago's jealousy, mistrust, and greed counteract as the ammunition for his actions in being a disloyal, angry villain in the play (Weigel, 2013). Needless to say, Iago's lack of moral reflection of himself shines through the soliloquy of dishonest and feeling righteous, devious at times cunning, and a master manipulator of others prevails his motives to the end Dishonest and feeling righteous While Shakespeare wrote with

William Shakespeare’s Othello uses different and unique techniques in his language to express the nature of evil throughout the play. Verbal twists and the characters most importantly stress the act of evil. Iago, most of all is portrayed as the “villain” or “protagonist in the play. Shakespeare uses this character to set the basis of evil. Each plot point is spiraled further into tragedy due to the nature of Iago and his manipulative language towards the other main characters.

Iago’s very language reveals the level at which his evil mind works. Francis Ferguson in “Two Worldviews Echo Each Other” describes the types of base, loathsome imagery used by the antagonist Iago when he “slips his mask aside” while awakening Brabantio: