Good and Evil in Othello

To be evil, villainous or Satan-like, is to state that one does hurtful things to other citizens for the pure enjoyment of themselves. Hitler, Stalin and Napoleon are all leaders, who undoubtedly can be stated as evil. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the character Iago is considered evil. It is argued though that he is not evil, just simply a human. Iago throughout the play becomes insecure over his decline in power leading him to become jealous and get revenge on those who contributed to this feeling of self-doubt. Though Iago at times is satisfied with the way he treats others, his motives are humanistic and the way he deals with his envy for others makes him one of the manliest men in William Shakespeare’s Othello.

In William Shakespeare’s play Othello, the Iago is the most important character. It is his dreams, hopes and desires that turn him evil, bringing out the worst possible characteristics in order to achieve all the things he wants. Iago’s manipulative traits, deceitful actions and love for Othello eventually cause the death Emilia, Desdemona and Othello himself.

The story of Othello is merely a historical version of the chaos and morality that appears in the Common Era. Iago is the infamous villain that is cynical, dark, and manipulative. He lacks empathy for other human beings, and reminds me of one of the most incredible fictional villains of all time- The Joker. The Joker who appears in the movie The Dark Knight, is eerily similar to Iago. Iago is a ruthless and scheming individual. He loves to create chaos, and as his plans unfold, he relishes the pain he is causing to other individuals. He is seemingly enjoying the agony that the other characters around him are going through and feeling. As he sees how deep his schemes are progressing, he continues to add fuel to the fire and see how much damage he can cause. Iago also enjoys “watching the world burn.” He enjoys his sense of

Iago as Evil in William Shakespeare's Othello "Othello" is famously regarded as one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies. It explores the downfall of a great general Othello through a series of unlucky circumstances. Othello's character shows a man of high status whose job, marriage and life is ruined because of his insecurities by a man named Iago. Iago (Othello's ensign) is able to manipulate Othello,

Evil appears through the menacing Iago and his devilish undertakings in Shakespeare’s Othello. Perceived as a sociopath, Iago antagonizes and fuels conflict. Through an interpretation by Ralph Berry, the literary critic identifies a “fairly clear-cut pattern of good and evil that can be closely identified with the three main personages: that is, of evil, personified in Iago, struggling in the soul of Othello for possession of the goo, Desdemona” (3). The conflict throughout the story is fueled by the good versus evil narrative. Firstly, evil shows its presence when Iago manipulates Othello into thinking his love, Desdemona, cheated on him. In response to Iago’s insinuation Othello speaks, “Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw/the smallest

In Othello, Iago is a villainous person who is filled with hatred, jealousy and an undeniable lust for power. He influences and manipulates everyone close to him for the sole purpose of destroying their lives.

Othello is a black army general in the service of the Venetian government. Iago is Othello’s standard bearer. I think that Iago is the greater villain. Right from the beginning, because of his vicious and offensive language, we are made aware that Iago is a negative and evil character. Iago says about Othello:

Throughout the play, Othello, Iago often showed how evil and relentless he certainly is and how he does not care about the characters that interfere with his plan. First, Iago showed how great a villain he is, by how he manipulates almost every character to keep forwarding his plan to ruin Othello. Secondly, he is motivated to get revenge on Othello, which keeps his entire plan in motion. Lastly Iago enjoys ruining people’s lives, in other words he is a masterful planner. Throughout the play, he destroys many characters’ lives. To conclude Iago is one of Shakespeare’s most perfect and successful villains because he exhibits traits that every successful villain has and needs.

In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, the reader is introduced to the character Iago. There are many different interpretations of his character, was he a ‘skillful villain’? Or was he a ‘mysterious creature of unlimited cynicism’? Or just a ‘wronged man’ who is more sinned against than sinning?

Humanity is an imperfect medium for God’s works. It smears reference lines, is too motile when warmed, and too insoluble when chilled. The perfect balance is a rare and fleeting moment among millennia of failed attempts, and even then, the canvas is only given a short burst of color, fading quickly back into the neutral tones of moral ambiguity. Likewise, in Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses,” the reader is greeted not with a uniform portrait, but with a twisted triptych of Man’s struggle to find God. His accompanying motif, however, is not any deity, but chimaera of his own making-- discernment.

Iago is one of the most misunderstood villains in Shakespeare literature. We side with Othello from the start because his name is on the cover of our paperback, we read Othello when learning about heroes, so we expect Iago to be a villain, a ruthless manipulator. We don’t know why, he doesn’t state it plainly or in simple English, so we assume that he’s evil, that he’s just a disgruntled sociopath out to exact his exaggerated revenge on good and noble Othello. Iago’s misunderstood reputation is a result of not truly examining his character, and answering the “why” factor behind his actions. After all, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. His goal in the play was not just to destroy Othello for the fun of it. His objective,

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.

What makes one person to be considered evil, while another is considered righteous? The character Iago, in William Shakespeare’s Othello, could be considered evil because of his plot against Cassio and Othello. Othello, could be considered righteous, because he believes his wife has been unfaithful. The line between these two labels, evil or righteous, is thin. Ultimately, actions speak louder than words. Iago is evil in his actions towards Othello, but between the two, Othello is the most evil for reacting to lies in the most violent of ways.

    Who can compare in depth of evil to the villainous Iago in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello? His villainy is incomparably destructive on all of those around him.

Othello is a classic of the universal literature, where human relations show a constant fight between good and evil. From the opening of the play, Shakespeare, in addition to racial and gender aspects, makes continuous religious allegory. From the stories told in the Bible and the events reported by Shakespeare can be compared to the history of destruction of life Othello with Christ, as a result of evil desires and envy. In Othello, Iago is the main driver of the action, with their manipulations makes the characters to where he wants, merciless and unscrupulous. Iago may be related to Satan, because their actions are for the purpose of self-interest, with perversion and harm to others. Shakespeare makes one of his first allusions to the perversion