Throughout the play, Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago doesn’t change much as a character being that he tries to get revenge on Othello throughout the entire story. Despite his lack of change throughout the play, Iago affects everybody’s character and life. These effects on the other character’s lives pushed them to extreme conditions. Iago begins planning his revenge on Othello after he finds out that Othello gave the promotion of lieutenant to Cassio instead of him. In order to get his revenge, Iago plans on spreading rumors about Othello’s wife, Desdemona, and Cassio. Iago implies that Desdemona is having an affair on Othello with Cassio, which is untrue. Once the word gets around about them two, Iago’s plan is right on track. By the
By the middle of the play Othello’s mood and demeanor seem to shift from being peaceful and patient to very anxious, paranoid, and gullible. For example when Othello is talking to Iago and Iago suggests that maybe his wife is not being faithful to him, it becomes Othello’s obsession to get down to the bottom of it and catch her. “I have been talking with your suitor here, a man that languishes in your displeasure / Who is’t you mean / Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord” (III.iii.41-43). In this dialog between Othello and Iago, with just two sentences Iago causes Othello to lose trust in his wife and believe she is being unfaithful to him which grows stronger and stronger each scene of the play. Because Iago is extremely cunning and manipulative, he is able to control almost anyone he chooses and he is in control of Othello’s emotions because he knows the things Othello fears. Iago is pretending to be Othello’s friend but secretively is going behind his back and bringing him down. Iago convinces Othello that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. “I humbly do beseech
Revenge is the main theme in the play Othello by William Shakespeare and it is portrayed from the character Iago. Through Iago’s soliloquies he reveals his horrible doings. Iago wants to get revenge on Othello and his loved one Desdemona. The reason why he wants to get revenge at Othello is because he promotes Cassio to Lieutenant. Iago takes advantage of his reputation “Honesty Iago” to manipulate other characters in the play to get revenge from Othello. Iago is aware that he can easily manipulate the people around him to get revenge from Othello that he does not stop and think about the harm he is causing. Iago is a brilliant character that he successfully manipulates Cassio, Desdemona, Roderigo and his own wife Emilia to fulfill his
In Shakespeare’s play Othello, tragedy unfolds on the account of one man’s actions, Iago. He is a twenty eight year old military veteran from Venice. His personality consists of being obsessive, manipulative, relentless, and bold. From the beginning he expressed his hatred towards the Moor, or North African named Othello. Othello is a highly respected general and is also married to the pure Desdemona. The marriage between Othello and Desdemona is destroyed due to Iago’s actions and lies. His actions consist of getting Michael Cassio discharged as lieutenant and convincing the Moor that his wife is cheating on him. The motives Iago has for despising Othello are he passed him over for a promotion to be his lieutenant, instead he chose
Iago is the antagonist of the play, and one of the most evil Shakespearean villains. Iago is extremely clever in the way he uses unsuspecting power- especially psychological power. He gets into people’s heads in many dishonest ways- by spreading false rumours, telling lies and psychologically tricking people and secretly controlling certain situations. His power to manipulate is a key point in the play, as it results in major consequences and the deaths of some main characters. Iago’s schemes are multi-levelled- he conspires with roderigo, and makes him believe that Desdemona will take him back. On another level, he leads Othello to believe his wife is having an affair with Cassio. He uses his wife Emilia (unknown to her), to bring back the handkerchief he uses to deceive Othello. Iago is an extremely resourceful and talented man, but he uses these resources and talents in detrimental ways. Iago is constantly referred to by numerous characters as ‘honest’. He himself also refers to honesty. Numerous characters believe that they know and trust Iago and that he would not lie, nor deceive them. Iago’s soliloquies also provide invaluable insight into his wicked mind and evil schemes and plans.
Iago is evil and he doesn 't care who he hurts; he enjoys it. Although Iago is evil he does display grit and mindset. Iago persuades Cassio into drinking a lot then has Roderigo provoke him into a fight. When Montano tries to break it up Cassio hurts him. This made Othello intervene and stop the fight. Iago planned the whole thing out but he plays it off like he 's shocked about what happened. Othello ends up firing Cassio. Iago tries to persuade Cassio into thinking that he can get Desdemona to talk Othello into giving him his job back. This is all apart of Iago 's evil plan. After firing Cassio Desdemona tries to stick up for Cassio. To get Othello even more upset Iago tells Othello that it 's lust that makes Desdemona speak up for Cassio. Iago believes it 's an excellent plan to bring down Othello. He says, "So will I turn her virtue into pitch, And out of her own goodness make the net That shall enmesh them all" (360-362). Iago plans to use Desdemona as a way to get under Othello 's skin. This shows grit in Iago because he is determined to ruin Othello and anyone in his way. He tries anything he can to achieve this goal. In order to destroy Othello, he must also destroy Roderigo, Emilia, Desdemona, and eventually himself. Iago is a hard character to place under a specific mindset. Reviewing Iago 's actions he shows he has a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset
Iago hatched up a plan to ruin Othello by pretending to be loyal as well as falsely portraying Othello’s wife to be false. As stated in Shakespeare’s play Othello, Iago stated in Act 1 Scene 3 that he planned to “ abuse Othello’s ear” that cassio is “ too familiar with his wife” which would allow him to frame Cassio and portray Desdemona to be false. This reveal that Iago has such hatred for Othello and interracial relationships that he would frame an innocent man and woman to ruin Othello. Cruel Iago used Desdemona’s handkerchief to falsely frame Cassio which would make it appear that Desdemona is committing adultery with Cassio. It would also appear to Othello as if Desdemona is committing adultery with Cassio because it is more natural and acceptable for her to be with someone of the same racial class and nature as her own. This would be evident in ruining Othello because of how much he cares for
Iago, who presents himself as Othello’s confidante, signifies the antithesis of the virtues of the play, and Othello’s belief in the lies this villain tells destroy these values and lead to his demise. Iago is disloyal from the start. From the beginning he tells us, “In following him [Othello], I follow but myself. / … I am not what I am” (I, I, 55-62). Iago feigns devotion to Othello only to bring him down, and in doing so he makes himself seem virtuous and turns the true virtue, in Desdemona, to vice. When scheming to make Othello think that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, he plays on her concern for people, and her willingness to help Cassio come back into Othello’s favor: “So will I turn her virtue into pitch, / And out of her goodness make the net/ That shall enmesh them all” (II, iii, 360-62). As the opposite of all that is valued in the play, Iago is able to make the virtue of the other characters into their downfalls without them suspecting it. He observes of Othello, “The Moor…Is of a constant, loving, and noble nature” (II, I, 288-89). He then plans to use this nature to “Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me / … Even to madness” (II, I, 308-11). Iago uses Othello’s trusting nature and Desdemona’s goodness to create the
Throughout Acts III, IV, and V of “Othello,” Iago manipulates Othello into thinking his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with his friend Cassio. Iago also manipulates the other characters to set up situations that are questionable and plant suspicions in Othello’s mind. He does this in an act of revenge and jealousy, rather than racism.
From the moment Desdemona steps off the ship, we see not only her relationship with Othello unfold, but her relationships with Iago and Cassio as well. It is clear that Iago is setting Cassio and Desdemona up, but not once does Shakespeare conclude that they are not having
He is consumed with jealousy of Cassio and with hatred of Othello because he was not chosen as lieutenant, Cassio was. Iago is a man blinded by envy, jealousy and anger, with an objective in mind for everyone to become equally jealous. Shakespeare uses Iago’s jealousy to move the force of the play and with Iago’s betrayal and manipulation Shakespeare shapes the play as a study of how jealousy can consume you, leading to the destruction of others. Iago’s plan is to get revenge on Cassio while destroying Othello. Iago’s jealousy towards Cassio leads him to invent a lie about Cassio having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife.
Throughout the play, Iago manipulates the characters so that he can go through with his plan of revenge against everyone who has wronged him. But during this, something happens. “He manipulates others but, when he finally reveals his identity, his victims learn nothing about his nature, only something about their own” (Auden). Othello learns that he is gullible and untrusting, being susceptible to suspicion from others. Desdemona learns that she loved Othello too fast and did not know him as well as she thought she did.
William Shakespeare has presented Iago as the antagonist, who manipulates other characters in the play, Othello. From the beginning to till the end, he is a controller of other characters and his sole motive was to take revenge on Othello and Cassio. Every character in the play believes that Iago is the most reputed, honest, reliable, and direct speaking person. Therefore, he uses that trust to manipulate every character in the play for his sake of revenge. Despite his negative intention in the play, Iago love for his wife Emilia is true and pure. Iago is truthful only to his wife. Iago was a good with everybody in the beginning, but when Moor chose Cassio over him for the post of Othello lieutenant, he got jealous. Iago believed that he was the only one who was worthy of that post and who deserved a promotion. However, choosing Cassio over him made him hate Cassio and Othello. This incident seeded the plant of revenge in Iago’s heart for Othello and Cassio and he wanted to kill them both. From this point of play, Iago starts his plan in manipulating another character of play for his revenge.
Iago has been turned down for promotion to be the lieutenant of Othello (a military commander employed by the Venetian state) by Cassio, Othello’s new lieutenant. Because of this, Iago becomes jealous of Cassio’s lieutenancy and Othello’s success in life, and believes he should have what Othello has; a young, beautiful wife, commander of the military, power over Venice etc,. He takes out his anger of jealousy towards many characters, especially Othello, to eventually ruin his life in every way possible. Iago explains how he hates Othello but will pretend to love him while maliciously plotting his downfall. This leads to many acts of destruction by Roderigo, Othello, and the source of it all, Iago; all done as a result of poor judgements and uncontrollable jealousy taking over their
Iago tells a number of intentionally cruel lies throughout the play Othello. These lies would not have led to their fatal consequences, if others did not believe and act on them. Certainly, Iago plays a central role in the tragic result of Othello murdering his wife Desdemona and then himself. Iago is a jealous and ambitious man seeking revenge from those he feels have wronged him. He is the ringleader in the deception and manipulation of others throughout the play.
At all points of one’s life, one has desires; what separates and defines a person is determined by how that person goes about dealing with those desires. Some believe in working honestly towards his or her aspirations and others in seizing it at any cost. Iago, the antagonist of the play Othello is one of those people who would do anything in order to get what he wishes. Because Othello names Cassio lieutenant instead of him, he begins to device a plan in vengeance to bring Othello and Cassio down, which ends up tragic for all of the major characters. Iago’s obsessive need for revenge stems from jealousy and ambition, and because he is a master manipulator, the plan goes extremely smooth for the majority of the play.