Iago Character Analysis

First and foremost ,Othello is a character of good virtue that has let Iago plant false accusations into his head by manipulating his emotions.Othello is a strong willed being married to Desdemona a lot of people were against

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.

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 one of Shakespeare's most complex villains. Initially you get the impression that the character of Iago is one of pure evil. Right from the start of Act 1, it becomes obvious that he is capable of most anything. You see right away that he is able to give the appearance of one thing, but in reality be something quite different. He has been acting like he is interested in helping Roderigo by bringing gifts and messages to Desdemona for him. Iago is in reality using Roderigo who is very gullible and in fact not too bright. Iago plays him like a fool, even taking money from him as payment for doing him favors.

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 Iago's revenge and in doing so, he is willing to make other people's lives miserable. Through "Othello," Iago uses the other characters to avenge the wrong doings which Othello has inflicted upon him, and will go to any means to do so.

“…Iago, like all of us, does what he does because he is what he is…” (Zender. 1994). What does this quote mean when trying to define Iago as a character in the play Othello by Shakespeare? If you look at Iago’s character from an objective stand point: how he interacts with other characters, what he wants from them, what he wanted to do to each of them, and how his character changes throughout the play can really explain his character (Zander,1994). Some places would describe Iago as one of the greatest villains in Shakespeare literature. He is a very manipulative person and does not care who he is manipulating as long as it works out in the end for him. He is seen as a very honest and kind person when onstage with other characters, but then during these soliloquies you quickly realize the truth about Iago (Marked by Teachers, n.d.). He manipulates Othello on multiple occasions about Othello’s wife, Desdemona. Also, he believes that Othello has slept with his wife, Emelia, so he plans to sleep with Desdemona to get revenge, “wife for wife” (Bevington. 2014). Shakespeare used many soliloquies throughout this play to give his readers a look deep inside of Iago.

Iago is okay with ruining people's lives, but yet it is unoticable to them. He spends most of his time planning against Othello and his wife, even though Desdemona has done absolutely nothing. Further into the play Iago gets closer to Othello to manipulate him even more, which is weird how Othello will listen to Iago and ignore his poor wife. Iago also adds multiple reasons for hating othello, such as saying he is upset that Othello passed him over for a promotion. He even suspects that Othello is having an affair with his wife, Emilia.

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, everyone within the play is manipulated by Iago, a man set on revenge. Iago devises an ultimate plan to bring destruction to Othello’s marriage, while simultaneously creating chaos among Othello’s close friends, all while playing innocent and honest. Shakespeare uses many manipulative techniques and rhetorical devices in order to set Iago on his path of destruction among the other characters. Although Iago appears to be pure evil he is blinded in his quest for revenge, possibly causing him to overlook his personal values and any compassion he might otherwise have.

In William Shakespeare’s, “The Tragedy of Othello”, Iago the antagonist of the play is one of Shakespeare’s most multifaceted villains. Through deception Iago makes his fellow characters believes he is a true and honest man. All the while he is manipulating and deceiving every single one of them. Iago is not the typical villain one would now see in cinema. He has much more depth and complexity, and can be believed to be unethical; this is what gives his character such ability to control others.

The character Iago is portrayed as the villain in this play. He is sometimes funny, but his foolishness especially with Roderigo shows how manipulative he can be. Iago is also seen as deceiving and not someone that can be trusted. Iago plans to plot revenge against Othello because he was not chosen as a lieutenant. He tells Roderigo that his anger comes from Othello giving the promotion to Cassio, who has no military experience, instead of him. Iago later reveals his true hatred toward Othello in (1.3.323-329) by stating that, “I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets. He’s done my office. I know not if ‘t be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as is for surety”. This hatred comes from the thought of

Shakespeare's Othello explores a multitude of deep and intriguing topics as it’s story progresses, each one thoughtfully and delicately delivered to the audience in a way only Shakespeare can. Most interesting to me while I read was the intriguing nature of Iago’s character, which embodies pure, unadulterated evil, to the highest degree. Iago’s scheming is almost entirely unwarranted, as the reason upon which he bases his evil deeds are weak or likely untrue. Specifically, in his first soliloquy (wherein Iago details his hatred of Othello and manipulation of Roderigo), Iago addresses the rumor that Othello has been sleeping with his wife, Emilia, saying “"I know not if't be true, but I for mere suspicion in that kind, will do as if for surety”

Although the hero of this drama is Othello, it is Iago who directs the course of events throughout the play. From the first scene in Act 1, we see him at the front and center of the stage. We listen to him manipulate Roderigo, blackmail Othello and, take advantage of any situation or anyone he can in order to discredit and ruin his enemies. He is always in our faces. Iago almost seems to be the main character in this tragedy despite the name of the book which is named after someone that Iago manipulates and deceives time and time again. We all are anxiously awaiting the next move that Iago will make, who will duped into carrying out his plan, and whether or not the plan will succeed. In the play Othello, Shakespeare makes Iago’s character prominent to show the moral of the story, to develop the plot, and gives us a

Othello is a person that is respected, has many victories, and a pleasantly good life. Iago has hatred towards Othello, because Othello gave the lieutenant position that was supposed to be given to Iago, to Michael Cassio, and on top of that, he thinks that Othello slept with his wife. Throughout the play, you start to see that maybe Iago is unhappy with his own personal life, and wants to make others feel the same way. Othello just happened to be Iago’s target and reasoning behind everything he did. It is understandable that people can say that without Iago, there would be no tragedy, or plot to the story.

In the play, Othello, written by William Shakespeare, the character that shows the most characteristics of a villain is Iago. The downfall of Othello is caused by Iago who is a manipulative liar. Iago is the main villain of the story and manipulates Othello and most of the other characters. Iago’s manipulative personality allows him to advance in his evil scheme leading to Othello’s downfall. Iago worked alongside Othello and Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, for a long time and used his knowledge of their character to manipulate them. When Iago said, “And I of whom his eyes have seen the proof. At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and at other grounds” he claimed to have been witness to both Othello and Cassio’s weaknesses (I.i.25-26). He knew that he had the ability to manipulate them, and this foreshadowed his use of knowledge to ruin them. Iago is cruel and took pride in manipulating Othello and Cassio. Iago formed close relationships with many of his fellow

Throughout the experience of Othello, a plethora of characters manage to hold the spotlight, evoke aspects of the nature of man, and entwine tremendous emotions into knots. An investigation into the good souls and horrid villains, in Othello, immediately portrays Iago as a character worthy of a deeper analysis as a reprehensible and enigmatic puppeteer responsible for the tragic fall of the hero, Othello. The character of Iago appears as the most infamous villain in view of all works by Shakespeare. Regarding this, it becomes even more challenging to determine what motives cause Iago’s animosity towards Othello. He is a conniving ringmaster in this tragedy and serves as the crucial catalyst for the developments in the play. Iago