Iago Is Evil Essay

Iago presents himself to the world as a faithful and honest man. In fact other people speak of him as “honest Iago”. Beneath the surface of his identity that he portrays to the world is his manipulation through lies. He uses his lies to manipulate other people and desperately wants revenge on Othello. He hates Othello so passionately because he gave the position of lieutenant up to another person instead of him. I think it could also be because of jealousy. I think he’s jealous of Cassio and Othello because later on in the story after he finally becomes lieutenant he brings up another reason to seek revenge on Othello, which was rumors of Othello sleeping with his wife. Iago is good at using people’s weaknesses to manipulate people and persuade

Evil masterminds are always successful in their diabolical schemes, but each one does it in their own special way. Some may be highly ranked and powerful, but some may be simple people in a simple community. In the play Othello, the simple ancient, Iago is very successful at his schemes. Iago is able to get the trust of everyone around him, and to appear honest. He is also driven to continue with his schemes and to never quite.

Iago also knows that Roderigo will do anything for Desdemona’s love. Iago says, “Thus I do ever make a fool my purse” (1.3.355). Iago tells this to Roderigo which means that he is willing to manipulate anyone as long as he gives him jewels and money. This quote makes him look brilliant because he knows that Roderigo has a lot of money and will do anything to be with Desdemona. I agree when D. Madison says, “In Othello, he knows just what to say to sound innocent. Iago is the ultimate master of manipulation”. Iago uses his knowledge wisely and uses it to manipulate others for his own satisfaction, and knows how to manipulate them because he has analyzed them before, and that is what makes him so good at being evil. Iago is fully aware what he is doing and has no sympathy for anyone like he says himself; “And what’s he then that says play the villain, When this advice is free I give, and honest” (2.3.299).

Iago’s most notable characteristic is his astounding ability to manipulate people. For example, in Act I, Scene I of the play, Iago requests that Roderigo rouses Brabantio in order to poison his happiness with the news of his daughter’s secretive marriage (1.1.74-78).

From the beginning of the play, Iago is left in displeasure since he was incapable of achieving his endeavour to wind up as a lieutenant and his physical appearance, both in which Cassio has a critical contribution. In any case, what makes Iago desirous to a great degree is the way that Othello elevates

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.

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 was manipulative and sadistic, fooling even his close friend Rodrigo in order to cause revenge to anyone that had done him wrong, including Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio, and Rodrigo. Iago was able to be a manipulating puppeteer because everyone saw him as an honest trustworthy man. Iago was believed to be a very trustworthy man because he had a deceiving tongue. Iago seeked revenge on Othello for many reasons, such as granting Cassio as lieutenant and because

In the Shakespeare novel Othello, Iago is seen as a character who is a tragic figure because of his failures and chooses to ruin the lives of others due to his envious behavior. In the beginning of the novel, it is explained that both Iago and Cassio ran to be the next military general, which is the title Othello currently has and is passing down. Cassio was chosen for the role because he was farther more qualified than Iago, but in Iago’s mind he felt like he was told by Othello that he wasn’t good enough for the role. Because Iago was envious that Cassio was receiving a much higher status than him, he wanted to cause suffering to Cassio. He also wants to bring suffering upon Othello because he didn’t choose him for the title, which involves him murdering his own wife causing him to forever have a cold heart.

In act One, scene one we see Iago's conversation with Roderigo about Cassio being promoted ahead of him and how Iago believes that this is because of favourtism. This suggests one of many reasons why Iago plots against Othello. From this conversation we see that Iago is envious of Cassio being promoted ahead of him, and plotting against Othello as a means of seeeeking revenge. “I follow him to serve my turn upon him”. Iago believes that he

Throughout Othello, Iago is the most prominent and perplexing villian in Shakespearean history. His redeeming qualies enables him to allure the characters such as Roderigo, Cassio and Othello through his morality. As an audience we are introduced to his contempt and his hunger for revenge despite his lack of proof. Iago symbolizes evil and brutality. So what makes him a crucial character in the play. His understanding of manipulation and his brilliance makes him an important role in the play since he's willing to to climb up the stairs to get his general, who he hates.

As the villain in Shakespeare's play Othello, Iago has two main actions. They are to plot and to deceive. Iago wishes to plot and to deceive because he is jealous of Othello and hates him. Iago's reasons for why he hates Othello is because he believes that Othello made love to his wife, and Iago is mad that Cassio was chosen to be Lieutenant instead of himself. From this hate comes the main conflict of the play.

The audience is shown that Iago envies Cassio primarily because he has been promoted to a post which Iago has coveted, but also that he is envious of Cassio's superior manners and social status. Thus, presenting he is motivated by jealous thoughts of Cassio and therefore must be destroyed because the "daily beauty in his life/ That makes me ugly". On the other hand, it could be said that Iago's motive lies in his anger at Othello for promoting Cassio when he has fought with Othello before and perhaps built a friendship with him. Thus, when he is overlooked for the position of Lieutenant, he allows his anger to accumulate until he despises Othello. Therefore, causing him to become the tragic antagonist as we know him, his actions suggesting tragic

Iago's devious schemes destroy the lives of many characters; both figuratively and literally and also reveal the characters of the other characters in the story in intricate ways. He is a deceiver as well as a pragmatic agent of truth. His actions are malicious and deceitful in an honest

Another element that makes Iago so sinister is his ability to pass himself over whatever he wishes. He can easily ignore what he does not want to remember and getting others to accept whatever illusions he wishes to perpetuate. Some even like to call him the devil’s reincarnation due to his unrelenting desire to see others brought to pain and ruin. He has the uncanny ability to show himself as innocent and honest with whomever he chooses to silently wait until the time is right to bring about their fall. Due to the fact that he is both persuasive and very intellectual, it becomes a deadly combination and is shown throughout the play, particularly in the scene where Iago and Cassio are talking about Bianca but Othello thinks that they are talking