Juxtaposition In Othello

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.

In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is not an envious character, but he is just a clever man, who is able to decipher and magnify other characters’ flaws, to benefit him. To fulfill his selfish desires, he uses the most destructive weapon in the play; trust. Iago manages to manipulate Roderigo’s incompetence to think for himself, Othello’s insecurities and Cassio’s chivalrous nature to achieve is greatest intent.

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.

Iago often refers to Othello as the "Moor" and when Emilia realises how Othello has treated his wife, she calls him "the blacker devil". As Iago's plan unfolds, Othello's suspicions and jealousy come to the fore. Iago's blasphemous expressions gradually infiltrate Othello's vocabulary as Othello becomes more and more convinced that Desdemona is being unfaithful. Initially he claims that while the marriage is expected to bring him some physical satisfaction, he and his wife value their mental attraction just as highly. However, as he becomes ensnared in Iago's trap, Othello reveals a more detailed acknowledgement of Desdemona's sexual appeal. As he discusses her death with Iago, he says he will not argue with Desdemona"lest her body and beauty unprovide my mind again".

Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the protagonist is a 16th century Moorish general of the Venetian army who, because of the cultural and historical background of the play’s setting, the playwright, and the original intended audience, is portrayed as both well-respected for his military prowess and disparaged for his race. Similarly, because of how the media perceives and promotes implicit biases upon hispanic immigrants, they are now seen in today’s American society as hard-workers but have also been backlashed for getting pregnant and dropping out of school. Othello by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare has changed the way how Moors are viewed. Othello’s inevitable race creates a juxtaposition in which he is classified as someone to be looked

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,

Iago is widely credited, in the words of Agatha Christie, as “the greatest villain of all time”. He is a manipulative character who “weaves a web of deceit” by exploiting even the tiniest faults in others. By maintaining a facade of comedy and boyishness he uses his honesty and twisted truth to play others “like a virtuoso” and “drive... them to madness”. In the play Othello, Act 2 Scene 1 is perhaps the most enlightening scene with regards to the truly manipulative character of Iago. Containing several soliloquies and interactions between all of the main characters, his manipulation is well encapsulated both in this scene in the play and in the 1965 Stuart Burge film adaptation.

In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is undeniably the most sinister character, possibly the most sinister in all of his works. He is established as a trustworthy character, and coined with the epithet “Honest Iago.” Iago has crafted a believable facade by working beside Othello for years and forming a friendship with Michael Cassio. Iago has a secret resentment towards Othello, partly because he gave the position of lieutenant to Cassio. Jealousy of Cassio consumes Iago as well. Intent on vengeance, Iago creates a devious plan to plant suspicions in Othello’s mind. Iago is sly, and he thrives on playing people’s weaknesses. He manipulates people to go against each other without them realizing it. The extent of his iniquity is revealed as

“But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets He 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” (1.3.429-433). Iago decides that, while he has absolutely no proof to base this on, he is suspicious that the “the Moor”, Othello, has been cheating with Iago’s wife, Emilia. Iago even admits in this quote that he simply hates Othello for his own

Putting forth a powerful statement about human nature, Othello is a play showcasing deception, suspected infidelity, and murder. Its controversial themes of race relations, gender expectations, racism, betrayal, manipulation and jealousy impact the way we see the modern world, simply because these themes continue to retain their relevance even today. Throughout the play, there are appearing irregularities in Iago’s behaviour, which are understood only through the duality in Shakespeare’s character. Iago possesses in abundance the quality of duplicity, yet he claims to have a reputation for honesty and plain speaking. The real Iago- hateful, villainous, sly, and bitter only reveals his ability to disassemble and destroy lives through his soliloquies,

     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

Even from the start, Iago’s marriage was far from perfect. Him and his wife have an abusive relationship. He doesn't trust her at all, leading him to believe all the rumors people mention. The vital rumor that stirs a lot of problems is when he suspects Emilia of sleeping with Othello and Cassio. “I hate the More.

The soliloquy that ends the act, Iago introduces his motives for his hatred of Othello; he says that it is common gossip that the Moor "'twixt my sheets… [has] done my office" (393-394) and, for Iago, "mere suspicion…will do…for surety" (395-396). It can be inferred that we are listening to a man whose mind is poisoned. There is not the slightest bit of evidence anywhere at all throughout the play to indicate that Othello has had an affair with Emilia. Iago also reveals his next malevolent plan of action.

Iago says in the play that "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” (1.3.329-433). In this, he claims that he hates Othello because he had heard a rumor that Othello was sleeping with Iago's wife, Emilia.