Othello Character Analysis

Iago is very notorious for his villainous acts throughout the play “Othello”, by William Shakespeare. Iago’s motives drive him to manipulate and deceive other characters so his “monstrous” (I, iii, 395) plot would succeed. Iago manages to con Roderigo to take his money. Iago also tries to ruin Othello and Desdemona’s relationship by using Cassio as a bait. In this passage, Iago explains how he will manipulate Rodrigo, Cassio and, most importantly, Othello to achieve his goals.

Shakespeare is known for his use of recurring themes throughout his work, including love, death and betrayal. These themes are present in his work of Othello. However, the most fundamental issue is jealousy. The lives of the characthers in Othello are ruined by jealousy from the beginning to the end of the play. The telling of the story is carried out by passion, jealousy, and death. Shakespeare’s Othello reveals devastating tragic inevitability, stunning psychological depth, and compelling poetic depth; the fragility and mysterious power of love, as well as demons of doubt, and how suspicion can be triggered by manipulative villain (Barthelemy 12).

To begin with, analyzing Iago’s character is an important part. One article mentions that Iago, “… can play a number of roles convincingly, and is able to adapt his tone and style to suit any occasion.” (“Villainous Role of Iago in Othello”). This is a big factor of how Iago so easily manipulates the other characters by being able to realize the person he is talking to and alter his personality. As the

The tragedy Othello is filled with a complex web of separate conflicts that are connected with each other. The external conflicts are very obvious, such as Iago trying to replace Cassio as lieutenant and Othello's belief in Desdemona's affair. In addition to these conflicts, however, many characters in the play also face their own internal conflicts in which they have to make a choice between two opposing forces. An excellent example of this internal conflict can be found in analyzing Roderigo. Roderigo's love for Desdemona creates conflict because he faces the choice of going back to Venice since he has no money left, or staying in Cyprus because he wants to pursue Desdemona. In more general terms, Roderigo deals with the conflict of

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.

serve god if the devil bid you” and he also says “the moor is now

A key figure, if not the most important in the play, is that of the malcontent Iago, who sows the seeds of jealousy in Othello’s mind, and presents him with ‘proof’ to back up his suspicions. Iago acts as a catalyst to Desdemona’s murder and it is his intricate

Iago is a powerful predator who exploits those around him by infecting their perceptions of truth with carefully chosen fallacy. His skill in finding the proverbial chinks in others' armor allows him to skillfully weave his machinations of destroying Othello into their minds and actions; by manipulating character's perceptions of Desdemona, Iago gains the leverage he needs to exploit each character. No one is impervious to Iago's seething purpose; even Othello falls prey to Iago's suggestions and insinuations about Desdemona. Iago's constant presence as the stager, as well as his ceaseless - but subtle - reinforcement of events through narration, allows him to be the pivotal force that directs

Individuals that suffer from borderline personality disorder often undergo dramatic personality changes when faced with an event where they feel they are being deserted by loved ones. To be exact, “The perception of impending separation or rejection, or the loss of external structure, can lead to profound changes in self-image, cognition, and behavior” (American Psychiatric Association 663). This can be seen in Act 3, Scene 3 of Othello. The text states,

In Othello by William Shakespeare, the villainous Iago devises a plot with the hopes that Othello and his wife, Desdemona, will be separated so that he can take Othello’s position as head of the Venetian Military. Iago’s scheme consists of him convincing Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago has told no one else about his ploy so while everyone else’s actions remain true, he manipulates their every move for his benefit. While their actions may not lead to results that they expected, exploring the reasoning behind everyone’s actions, can give insight to their values since the actions were based on what they believed was the best thing to do. To the characters of Othello, honor is more important than

Iago’s relationship with Othello becomes a power struggle where Iago attempts to degrade Desdemona in order to position himself so he can ‘poison’ Othello. Here Shakespeare is showing how powerful and manipulative Iago can be with his use of words, and how powerful they can be. This power struggles is exemplified

Othello is one of the greatest plays due to its variety of character and themes. The immorality seen in Iago, the gullibility in Othello, and the desperation of Desdemona make the story. The theme of social status plays a huge role in the story. In addition, the theme of appearance versus reality also plays a huge role in how each tragedy happens. In the critical essay “Othello” it discusses the idea that the characters are cast as outsiders due to false interpretation of what is happening or what is being said. On the other hand, the piece “Othello Character Analysis” emphasizes how characterization reflects the greatness of the piece.

There is little doubt that William Shakespeare's characterization of Iago is one of the most in-depth, multi-faceted personalities that the Bard has ever scripted. In many ways, Iago is almost too stereotypically human. His motivation for hating (McCloskey 1941) and attempting to ruin the life of Othello is fueled by a belief that the latter has both passed him over for a promotion as well as had an improper, sexual relationship with his wife. Virtually any audience can identify with such motives and understand this central impetus for Iago's determination to destroy Othello's life and his chances for happiness. However, what largely renders Iago as somewhat of an enigma is the extreme lengths he is willing to go to towards achieving his aims. It greatly appears as though Iago would rather engender Othello's unhappiness even at the expense of Iago's own happiness. This sort of animus that Iago personifies rears and asserts itself as he murders his own wife, and wantonly kills and attempts to kill other characters ball so he can bring about Othello's downfall. However, a thorough analysis of the text of Othello and other resources relevant to this text indicate that what Iago actually is is Othello's antithesis: in virtually all ways possible. Othello is the protagonist in this tragedy, and personifies the virtues of love, benign behavior and a faith towards God and duty. Iago is the antagonist and personifies the sinful nature of hate, malignant treatment of

“O thou foul thief, where hast thou stowed my daughter? Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her! For I’ll refer me to all things of sense, if she in chains of magic were not bound, whether a maid so tender, fair, and happy, so opposite to marriage that she shunned the wealthy curlèd darlings of our nation, would ever have, t' incur a general mock, run from her guardage to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou—to fear, not to delight. Judge me the world if ’tis not gross in sense that thou hast practiced on her with foul charms, abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals that weakens motion. I’ll have ’t disputed on. 'Tis probable and palpable to thinking. I therefore apprehend and do attach thee for an abuser of the world, a practicer of arts inhibited and out of warrant.—Lay hold upon him.” (Shakespeare 1.2.80-100)

1) Supported my hypothesis as it showed that Othello was easily jealous, but it did not say that it caused Othello’s death. This hinted that Othello’s own jealousy caused his death.