Othello Good Vs Evil Essay

Othello trusts Iago and now Iago is trying to take his wife from him for someone else. Furthermore, “He takes her by the palm...sir in.” (pg. 71). Iago watches Cassio and Emilia because he thinks they had an affair he watches them carefully so he can figure out how to convince Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. Another example involves the plan to help Othello kill Desdemona. “Do it not with poison. Strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated” (pg. 185). Othello believes that Iago is most honest, thus he believed killing his wife Desdemona was the right thing to do. Iago brainwashed Othello into believing the wrong thing was the right thing. The characterization of Iago is created by the use of dramatic irony. The audience knew how devious Iago is, but the characters fell for his mischievous acts.

Shakespeare’s play Othello is based on tragedy of Othello’s jealousy, which ironically leads Othello to kill Desdemona, his beloved (wife). Evil Iago is above all Shakespeare’s villains. Iago is a person with evil emotions, and as a result he deceives everybody, he also is exceptionally influential character who has taken in everyone, above all his own wife Emilia. His public face of bravery and honesty conceals a satanic delight in manipulation and destruction, and he will stop at nothing. Iago’s opinion on women is that he detests women in all kinds and shapes, and finds faults even when they have little or no faults.

Othello is an easy target in this drama, because Iago already knows that he is a very insecure person. With that stated, it will be easy for Iago to use Othello’s jealousy to trick him into thinking that Desdemona is an unfaithful wife. Iago will manipulate the way Othello sees things in order to convince him that what he sees is innocent acts between Desdemona and Casillo. Iago’s starts to plant the idea in Othello’s head of an affair after Othello sees Casillo rush leaving Desdemona in a manner that looked as though he is guilty (1223). Alone with Othello, Iago begins to make Othello feel threatened by Casillo and Desdemona’s apparent relationship by bringing up the fact that Casillo served as Desdemona’s and Othello’s go-between during the time of their courtship. The conversation ends with Iago asking Othello to watch carefully of Desdemona and Casillo, and Iago exits giving Othello time to question the accusation of Iago (1225-1228).

Othello’s trust for Iago enables Iago to completely discredit Othello as the good guy of the play when Iago manipulates him into thinking Desdemona was unfaithful to him with Cassio. Even though Othello must know in his heart that Desdemona would not betray him, he is so caught up by Iago's efforts and has fallen for his manipulative lies, that all rational thoughts abandons Othello and he ultimately ends up murdering his wife since to Othello betrayal was immoral. At the end of play, even Othello can hardly believe what he has done because he thinks of himself as, "One not easily jealous, but, being wrought, perplexed in the extreme..." meaning that he has acted out of character and only in the interests of honor. Iago’s betrayal to those such as Othello and Desdemona, ultimately successfully destroyed everyone, himself included.

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.

Othello’s love for Desdemona was so deep he could not bear the thought of another being with her; “If she be false, O! Then heaven mocks itself. I’ll not believe’t.” Iago uses the characters of Cassio and the obsessive Roderigo as his weapons in his cunning plan. Iago drives the idea into Othello’s mind that Desdemona has been unfaithful, inciting him into a state of jealousy. “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, but I do love thee; and when I love thee not, chaos is come again.” Othello growing insecurities about his wife’s faithfulness only adds to his psychological suffering which in turn acts as a catalyst towards the suffering of other characters involved in the play.Iago tells these lies with the intention of driving Othello insane as well as establish his dominance and influence the situations of those characters close to Othello. Evidence of this comes in one of Iago’s soliloquies from act two, scene one; “That Cassio loves her, I do well Believe’t: That she loves him, ‘tis apt and of great credit.” This section shows that he is trying to convince himself that his own manipulative lies are true and is trying to reassure his motives by justifying his own actions. By convincing Othello

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.

Othello, not knowing that Cassio was in fact speaking with Desdemona in hopes of being reinstated as Lieutenant, mistakenly believes that the two are having an affair and that Desdemona has lost her chastity. Iago skillfully capitalizes on the situation by developing his attack further: "She did deceive her father, marrying you" (3.3.220). Othello begins to see Iago's reasoning: if she could deceive her father, she could just as easily deceive her new husband. Once Othello's bliss has been decimated, Iago concentrates on weakening Othello's perception of himself; Iago very carefully and very tactfully chooses words and metaphors that subconsciously pit Othello against the Venetians. Othello begins to perceive himself as an outsider in his own country, "a malignant and turbaned Turk" (5.2.365). A fruitful marriage with a Venetian woman becomes out of the question in Othello's mind. Iago's successful manipulation takes a self-confidant man and reduces him to one at ends with himself and with the woman he loved.

He gloats about the easy in which he can manipulate Roderigo (the fool) into giving him money. Directly after this, you hear of Iago’s feelings towards Othello (the Moor). You learn of Iago’s suspicion about his wife having an affair with Othello. This gains pity from the audience, because you feel that Iago is a man deeply distraught over the idea of his wife cheating on him. Iago then begins to contemplate how he would seek vengeance on Othello and gain his title. Iago plans to use Othello’s trust and opinion of him to his advantage. He speaks about how he will use Cassio as his pawn to lure Othello into believing his wife, Desdemona is being unloyal to him. Iago discloses that Othello’s character is naive and will be easy to manipulate. As his closing statement he states that, with a little help from the devil, his monstrous plan will be a success.

. . until the tragic end" (Bell 43). His mindset is purely based jealousy that Desdemona may be cheating on him followed by the fear that he will lose her. Ironically, Othello will lose Desdemona anyways. Iago is able to use imagery to further manipulate Othello. Othello would never suspect Iago to lie to him. He mentions Desdemona being "naked with her friend in bed," causing Othello to picture the scene in his mind's eye (IV.1.2414). With the nickname of "Honest Iago," he is capable of lying without spreading suspicion. He is able to steer Othello into " an intolerable position between hope and despair" (Nordlund). Because this is a Shakespearian tragedy, the audience knows that this plot will not have a happy ending. Othello's sexual jealousy is the main flaw that results in his downfall. It is the driving force that motivates several of the characters actions. Iago is jealous of Cassio's position so he uses it to destroy Othello. Roderigo helps Iago because he is jealous of Othello being with Desdemona. Most importantly, Othello is jealous because of his false belief that his wife is cheating on him. It can be argued that Iago is envies Othello's and

July 22nd, 2011 right wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik arrives on the Norwegian island of Utoys, a popular vacation spot for Norway’s youth, he proceed to engage in a shooting spree, his action kill 69 leaving 96 injured, all victims between the ages of 14 and 19. After his arrest his dairy surfaced showing his detailed planning of the attack leading back to 2009. The court ordered physiological analysis deemed Breivik to be of sane mind giving the judicial system the ability to proceed with a criminal trial; he received a minimum of 21 years in prison with the possibility of extension. Evil is displayed not only in real life but also in works of fiction, William Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice is one literary work that clearly presents the idea of good versus evil. The play demonstrates wicked deeds in a battle of deceptions between Othello, an important and respected military leader in Venice, and his subjugate Iago who is seeking revenge for Othello’s supposed blunders. In destroying Othello Iago will gain status and emotional rest, unfortunately Iago’s need for emotional satisfaction leads him down a road filled with corrupt decision making. Christian theologian, Origen, simplifies the

William Shakespeare’s Othello uses different and unique techniques in his language to express the nature of evil throughout the play. Verbal twists and the characters most importantly stress the act of evil. Iago, most of all is portrayed as the “villain” or “protagonist in the play. Shakespeare uses this character to set the basis of evil. Each plot point is spiraled further into tragedy due to the nature of Iago and his manipulative language towards the other main characters.

    A huge battle between good and evil is waged the William Shakespeare’s drama Othello. In this essay let us study the many facets of these two dimensions as presented through the words and actions of the characters.

Even the imagery in the drama has its evil aspect. Kenneth Muir, in the Introduction to William Shakespeare: Othello, explains the instances of diabolic imagery in the play as they relate to the infecting of the Moor by the ancient:

Iago shows to be a cunning person because he would use people to get what he wanted. For example when he used Desdemona as a pawn for his plans to ruin Othello. His plan was that he was going to make Othello believe that Desdemona and Cassio are having affair. Unfortunately, this ended up with Desdemona dying in the hands of Othello and Othello ending his own life. Also, Iago uses Roderigo by persuading him to kill Cassio. He does this by using Roderigo's feelings for Desdemona and making him believe that same thing as Othello. In act 2, Roderigo and Iago are having a conversation about the way Cassio and Desdemona act when they are together, and Iago states “I must tell thee this- Desdemona is directly in love with the lieutenant.” This shows that Roderigo did not think that Desdemona was in love with Cassio until Iago mentioned it. This proves that Iago used people’s emotion to turn on others.