Othello Quote Analysis

In Othello, Shakespeare forms the villainous character, Iago through his complex language. Iago shows his evil nature towards Roderigo through his use of demeaning animal imagery. Iago also uses an extended metaphor to try and trick the ignorant Roderigo and (unknowingly to Roderigo), insults him. Lastly, Iago uses repetition to beguile Roderigo to keep paying him. Iago’s slyness is clearly seen through his deceiving language towards the end of Act I.

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.

In Shakespeare’s play, Othello, several incidents occur that portray the purpose of Roderigo’s character. If one event is isolated from the rest, the thematic desire is lost. It is only when the events are looked at as a whole that the actual theme is obtained. Roderigo is a minor character who carries out a vital role in the play. Although Roderigo has very few lines, he plays a crucial role on a thematic level.

The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events, in other words, Power of the People, is irrefutably manifested in Shakespeare Othello. We notice how the characters all perceive Iago, and how Iago exploits their misconceived judgment of his personality. Repetition of the epithet ‘Honest Iago’ asserts that he stands a man with moral integrity in the eyes of the other characters naming him so. This presents dramatic irony, as those he is closest to trust him entirely. Iago openly admits to Roderigo in the first scene “I am not what I Am” which makes clear the deception within the relationships Iago has with the other characters and the paradox remains true throughout the play. Iago constantly masks his real self from others because the way the people see Iago is of great significance; if he were seen as the manipulative, scheming, duplicitous man he really

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

In the play Othello, jealousy is shown to be very evident through the actions of the characters. Jealousy is an emotion that everyone shares, and it is ultimately responsible for the tragic ending of the play. Everyone feels jealous at certain times of their lives, and this feeling can cause people to do irrational things. This human emotion also shows people to be weak in the sense that they are never happy with what they have. Shakespeare shows through Othello, Iago, Roderigo, and Brabantio that jealousy is the most corrupt and destructive emotion.

Roderigo is so deeply in love but can’t get her that he suggest to Iago that he should drown himself, which Iago tells him that’s a silly idea and she’ll eventually break up with Othello when he (Roderigo) becomes rich but for now he still pays Iago for his assistance. His gullible mind will ultimately lead to Iago’s betraying him starting in Act 4 when he becomes furious that although he’s been giving Iago money and jewels, he’s yet to progress in getting Desdemona and then Iago tells him Cassio will be defending Cyprus and he needs to take kill him in order to get a higher chance in winning over Desdemona Shakespeare 4.2 185-187, 196-199).

It is a common misconception to say that Roderigo is an inferior character in Othell, and that he plays no major role due to his simple superobjective which he does not achieve—which is to be with Desdemona by whatever means necessary. However, Shakespeare’s purpose for Roderigo, which makes him important to the play, is quite different from what Roderigo desires. Roderigo’s superobjective is introduced in the first act as we see Roderigo and Iago confront Brabantio about the whereabouts of Desdemona. In the first act we also see how badly Roderigo longs to be with Desdemona when he says that “I will incontinently drown myself” (I.iii.305). We begin to see the power Iago has over Roderigo and because of this Roderigo begins to appear weak

In conclusion, Iago plays with Roderigo by making him believe that he should trust him if he wants to get revenge on Othello and to get Desdemona with him. He is able to do so because of the tone choice he uses to speak with Roderigo and the style of his

“Othello” begins with a quarrel of sorts between Iago and Roderigo, and, as such, it serves several functions. Its tone easily catches our interest, and it reveals Iago’s true nature: he must make amends to Roderigo for failing to arouse Desdemona’s interest in him. After all, Iago intends to keep a hand in the wealthy nobleman’s pocket, which, Roderigo says belongs to Iago “as if the strings were thine.” Iago apologizes profusely for failing Roderigo and claims that he never dreamed that such an elopement might occur: “If I ever did dream of such a matter,” he says “Abhor me.” Exactly how long Iago has been capitalising upon the gullibility of Roderigo,

Othello is a play about jealousy’s causes and effects. Each character in the play had different reasons to be jealous and each of them chose to deal with it a certain way. All three characters Iago, Othello, and Roderigo had such cases and in the end dealt with different conflicts and outcomes. It’s important to understand that their actions in dealing with their jealousies were a reflection of their characters, and persona.

Over the course of the book Othello, Iago, who is a convincing villain, manipulates Roderigo who is extremely naïve. Although it is obvious to the reader that Iago’s claims are untrue, Roderigo rarely speaks up to facilitate his own ideas in their talks. For example, Roderigo in convinced that Othello and Desdemona are in love, which they are, but Othello assures him they are not and he has a chance of winning Desdemona through Othello. “I hate the Moor… If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a pleasure, me a sport” (1.3.350, 352-353). Iago tells Roderigo to do himself a pleasure when he is really helping out Iago for Iago’s personal pleasure. The reason Iago is going to great lengths to ruin lives is that he believes that Othello has

This is a point in the play where Iago openly admits that he doesn’t truly act himself around anyone. He mentions this to Roderigo when telling him that he pretends to love Othello in order to keep close to him. Roderigo is too wrapped up in his own desires to be fully aware that Iago could be working both ways. Iago has the skill of getting into people’s heads and tempting them to do things they wouldn’t normally do without the poisonous and false knowledge. For example, even after Iago has taken most of his money, Roderigo, although suspicious, is still willing to go as far as murdering someone in order to appease Iago and himself.

Roderigo has obsession to Desdemona and he is willing to sacrifice everything to have her even by means of selling his properties just to assure that he has his eyes on her when he join the Venetian forces. Roderigo’s ego pushes him even more when his rival Othello reminded him that they have different colour that makes him feels more superior than his rival for Othello is just a Moor. Roderigo’s pursuits of having Desdemona made him follow Iago and he became his puppet. Roderigo’s struggles made him unaware and blinded him by hate and greed that he lost his own

A victim of the villainous Iago, Roderigo was jealous of Othello’s marriage with Desdemona and tried to break it up by hiring Iago. His jealousy is seen taking its toll on Roderigo after he reacts to the confession of Desdemona’s love for Othello in front of the Duke and Brabantio. After hearing this, Roderigo feels as though all hope is lost and expresses his despair to Iago saying,