Roderigo Academic Journal Essay

Roderigo argues that he deserves to take Desdemona's hand in marriage. His secret love for her drives him crazy inside at every sight he sees her and Othello together. During this Othello is described as an old black ram, "Even now, now, very now, an old black ram". Iago thinks that Othello is too old and that he will not be around with his job for long. The play would have opened up with this conversation in the dark.

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.

The theme of jealousy is portrayed through various characters within the play. Iago increases Roderigo’s jealousy of Othello. By reflecting on the jealousy he bears within himself, Iago brings out the jealousy in others. Roderigo sees Othello as an opponent, which he has to compete against in order to win Desdemona’s heart. He expresses his emotions towards Othello when he states, “What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe,/ If he can carry it thus!”(1.1.67-68). Roderigo says that Othello only got Desdemona out of luck and he will not be able to carry it off. It is because of this jealousy that Roderigo continues to seek Iago’s assistance. Iago tends

Roderigo is a co-conspirator with Iago but is not equal in developing a web of lies and jealousy designed to ensnare others. “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse (Shakespeare)”. Iago takes advantage of the desperate former suitor of Desdemona and controls his emotions like a puppeteer pulling strings. With the line, “But for my sport and profit”, it is clear that Iago sees enriching himself off Roderigo’s envy as an amusing task with such an easy mark (Shakespeare 1473). Roderigo is a simple-minded fool who believes that by giving money to a lowly ensign he can win the love of Desdemona, have her marriage to Othello dissolved, and restore her virtue.

Roderigo believes that Iago will help him win Desdemona's love, so she will abandon Othello. In the play, Iago states “I say put money in thy purse. It cannot be that Desdemona should continue her love to the moor-put money in thy purse-nor he his to her” (1.1.385). Iago persuades Roderigo to pay him for his service, which would only be the beginning of his manipulations. Roderigo has a deep love and respect for his companion Iago, whom he trusts, as witnessed by his willingness to give him money. The adoration Roderigo has

In this scene, Roderigo is sceptical of Iago’s plan and puts a sword to his throat. Iago swiftly maneuvers out of this situation by telling Roderigo how his judgement is brave and now he believes that Roderigo will do whatever it takes to get Desdemona’s love. Iago says that if Roderigo does not complete the plan, then he cannot try to kill him. The fooled Roderigo is shocked and is now completely loyal to Iago who barely got out of this bad situation using his manipulation skills. Later in the play, Roderigo finally recognizes that Iago has been taking advantage of him saying, “O damned Iago! O inhumane dog!” (5.1.74). As seen by his constant manipulative actions and dialogue, Iago reveals himself as a sociopath.

This creates a special kind of fondness he has for her but, he keeps it to himself knowing that, Othello has recently married Desdemona. Throughout the play, Roderigo is used by Iago who, eventually turns his back on Roderigo and kills him. But, before that all happens to Roderigo, Roderigo makes his debut in the first act of the play. During the first act and first scene of the play, Roderigo informs Brabantio about Desdemona, and what has she been doing as of late. Some of the information Roderigo has told Brabantio includes, her eloping with Othello. In the following scene, Brabantio and Roderigo find the newly wedded couple in the Sagittary. Later on the play, Roderigo uses his own powers of manipulation to instigate a fight. With this incident occurring, Cassio is in pure disbelief. This mindset carried by Roderigo in this incident can be classified as a, fixed mindset. For example: In her book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”, Dweck has stated that, the fixed mindset helps create a proving yourself station in which, you have to prove your amount of intelligence, personality, and moral to your own character. This self-evaluation station didn’t work on Roderigo that well because, he showed his true colors when, he proved he’s alignment with Iago. With him proving that, he brought many into shame and disbelief such as,

Act 1 Scene 1 shows Roderigo, generous in his gifts to the ancient, questioning Iago’s love for the former, whose concern has been the wooing of Desdemona. Roderigo construes Iago’s love for him as based on the ancient’s hatred for the Moor. Thus the wealthy suitor says accusingly, “Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.” And Iago responds, “Despise me, if I do not.” Partly out of hatred for the general and partly out of proving his faithfulness to Roderigo’s cause, Iago asserts in detail the reasons for his hatred of Othello, who has given the lieutenancy to Michael Cassio, a Florentine. Secondly, Iago suggests that Roderigo and he awake and disturb Brabantio, the father of Desdemona:

Roderigo also plays a part in the stereotyping of Othello. He is extremely upset that Desdemona has eloped with Othello, because he has been attempting to court her for several months with no avail. Roderigo, like many other characters, then bad-mouths Othello with racial slurs in order to paint a picture of Othello being a lesser person than himself. Roderigo, with great delight, says, "what a full fortune does the thick-lips owe," (1, 1, 72-73) in order to scapegoat him.

The play began as Roderigo and Iago were blaming Othello for their problems for him existing. He caused Roderigo problems as he was

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.

At the end of the court scene in the first act, Iago and Roderigo are left alone with the poor doting lover in great despair. Roderigo takes a decision to drown himself. Iago easily convinces him out of it by pointing out Othello’s shortcomings. Says he,

Although his original goal in was to destroy Othello, he not only destroys Othello’s life, but also the lives of the other cast members in the play. Roderigo is victimized by this as he initially intended to marry Desdemona, yet his naivety has led him to downfall and to his ultimate death. Iago also kills his own wife Emilia after she exposes the truth that he was the one who plotted Desdemona’s death. It comes to a point where he even destroys himself in the process of doing so as he loses the means of being human; he sacrifices his own humanity and becomes a vassal of pure evil. Iago reaches his means of life at the end of the play as status and vengeance no longer have any meaning to him, just sheer villany, even if others destroy his body they cannot quench the

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,

Iago makes a complete fool out of Roderigo. In fact, as play starts Iago is taking advantage of Roderigo. Roderigo remarks, "That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse as if the strings were thine." [Act I, Scene I, Line 2]. Throughout the play, Iago leads Roderigo by the collar professing that he "hate(s) the Moor" [Act I, Scene III, Line 344] and telling Roderigo to "make money" [Act I, Scene III, Line 339] to give Desdemona gifts to win her over. During the Iago keeps the gifts that Roderigo purchases for Desdemona for himself. Roderigo eventually begins to question Honest Iago, saying "I think it is scurvy, and begin to find myself fopped in it." [Act IV, Scene II, Line 189]. When faced with this accusation, Iago simply offers that killing Cassio will