The Role of Iago in William Shakespeare’s Othello Essay

To be evil, villainous or Satan-like, is to state that one does hurtful things to other citizens for the pure enjoyment of themselves. Hitler, Stalin and Napoleon are all leaders, who undoubtedly can be stated as evil. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the character Iago is considered evil. It is argued though that he is not evil, just simply a human. Iago throughout the play becomes insecure over his decline in power leading him to become jealous and get revenge on those who contributed to this feeling of self-doubt. Though Iago at times is satisfied with the way he treats others, his motives are humanistic and the way he deals with his envy for others makes him one of the manliest men in William Shakespeare’s Othello.

Iago describes how Satan uses the appearance of something good to disguise the various temptations that we know are evil. He then tells how he will do the same; that while Cassio is begging Desdimona to tell Othello to take him back, Iago then will start his destructive scheme. Satan also deceives by lying and twisting the truth. When he told Eve in the garden of Eden: "surely you will not die" (Gen.3:4), he twisted the truth to deceive her. The apostle John calls him the ultimate liar: ". . . for he is a liar, and the father of lies" (John 8:44). As you can see, Iago and Satan both use deception to further benefit themselves.

The story of Othello is merely a historical version of the chaos and morality that appears in the Common Era. Iago is the infamous villain that is cynical, dark, and manipulative. He lacks empathy for other human beings, and reminds me of one of the most incredible fictional villains of all time- The Joker. The Joker who appears in the movie The Dark Knight, is eerily similar to Iago. Iago is a ruthless and scheming individual. He loves to create chaos, and as his plans unfold, he relishes the pain he is causing to other individuals. He is seemingly enjoying the agony that the other characters around him are going through and feeling. As he sees how deep his schemes are progressing, he continues to add fuel to the fire and see how much damage he can cause. Iago also enjoys “watching the world burn.” He enjoys his sense of

Shakespeare’s Othello explores the destructive nature of Iago’s villainy through his ability to confuse appearance with reality through his deception and trickery. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is a scheming antagonist whose goal is to destroy Othello. Iago uses foreshadowing when he says, “I am not what I am.” Iago tells the audience that his loyalty with Othello is all a scheme to destroy him, and his

Iago as Evil in William Shakespeare's Othello "Othello" is famously regarded as one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies. It explores the downfall of a great general Othello through a series of unlucky circumstances. Othello's character shows a man of high status whose job, marriage and life is ruined because of his insecurities by a man named Iago. Iago (Othello's ensign) is able to manipulate Othello,

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 is thoroughly narcissistic and unsympathetic towards the emotions he provokes from his actions. Hiss lack of a conscience and remorse “is one of the central features of psychopathy” (West). His motives exhibit more of an afterthought instead of a catalyst towards the actions he perpetuates. He is

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

In Act “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! /It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss/Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger,/But, oh, what damnèd minutes tells he o'er/Who dotes, yet doubts— suspects, yet soundly loves!” (3.iii.170-175). Through Iago’s witty nature he is able to nonchalantly set his malignant plan into motion by planting a suspicion in the mind of Othello. Iago harnesses in on the envious agony he endures and uses it as a weapon on the man he is envious of, leading to the destruction of him. Iago knows the ability of jealousy, and with this he knows he can manipulate Othello and make him feel the same discomfort he himself feels. This reveals the enormous amount of preparation Iago has put into his plan and the true evil that is brewing beneath the surface. Iago's loss of self respect and his loss of respect for others have led him to be an evil scheming beast with no account for the lives of others.

     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.

William Shakespeare’s Iago is often thought of the devil in the story. As the villain, Iago manipulated multiple characters countless number of times, used his intelligence to slip away from problematic situations and to create illusions for many characters, as well as having dreadful intentions for reasons that don’t justify his purpose. For many viewers, this causes a stir of emotions, including hate, disgust, sorrow, and surprisingly, admiration for Iago. How can a man with Iago’s intentions and his cold-hearted soul could be admired in this story? Why should the audience applaud the villain, instead of looking-down upon with shock? In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago‘s immoral character compels the audience to acknowledge his ambition through

    Who can compare in depth of evil to the villainous Iago in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello? His villainy is incomparably destructive on all of those around him.

At first glance, Iago of Othello can appear to have little motivation for his destructive tendencies; however, when viewed through the lens of antisocial personality disorder, his incentive takes on a twisted internal logic. His all-consuming desire for revenge is not necessarily because of any outside influence by Othello himself, but rather the fact that Othello disrupts Iago’s conception of himself and is a pawn whom he can manipulate for pleasure. His arrogance and entitlement are also classic symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, as is his superficial charm, which allows him to enlist the assistance of Roderigo in his plot to destroy Othello’s marriage.

Iago is an embodiment of Utilitarianist – the antithetical ideas of humanism throughout the period of the English Renaissance. He indicated the sins [the seven deadly sins] at that time, with his cattiness and ruthlessness … William Shakespeare uses this typical character [Iago] as images for his critiques of those so-called supernatural powers, especially the seven deadly sins.

Othello is a classic of the universal literature, where human relations show a constant fight between good and evil. From the opening of the play, Shakespeare, in addition to racial and gender aspects, makes continuous religious allegory. From the stories told in the Bible and the events reported by Shakespeare can be compared to the history of destruction of life Othello with Christ, as a result of evil desires and envy. In Othello, Iago is the main driver of the action, with their manipulations makes the characters to where he wants, merciless and unscrupulous. Iago may be related to Satan, because their actions are for the purpose of self-interest, with perversion and harm to others. Shakespeare makes one of his first allusions to the perversion