Othello : William Shakespeare 's Othello Essay

 Iago is the master villain in Othello, and is indeed a prototypal villain; that is, he is the mould for many other villains in their own deeds. He appears to be cunning, decisive, and able to take

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.

Iago is one of the most misunderstood villains in Shakespeare literature. We side with Othello from the start because his name is on the cover of our paperback, we read Othello when learning about heroes, so we expect Iago to be a villain, a ruthless manipulator. We don’t know why, he doesn’t state it plainly or in simple English, so we assume that he’s evil, that he’s just a disgruntled sociopath out to exact his exaggerated revenge on good and noble Othello. Iago’s misunderstood reputation is a result of not truly examining his character, and answering the “why” factor behind his actions. After all, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. His goal in the play was not just to destroy Othello for the fun of it. His objective,

Othello speaks to Iago in Act Three of the play saying, “certain, men should be what they seem” (3.3.131). This excerpt foreshadow events in which Othello will begin to question the actions and morality of Cassio and Desdemona, all orchestrated by Iago’s scheming nature. This is a very important concept to showcase because Othello devoutly loves Desdemona and trusts Cassio until conniving language from Iago causes him to think otherwise. Drawing on Shakespeare’s source story by Cinthio and other outside sources, textual information can be gathered to explore major concerns of “Othello”. Throughout this essay, I will present textual evidence from multiple sources examining the central concerns of the play, which include identity and revenge.

Othello is described by Iago as being pompous and immodest, Iago is only serving Othello to “serve [his] turn upon him”, this immediately shows the self-serving nature of Iago. We are quickly shown that Iago is bitter and twisted that he has not gained the rank of Othello’s lieutenant, thus his estimation of Othello is not fully believed or accredited by the audience. Furthermore Iago goes on to admit to his own deceptive nature by explaining he is not what he seems to be, he explains “I am not what I am”. In the first scene Iago launches into a speech of how he despises “knee-crooking knave” who serves his master for nothing but “provender” (bed and board). He then explains how he admires the servant who wears a “visage of duty” while serving no one but himself. These servants “have lined their coats” and then when they have used their master for money they “Do themselves homage”. Iago, once more, confesses to being one of these self serving and deceptive men. By showing Iago’s true colours, Shakespeare is casting Iago’s view of Othello in a very low estimation.

Previously, in Act 3.4, Othello begins to suspect Desdemona’s loyalty, as he continuously asks Desdemona for the handkerchief, yet she keeps on changing the topic. In Act 4.1, Iago continues to convince Othello of Desdemona’s faithfulness. In Act 3.4, Othello defended Desdemona when Iago accused her; but in Act 4.1, their position is switched. Othello becomes more aware of what Iago is saying and the anger that he has towards Iago has significantly reduced, while he begins to doubt Desdemona. In this passage, Iago’s malignant heart caused him to continue to exploit Othello by making him believe that Desdemona is unfaithful. Iago’s manipulative skills to poison Othello 's weaknesses are found through syntax, symbols, and soliloquy.

In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago manipulates other characters in an iniquitous way causing commotion and destruction in all of their lives. He uses malicious tactics to negatively affect faultless characters who have done nothing to intentionally harm him. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is a character shaped by jealousy and hunger for power. He is ruthless and immoral, and manipulates nearly all the characters in the play in order to get what he wants.

The Tragedy of Othello, a play by William Shakespeare, was written in the early 1600’s. If Othello was written in a different time, 21st century America, the view of people of different genders and races would differ, women would be held to a more equal social standard and the issue of Othello being black, wouldn’t be as prominent when he marries Desdemona.

William Shakespeare’s Othello tells a story of the tragic downfall of a man through jealousy and mistrust, influenced by the manipulative actions of another. Due to innumerable changes within society over time, it is inevitable that a wide range of critical interpretations and readings of the text will emerge.

Iago is a ‘Machiavellian villain’, someone who is intent on realizing his desires at all costs and seeks to achieve this in a deceptive manner. To achieve his goals, he utilizes characters around him to carry out his plans without them realizing. His main purpose in Othello is to entrap and deceive the hero.

From the very beginning of Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is held in very high regard within the community in Venice. He is often called “honest Iago” by many people, including his superior, Othello. There is a large discrepancy between Iago’s character in the beginning of the play, and the general perception at the end of the play, due to Iago’s many character flaws that cause him to create devious plans and a web of deception and lies, spun by his intense anger and hatred. The first scene of Othello holds many indications of the negative traits Iago possesses, and they escalate quickly as the play progresses. There are many points within the play that present Iago falling prey to his issues and therefore let them control him. Iago’s anger and hatred kept him from dealing with these character flaws and lead to his descent into moral degradation and the causation of the deaths of three people he once loved.

Critics have debated the significance of Othello’s race in terms of portraying his identity for a long time. The negative connotations of “blackness” have led to the creation of many racial constructs associated with the “Moor”; this denigration has infused the opinions of many critics, such as Albert Gerard, proposing that Othello’s “negroid physiognomy” reaches down to the “deepest levels of personality” and that he is a “barbarian”. However, many other critics like Edward Berry and Martin Orkin believe that colour is merely a “surface indicator” compared to the outward virtue of beneficence, defining identity. Beneficence could be defined by the will to practice good acts, in conjunction with the aversion of practicing evil, and the prevention and removal of evil.

The theme of power is explored in various ways throughout ‘Othello’, Shakespeare uses the vulnerability of characters’ flaws to allow power shifts to occur through manipulation. The Elizabethan value consensus highlights the difference in gender roles, with societal expectations being defined by the divine order. The limitations of social mobility provide a strong platform for the theme of power to be embedded upon, with characters such as Desdemona and Emilia representing the struggle that women faced living in a dominant patriarchal society. The power struggles between England and Scotland during 1603 when ‘Othello’ is believed to have been written, perhaps influenced Shakespeare’s portrayal of gender conflict. In contrast, Williams propels gender dynamics to the forefront of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, representing power through sexual desire and oppression. The conflict of gender roles is demonstrated through dependency, providing an emotive commentary on the social upheaval that surrounded 1947 America.

In William Shakespeare’s play Othello Iago has the ability to charm and convince people of his loyalty and honesty. Iago immediately introduced his malicious desire for revenge, but he had no proven reason for his actions. Throughout the play Iago devises a devious plan to convince the other characters of his cunning contrivance. Iago treats others as the fool with no intentions of caring about their feelings. Behind his deceitful trustworthy appearance, Iago is a multilayered manipulative villain. He manipulates the people around him by using their weaknesses against them. Roderigo, Cassio, Othello, and Emilia all have fallen for Iago’s tricks of manipulation and even mind control.

In examining the character of Othello’s Emilia as constituting the definition of feminist or even proto-feminist, a few challenges present themselves. Few things are quite as difficult, arguably even impossible; to discern as the mind of an author when all one has to interpret their thinking is a piece of artistic work. When this difficulty is compounded by hundreds of years of distance from the author’s time of existence, it easy to transmit ones desired meanings and intentions on an aspect of a work that the author had not even an inkling of desire to put forth. Nevertheless, arguments can be made, tested, and broken with what little knowledge one possesses. Shakespeare no doubt had little conception of what “Feminism” in any modern or even outdated sense is. However, in presenting some of his morality through the character of Emilia and her interactions with the men in her life he may have foresaw some of its patterns if not it’s resolutions.