Iago: The Most Deceitful Character In Shakespeare's Othello

He is manipulative and tells Othello to “observe her [Desdemona] well with Cassio” (Shakespeare, 3.3:197). Iago feeds Othello with countless lies and makes him miserable with something that is not factual. He is determined to get revenge and he does not realize Iago stands insincere. Furthermore, Iago is selfish when he tells Othello, “I am yours for ever” (3.3:479). He betrays Othello yet still let’s him depend on him for his own

I know not if’t be true, but I, for mere suspicion in that kind, will do as if for surety.” Iago hears rumors of Othello possibly sleeping with his wife. As a result, Iago grows feelings of jealousy. Already being resentful of Othello for passing the promotion to Othello, this encounter increases Iago’s thoughts to ruin Othello. Iago’s jealousy of Othello possible sleeping with his wife is the spark of the motivation to ruin Othello. Attempting to destroy someone’s life because of jealousy is cruel.

Unit 3 (Othello) What seems to be the motivation for Iago's treachery? Lago is the really mean villain in the play Othello. He is manipulative and dishonest. He seems to encourage bad behavior to get what he wants. Lago is a very jealous man, and this is what motivates his treachery.

In the thought provoking play, Much Ado About Nothing, a character named Don John displayed very unchristian like thoughts and actions. Throughout the play, Don John became a very jealous individual, this led him to lie multiple times, and demonstrate a dastard attitude. Don John claims himself as a trouble maker, and he doesn`t fail to disappoint. Many main characters such as Hero, Claudio, and Don Pedro were greatly affected by Don John’s deceptive plots. By making no efforts to change his displeasing habits, Don John creates unnecessary jealously, deceitfulness and a finally a fleeing coward.

These two villains slander Othello to the point of eradicating any pity the audience could have developed towards Othello. The Venetians also have a hidden fascination for Othello and his foreign qualities but, they mask feelings with negative slurs. The audience also affected by the portrayal of Othello, and are persuaded to feel pity for him because of his circumstances; being betrayed by his ensign and being looked down upon because of his Moorish descent. Shakespeare also uses racism as a creative apparatus to generate a metaphor between Desdemona and Othello. The exploitation of Othello’s race leads to the manipulation Roderigo, Cassio, Brabantio, the Venetians, and the audience to see Othello as inferior although, the only difference between him and the Venetians is his lineage.

Othello’s jealous spirit drives him to murder his wife; he cannot stop his obsession with the alleged affair until she is harmed (“Othello.” Shakespeare for Students 663). Othello even rationalizes murdering his wife as justice for her betrayal. He

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is a very vindictive and manipulative person and is able to manipulate everyone in a successful ploy to ruin Othello’s life. He verbalizes that his motivation for getting revenge on Othello is because Othello gives Cassio, rather than Iago, the position Iago thinks he deserved, but it goes much deeper than that. Iago is driven by jealousy to seek revenge because Othello has more power, a better marriage, and Othello has more achievements and gets more recognition for them. After Iago becomes Othello’s lieutenant, he chooses not to end his revenge at this point, even though he could have, because of his envy of Othello. Iago is very envious of the power Othello has.

As stated before, the tone that Iago expresses repeatedly throughout Shakespeare’s Othello is malicious revenge. However, aside from his hatred, there is a slight emotion of obsession that he expresses in his soliloquy. For instance, Iago is persistent on ruining Othello’s life every hour of every day, so that he would feel the pain that Iago feels. He wants to “put the Moor / At least into a jealousy so strong / That judgement cannot cure.” (2.1.298-300) In the Oxford English Dictionary, the term ‘jealousy’ can be expressed in a variety of meanings. One of the meanings is that ‘jealousy’ is a ‘state of mind that arises from suspicion, or the knowledge of rivalry.’ This definition pertains to Iago because he strongly believes that Othello is sleeping with his wife, hence why he wants to treat Othello as an enemy.

‘Iago is such a disturbing villain because he seems to have no real motives for his evil.’ How far and in what ways do you agree with this view? Iago is nothing more than a devious mastermind and Machiavellian of the Shakespearean tragedy, Othello. Whilst Iago does try to communicate multiple reasons for his motives in wanting to destroy Cassio and Othello these are mere rationalisations and excuses to provide justification for his evil actions and can only be accepted when analysing Othello on a surface level. Looking into Othello further we can see that Iago is a power thirsty character that dwells in his corruption and evil which makes him such a disturbing villain. Iago gives a sheer numbers of excuses to try and prove his ulterior motives, conveniently adding new reasons for his hate every time he needs to encourage Roderigo to do something for him.

The specialty of investigation all alone rejects the basic simple clarifications yet rather bargains in the mind boggling actualities. In spite of the fact that Iago is the regular disturbance and accordingly the conspicuous awful person, his fate is to make the disaster that this play later moves toward becoming. A protracted thought notwithstanding a receptive outlook will demonstrate the reality of the situation. Othello is the real miscreant. Despite the fact that he at first does not have any vindictive considerations and thoughts, he in the long run becomes a murderer due to emotionally untrustworthy and jealousy.

His arrogance and anger cost him his life but with the warning “Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.” he might have been spared that consequence. However, because of his actions he can be described as vain. This is because throughout almost the entire play he is out to kill someone, namely Romeo. This also proves that he is very self-centered because of his reasons for attacking Romeo which was: crashing a Capulet party and being a Montague. His ill-wished actions caused a severe outcome.

Through his actions towards others we learn that Demetrius is insensitive to others feelings and he is focused on his own conquest even though he might not truly love Hermia. Demetrius just wants to take her away from Lysander. When Helena is talking to him about how much she loves him, he reacts brutally saying "For I am sick when I do look on thee. (2-1-219)" which shows how cruel Lysander can be towards Helena. However, Helena loves him dearly and would do anything for him and Lysander is impolite to her and rude.