In Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago deceives others, mainly Othello and Roderigo, due to his desire for revenge, an improved reputation, and power. Throughout the play, Iago uses his desire for revenge to deceive others, like Othello. Iago’s desire for revenge shows when he states, “For “Certes,” says he, / “I have already chose my officer.”/ And what was he?/ Forsooth, a great arithmetician, / One Michael Cassio, a Florentine” (1.1.17-21). Othello’s choice reveals Iago’s jealousy of Cassio earning the position which fuels Iago’s desire for revenge on not only Othello, but also on Cassio. Another time Iago deceives someone to build up his plan is when he tells Roderigo, “When she is sated with his/ body she will find the errors of
Abigail and Iago both have solid reputations within their communities, which they use in their deception. Iago has a reputation for being exceptionally trustworthy and honest. Othello himself says that “Iago is most honest” (Shakespeare, II, iii, 7). This reputation is useful for Iago because he is known for telling the truth so, everyone is more inclined to trust him, even when he makes outlandish accusations. When Iago is trying to get Cassio fired, he goes to Othello and tries to convince him that Cassio is notorious for drinking too much.
This animalistic imagery shows that not only is Othello being dehumanized by Iago, but Desdemona is as well. Since both characters are not viewed as human to Iago, it shows that he is more willing to embark on manipulative acts upon them. His detachment towards the characters then drives him to do sinister deeds on to them, ultimately causing his downfall. Emilia, Iago’s own wife is another character to which he is detached from. In Act Five, scene two, Iago kills his wife for telling
In many stories, there are villains who seem to control how the characters act by manipulation. These kinds of villains use multiple techniques to get what they want and to execute their plans. The techniques are used to affect the characters in a negative way in favor of the villain. In Othello, the antagonist Iago, plays that role. Iago affects the characters’ lives in a negative way by his honest reputation, his ability to “read” people, and how he “proves” to be Loyal.
As the play unfolds, many key details in Iago’s plans are revealed which` prompts the audience and informs them about the small intricacies of his scheme. During his soliloquy in Act 3 Scene 3, Iago foreshadows the future events that will act as the turning point of the play; “I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin/And let him find it/Trifles light as air/Are to the jealous confirmations strong/As proofs of holy writ. This may do something./The Moor already changes with my poison./Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons” (3.3.318-326). Iago will have his wife, Emilia steal Desdemona's handkerchief given to her by Othello. Once the handkerchief is in his possession, he will plant it in Cassio’s room, thus sparking Othello’s jealousy and suspicion of Desdemona and Cassio’s affair.
Being that Roderigo is blinded by his love for Desdemona and the lies of Iago, Roderigo willingly helps, not realizing that Iago only wants to help himself and he'll do anything to do so, even if he has to manipulate the minds of innocent people around him. Iago tries to act as if he's everyone good friend and ask Cassio to have drinks with him and friends; although he knows that Cassio likes to drink and can become unruly with those around him, Iago
Iago Iago, the triumphant villain within Othello is a perplexing character, his true intentions are buried deep in deception and deviance that help create who he is. The heinous goals he sets out to achieve are unfathomable, yet without his presence Othello would be nothing more than a romantic drama. Iago is the villain we love to hate; he is the sole instigator of the tragic events that take place within Othello. And yet still Iago is one of the most complex characters within Shakespearean tragedy. In order for Othello to be as effective as it is, the depiction of Iago as the perfect example of evil itself was essential, and is accomplished with his particular characteristic traits.
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. Iago first announces that he wants to get revenge on Othello and Cassio due to professional jealousy, as he was passed up for the promotion of lieutenant in the place of “Florentine” Michael Cassio. Having fought alongside Othello in three previous battles and expressed his loyalty, Iago
196-197). He speaks of it in a way that captures how it affects man because that is what he was going through after Cassio got the lieutenancy. Knowing how jealousy eats someone up, Iago uses that upon Othello by introducing doubt in one of the greatest things he had, his love in Desdemona. The way Iago worked into Othello’s head is that he made it seem like he was helping him by thinking of different possibilties, which only fed the green-eyed monster in Othello. “Their best conscience is not to leave ‘t undone, but keep ‘t unknown,” (III,iii.
However, mastering this can be extremely difficult. If you were to learn from anyone about the art of manipulation, look no further than Iago from the story of Othello. Othello, the popular tragedy written by William Shakespeare, is about a man named Iago who devotes all his time and energy to plotting a revenge against Othello, along with hurting many others along the way. Iago’s motives behind his actions were formed due to Othello giving Cassio the lieutenant position, although Iago believed he was best fit for the job. Iago uses his “friendliness” and confidence as weapons to sabotage the lives of those around him.