Why Does Iago Do The Things He Does - 856 Words

Why Does Iago Do the Things He Does? Iago is a fictional character in Shakespeare s Othello. Being the play s main antagonist, Iago is also the Ancient of General Othello as well as the husband of Emilia, the handmaiden of Othello s wife Desdemona. Throughout the play, Iago schemes and plants fake evidence of Desdemona’s â€Å"affair† with Cassio, Othello’s righthand man. The question on my mind is, why would Othello do all of this? First of all, there is a fair chance that Iago does this because Othello did not give him Cassio’s position as second-in-command. In one of the first moments of the play, Iago states, â€Å"Despise me If I do not. Three great ones of the city (In personal suit to make me his lieutenant) Off-capped to him, and by the faith of man I know my price, I am worth no worse a place. But he (as loving his own pride and purposes) Evades them with a bombast circumstance Horribly stuffed with epithets of war, And in conclusion Nonsuits my mediators. For â€Å"Certes,† says he, â€Å"I have already chose my officer.† And what was he? Forsooth, a great arithmetician, One Michael Cassio, a Florentine† (Act I Scene I) One of the first lines Iago even says is that he hates Othello. My first thought when considering this reason would be, is not being appointed second-in-command enough for him to do what he does? It’s completely possible because later in the play, he gets Cassio drunk and tricks him into attacking Roderigo and Montano, the governor of Cyprus beforeShow MoreRelatedOthello Questions1696 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst speech it appears that he paid Iago for something? Can you tell what it is? So that he will help win over Desdemona’s heart 2. Iago say he hates Othello for what reason? Iago hates Othello because he didn’t get the promotion and Michael Cassio did and Iago thinks he is the one who deserves it 3. What does Iago say of Cassio? Iago says that Cassio is undeserving as he has no experience and only has book knowledge 4. What two kinds of followers are there, according to Iago? The loyal who will followRead MoreTheme Of Jealousy In Othello1509 Words   |  7 Pagesdoing what he does best, manipulating everyone and getting them to do his dirty work. Jealousy plays a big role within the play, and influences almost every decision made by each character at some point in the play. Sadly, the decisions made due to the characters being jealous are mostly bad, the play mainly shows how jealousy affects Iago, Othello, and Roderigo. Iago at some point gets each character to believe everything he has to say and talks them into doing anything he wishes them to do all forRead MoreThe Snake: Iago in Othello Essay1248 Words   |  5 Pagesit should be stolen back. In this case, the things being stolen are eyes. The second part â€Å"makes the whole world blind† means that revenge will not solve problem. Instead, it creates problems. In Othello, the evil Iago manipulates Othello into ruining his own life in the name of revenge. He tells Othello that his wife, Desd emona, is cheating on him. He presents Othello fake evidence time and time again until he is convinced. Othello is so angered that he murders his own wife, who has done nothingRead MoreShakespeares Use of Language to Show Othellos Changing State of Mind1627 Words   |  7 Pagesalso says: Assure thee if I do vow a friendship, Ill perform it to the last article. This also demonstrates her loyalty, and that shed die before break a friendship. This is dramatically effective, being at the beginning of the scene because all through the scene Othello is seen thinking and talking about how disloyal she is. It also makes the tragedy at the end of the play more awful, as the audience knows she really is innocent. Iago then cunningly preys on theRead MoreOthello by William Shakespeare1389 Words   |  6 PagesRebellious hero? Iago has been frequently judged as an evil villain for the meticulous acts he makes after Othello betrays him. Though he was never a murderous villain until his downfall he is unfairly viewed as the antagonist in the play. Since the commencement Iago was an honest military man who never wronged anybody up until they wronged him. He was stripped of a military promotion he had been looking forward to accepting by Othello the general and not only this he was also informed thatRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Othello629 Words   |  3 Pagescharacter, Iago. Iago’s selfishness is what ultimately drives him to manipulate the people around him. Initially Iago manipulates a character by the name of Roderigo. Roderigo is a Venetian gentleman that is in love with the wife of Othello, Desdemona and will do whatever it takes to win her over from Othello. Roderigo who is oblivious to the idea and fact that Iago is manipulating him to achieve his goal of getting revenge against Othello. Iago’s first implication of manipulation occurs when he advisesRead MoreIago Is Not Evil1476 Words   |  6 Pagesthat 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 timesRead MoreWilliam Shakes peare s Othello 957 Words   |  4 Pagespresented in Shakespeare s literature the most sinister one is without a doubt Iago. He is a ruthless sociopath. No other character can even come close to his evil. Most of the antagonists present in Shakespeare s plays have valid reasons for the troubles the cause. Iago doesn t for the most part he just has a burning hatred for the world especially Othello. Iago is the whole reason there is any conflict in Othello . If he never had entered the play Othello would have married Desdimonia and they wouldRead MoreShakespeare s Othello - Iago And Emilia889 Words   |  4 PagesIago and Emilia â€Å"A liar begins with making falsehood appear like truth and ends with making truth itself appear like falsehood,† said William Shenstone. This I believe to be so, in the story Othello, Iago was conceived as the most dishonest individual in the plot. Iago played mind games on everyone without them even knowing. Iago is like a snake, he first deceives Othello by turning him against his wife Desdemona. Iago then proves his theories with Desdemona sleeping with her longtime friend CassioRead MoreEssay on The Trials of Othello934 Words   |  4 Pagestrials, Iago though not always the judge tries to be the puppet master. He does this by focusing on each characters fatal flaw. nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; In the play the three main trails go as follows. First there is Othellos trial were he is being judged by the Duke and Brabantio regarding what happened with himself and Desdemona. The second and main trial is that of Othello judging Cassio, though it is not much of a trial per say because Othello is merely listening to what Iago has to