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In this play, Shakespeare characterizes Othello as an incredibly cunning villain. While the other characters continually describe him as an honest man who only wants to help others, the reader knows that he has his own agenda.
ReplyDeleteIago is a truly honest man. However, he bends and twists the truth until it fits his needs; this is how he manipulates the other characters. On page 243, Iago is trying to convince Roderigo that Desdemona is in love with Cassio. While supporting this claim, however, he never actually lies to Roderigo; he only gives true observations of the things around him. He tells Roderigo that Desdemona and Cassio "met so close with their lips that their breaths embraced together." While this technically isn't a lie, it is twisted to sound worse than it is in reality. Shakespeare also characterizes Iago as someone who is only out for himself; Iago is shown as someone who will do anything to get what he wants. On page 294, Iago has a soliloquy in which he continues to devise his plan. At the conclusion of this soliloquy, Iago tells how he will use everyone against each other. He has convinced Cassio to get Desdemona to plead his case to Othello, and he has at the same time convinced Othello of the potential romantic relationship between Cassio and Desdemona. Because of this, every time Desdemona attempts to help Cassio regain his position with Othello, Othello is convinced that she is doing this out of romantic feelings for Cassio. Iago informs the reader that, by weaving this intricate web of lies, he will use Desdemona's "own goodness [to] make the net that shall enmesh them all." This illustrates to the reader that Iago is willing to go to any length to get his way, even if it means hurting many innocent people.
Through these different quotes and methods, Shakespeare characterizes Iago as the perfect villain: someone who is technically honest, yet so manipulative that they can bend any truth to fit their needs. When the other characters call his honest, they are correct; if one doesn't tell the whole truth, they are not truly a liar.
- Taylor!
I agree that Iago is the perfect villain, being both "honest" and yet still deceitful. However he is still a liar, even though he never technically "lies". Telling parts of the truth and intentionally hiding the rest is still a lie, making Iago a truly dangerous and evil man. Iago manipulates Othello into "loving not his wronger" (262) and creates a mask for Iago; making him the hidden villain.
ReplyDeleteThis is a stretch, but I recently saw the movie "The Green Hornet" and there is a quotation that I believe sums up Iago: "Everyone knows that they’re the good guys, the hero, ya know, all the bad guy has to do is start capping some innocent people and he’s got the good guy by the [ears]. It’s in every movie, it’s in every comic book, it’s in everything, it’s so stupid. But if the bad guy thought the good guy was also a bad guy he wouldn’t be able to do that."
If you take this theory and flip it around (meaning no one knows he is the bad guy), you get Iago's characterization.
-Lori
I agree with Sara when she says that the use of black and white symbolizes good versus evil, but I disagree with her when she says the roles of the colors switch. Towards the ending after Othello takes Desdemona’s life Emilia calls him “the blacker devil” (V. ii). The color black not only refers to Othello’s skin but the word has an evil connotation behind it. Emilia’s statement could be taken as a racial slur but either way she means for the color black to be evil and dark, which is consistently used when speaking of Othello. The dark connotation behind the color black associated with Othello further emphasizes the prejudice people had against Moors during Shakespeare’s time.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare characterizes Iago as the perfect villain, a man that is conniving, honest, and deceitful to the other characters in the play. Iago also has a motive for plotting against the primary character, Othello, which implies that he is a villain. Iago's bravery also allows him to deceive the other characters into believing that he is honest because "men honest that but seem to be so"(236). Iago implies here that he deceives others because he is honest, and whatever he will say will be believed to be truthful. Iago's honesty is his trump card to be able to manipulate Roderigo and Othello so that his plan for revenge falls into place. However Iago does stretch the truth similar to that in Act 3 when Iago takes the handkerchief after it is dropped, and then shows Othello that Cassio took it from Desdemona, which is not completely true, but it allows Iago's plan to progress. He might not have been completely honest, but his deceitfulness angers Othello whom believes what he sees to be true. Iago is the perfect villain- conniving, deceitful, and honest- that allows his plan to unravel and affect the lives of the characters for the worse.
ReplyDeleteIn the play Othello Iago is characterize by Shakespeare as intelligent but conniving, cunning, and manipulative. Iago is the antagonist in this play, and is a very strong character. He is perhaps the most important character in the entire play, and plays a larger role then even Othello, for whom the play is named after. However, as evil as he is, he is also honest. Iago proves to be conniving and cunning through his soliloquies in which he details to the reader his objectives, such as in Act II when he tells the reader that he will make Cassio look like a fool and that “the Moor [will] thank me, love me and reward me”(244) and he believes his reward will be Cassio’s new position. Through his manipulative nature he is able to accomplish that which he wants so much, and it is only through a series of unfortunate events that he is revealed. However, Iago proves his intelligence by stating in Act V that “[t]his is the night [t]hat either makes me or fordoes me quite.” His recognition that all his hard work as lead up to this moment proves him to be a man true to his character, if evil.
ReplyDeleteIn the play Othello, Shakespeare characterizes Iago as a deceitful, cunning, treacherous villain. Throughout the play however the characters characterize Iago as honest and wise, although the reader knows that Iago is deceiving them. Iago does this by only giving partial truths to each of the characters therefore being able to easily deceive them. Iago tells Othello “did I to-day see Cassio wipe his beard with”(pg 269, III,iii). Iago tells Othello that Cassio has the handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona. Although Iago did not lie about Cassio having the handkerchief he left out how Cassio came into possession with the handkerchief, therefore causing Othello to believe that Desdemona presented Cassio with the handkerchief. Iago is a smart cunning man who only cares about himself and not what happens to those around him. Iago wants revenge on Othello and deceives everyone around him in order to get what he wants. Iago reveals his plans to the reader throughout the play through his soliloquies and monologues such as the one on page 294 and on page 279. Iago hurts those around him in order to get what he wants. Iago is thereby characterized as a selfish, deceiving, cunning, treacherous villain.
ReplyDelete-Forrest
In the play Othello the character of Iago is shown to be the villain of the play. Iago is Othello’s ensign, and is obsessed with power and corruption of his society. Throughout this play Shakespeare characterizes Iago as the villain, who plots and deceives people. Iago a manipulative man who desires Othello’s downfall because he was not chosen as his lieutenant, plots and schemes for the downfall of others in order for his own personal happiness. The audience is able to see Iago’s true intentions, yet the other characters in this play, think of Iago as an honest and faithful man. Iago plots the alleged affair of Cassio and Desdemona, with the help of the other characters, although they have no idea as to what he is up to. Shakespeare’s obvious characterization of Iago is for him to be the typical villain, plotting for no reason, and the character with the false love. Iago and Emilia don’t share the bond that typical couples share, their love is full of lie and unfaithfulness, showing that Iago is the heartless male who lives for his selfish demise of others. I believe that Shakespeare characterized Iago to be the typical villain in order to show the prominent downfall of the protagonist, due to the stereotypical villain.
ReplyDeleteShakespeares use of deceptive language and cunning tactics reveals the antagonist of the drama, Othello, to be Iago. Through deceptive language such as "they met so near with their lips that their breaths embraced together (243)," deceptive lies like this indicate deceptive tactics in an effort for Iago to conquer Cassio through the manipulation of other to do his handywork. Shakespeare portrays Iago as a cunning villian that uses language and tactics to symbolize the growing deceptivness of the modernizing world. Words such as "tedious"(268) and sayings such as "it speaks against her with the other proofs,"(269) clearly illustrates the cunning language and tactics used by Iago to control the thoughts people. Becuase Shakespeare tries to demonstrate the world as a whole being deceptive, he uses the deceptiveness of Iago to show to what extremes people will go to in order to capture their desires.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Forrest Sarvis:
ReplyDeleteI believe that your take on the character Iago is accurate for the most part. There is, however, far more depth to him than you portray. While ultimately pursuing selfish ends, using other human beings as means (I'm sure Immanuel Kant would have a thing or two to say to him!), Iago very well may have seen himself as being in the moral right. Issues of social class and race play heavily into his psyche. Through his dialogue in Act I, Iago explains his motivations, foremost among them surely being indignation at being inferior to a Moor. Accepting this, it is possible to see Iago as not only evil in himself, but reflective of the evils present in European society of the period.
Shakespeare employs a variety of methods to characterize Iago as the treacherous, two-faced villain. Most importantly, Shakespeare reveals Iago’s conflict and intentions through his monologues and soliloquies. Iago detail’s his schemes in these speeches which display his clever, selfish character, though special attention should be made to the couplets at the end of these. In the first act, Iago’s evil ways cannot be questioned with his “villainous couplet” at the end of Act I (236). His words sound almost like a demonic prayer, reinforcing him as the antagonist. Another instance of “villainous couplet” displays Iago’s merciless ways at the end of Act II, Scene I (244). He will take advantage of Roderigo and Cassius among others to gain his vengeance, being truly selfish and uncaring. Verbal irony plays a large role in establishing Iago’s confidence and underlying motives. The last line of Act III (270) is ironic because Iago states that he is Othello’s forever when in actuality Othello is under the command of Iago though does not realize it. Also, Iago reassures Desdemona “all things will be well” (288), though not for whom. He constantly reveals his plans discreetly, yet is never discovered giving reason for his confidence, an important trait in any villain. Paradoxical phrases characterize Iago as well. Othello describes Iago as an “honest creature” (264), mimicking Iago’s very nature. The differing connotations imitate the Iago deceitful ways and creature portrays his bestial thirst for vengeance. Othello also did not mean to imply that Iago was in anyway betraying him as the hidden connotations do, further emphasizing how masterful Iago has deceived everyone. Through these techniques, Shakespeare has characterized Iago as the perfect villain.
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