counterfeiting, or concealing one's true feelings, is part of this motif. everyone seems to lie; good characters as well as evil ones engage in deceit as they attempt to conceal their feelings: beatrice and benedick mask their feelings for one another with bitter insults; don john spies on claudio and hero; don pedro and his 'crew' deceive benedick and beatrice. who hides and what is hidden? how does deceit function in the world of the play, and how does it help the play comment on life in general? a central motif in the play is trickery or deceit, whether for good or evil purposes.
Upon Malvolio’s entrance in Act II Scene V, Sir Toby states “here’s an overweening rogue!” (Act 2, scene 5, line 27) after plotting with Fabian and Maria to punish Malvolio, referring to him as a “little villain” (Act 2, scene 5, line 12). Upon his entrance in the scene, Malvolio states his ambitions for nobility, “To be Count Malvolio!’ (Act 2, scene 5, line 32) to the group. The disdain the other characters have for Malvolio throughout the play is only met with vanity, hubris and patronizing comments on Malvolio’s part, doing very little to conjure any remorse for the character following his downfall later in the play. Malvolio opposes the fun and festivities of the “Twelfth Night” and chastises the characters in the play several times for their celebrations. Malvolio questions their actions in the form of patronizing dialogue by asking “My masters,
The murder was driven by lust for the queen and also a desire for power, two factors which remain with the king until the final moments in the play. “Mine crown, mine own ambition and my queen. Can one be pardon’d and retain the offence?” Claudius’ deceiving nature is central to the plot of the play, and is the catalyst for the betrayal of many other characters, such as Polonius, Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet himself is not immune to corruption, and he himself deceives those around him in his actions and in his words. Following the revelation from the Ghost, Hamlet assumes an “antic disposition”, in order to distract those surrounding him from his suspicious behaviour.
Shakespeare uses Iago as the character that is gifted with the art of persuasion and deception as Shakespeare has allowed him to deceive the gullible character of Roderigo. Iago seems to have the power to make a character feel worthless and depressed “It is silliness to live when to live is torment.” But by letting Iago’s character have soliloquies it allows the audience to get to know the motives behind what Iago is doing “He hath a daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly and besides the Moor may unfold me to him.” When it says ‘He hath a daily beauty in his life’ I believe Shakespeare is talking about Michael Cassio just generally having a happy life. Shakespeare also lets Iago show a small bit of concern for himself in the quote when he says ‘And besides the Moor may unfold me to him’. He may be showing concern because may get
Shakespeare uses the persona of Polonius, as a satirical figure and as a foil, to show what is wrong with the court of the time. Polonius is also the father of Laertes and Ophelia who are integral to the final downfall of the Danish kingdom. The tensions that arise from the death of Polonius is prevalent throughout the remainder of the play, and his passing sets the tone for the rest of the piece. The diction that is used by Polonius in the play “hamlet” is really what defines him as a character. His use of complex language to increase his intelligence is both farcical and comical in nature.
Only the audience can see that Iago is deceitful and manipulative. Throughout the play, he constantly manipulates others into doing things that benefit him and what will move him closer to his goals. “I am an honest man…” (Act II, Scene iii) But as the play comes to a close, he is discovered. Iago is the driving force of the play, pushing Othello (as well as other characters) to his (their) tragic end. Iago is not the ordinary villain.
Hamlet in his first soliloquy demonstrates his disgust that his mother has allied herself in love and in politics with her late husband’s brother, so soon after his death, “frailty, thy name is woman... to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets”. Claudius is clearly established as the villain in Hamlet, murdering his own brother and then plotting to kill Hamlet. He lies and is deceitful toying with the notion that the appearance of things is not their reality. The audience is privy to the ‘reality’ of Claudius ‘deed’, and of his guilt, through an aside, climactically stating, “then is my deed to my most painted word. O heavy burden!”.
He’s useless tricks display vanity and indicate his wastefulness to the audience. The Tempest is a problem play; Prospero is presented with the opportunity for spiteful revenge but realises the importance of forgiveness. Doctor Faustus is a morality play; he never realises the importance of repentance and banishes any opportunity to save himself, which results in his eternal damnation in hell. In the first act of the play, the audience is confronted with a magic fuelled spectacle. We see Prospero with the help or Ariel conjures the tempest.
The Motivation of Iago William Shakespeare’s Othello is a story based on betrayal, jealousy, hate and revenge. The villain in the play, Iago, is said to be one of Shakespeare’s most evil characters. On a search for power, nothing is going to stand in his way. His actions throughout the play are a direct result of his trying to attain what he believes is rightfully his. Iago’s mean and insensitive manipulation is geared towards the innocent and ends up causing the destruction of Roderigo, Cassio, Desdemona, Emilia, and Othello.
Antigone proves Creon’s lack of compassion when she states “No other brother can be born or grows again. That is my principle, which Creon stigmatized as crimina, my principle for honoring you, my dearest brother” (232). Creon’s arrogance leads to his son’s death because he refuses to believe his son indicate that he has created an inferior reputation. Haemon mentions to Creon that “The kind of man who always thinks that he is right, that his opinions, his pronouncements, are the final word, is usually exposed as hollow as they come...So let your anger cool, and change your mind” (222). Creon becomes too vain that he assumes Haemon “is hopelessly on the woman’s [Antigone’s] side” (224).