In a story of nobleman, honor and valor, it is almost as if Iago is a breath of fresh air. Exceptionally unpredictable, his actions are thought provoking and often need to be analyzed by the audience. Many themes are displayed throughout the play, one of which is appearance vs reality. This theme can especially relate to Iago's character. His deceiving appearance, as 'honest Iago' works to manipulate Othello by painting a picture of nobility, integrity and virtue, and exploiting his good will.
While Shakespeare does use Iago’s soliloquy to encourage the audience to admire him, the soliloquy also highlights his incredible aptitude for malice. The continued metaphor of Iago’s jealousy being an ailment to him, “doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards” and expressed further on where he vows to give Othello “a jealousy so strong/that judgment cannot cure”, brings a sense of paranoia and mania to him. This paranoid side to Iago is further emphasized when he alleges Othello of having “leaped into my [his] seat”, his
Iago, who is known as the Machiavellian villain perpetuates the tragedy by bringing forward a hamartia or a fatal flaw from Othello. As soon as the play begins, Shakespeare used dramatic irony to illustrate Othello’s view of Iago as an honest and trustworthy man through his repeated description of “honest Iago” and “a man of exceeding honesty” to the audience. Of course that is not the case, the audience views Iago to be “Janus-faced” and deceptive through his constant declaration of “I am not what I am” and how he “hates the moor”. This juxtaposition is created so that the audience can empathise with Othello. I know I can definitely empathise with him.
What do other characters, besides Othello think of him? Othello was one of William Shakespeare's greatest plays ever written, and arguably one of the greatest stories ever told. While having many parallels to Romeo and Juliet, another of Shakespeare's great writings, they couldn't be further apart in terms of characters. One character in particular , Iago who is the antagonist of the story plays a very important , sinister role in the lives of Othello and Desdemona. Iago who many people perceived to be an honest man when it couldn't be further from the truth and in Othello's cased it proved to be a deadly mistake for trusting him.
Shakespeare develops him as an amoral character as opposed to the typical immoral driven villain that every audience is accustomed to and this amorality and lack of humanity allows Iago to easily manipulate others and use their weakness against them to achieve what he wants without feeling any doubt or guilt. Iago’s deceitfulness can be seen progressing throughout the play and it is reflected in his actions and motives to become the position he feels he most justly deserves, the General’s Second in Command. In Iago's actions, we see the portrait of a man who will stop at nothing until he feels his justice has been served on everyone he feels has wronged him and his deceitful character allows him to carry through the steps to becoming what he desires. It becomes apparent that Shakespeare is portraying, through the character of Iago, the destructive nature of vengeance to his audience. He presents Iago as an honest and respected soldier, to show that not every vengeful villain is what they appear to be, again
Edmund exploits Edgar’s trust when he lies to manipulate him, saying that “If you do stir abroad, go armed... Brother, I advise you to the best.” (Act 1 Scene 2 lines 177-180). Edmund, recognizing that he is in a position of trust, takes advantage of the existing family ties between him and Edgar. He fabricates a tension or dilemma between Edgar and Gloucester. He takes advantage of “a credulous father and a brother noble… That [Gloucester] suspects none; on whose foolish honesty [Edmund’s] practices ride easy.” (Act 1 scene 2 186-188) He fools Gloucester into believing that Edgar is wicked, thus
In Shakespeare’s play, ‘King Lear’, we are shown an array of characters that are multi-dimensional and extremely complex. Shakespeare has the ability to reveal a human character with an exceptional use of language. The three characters that I believe have large roles and functions within the play are, understandably, King Lear himself, The Fool, and Kent. The Fool acts as Lear's conscience and trusted guide, yet he is also a critic of Lear, a truth teller. In effect this makes a true friend, however some believe it was the Fool's constant remarks that drove Lear to madness.
From these thing, it is made clear that Lear is not only rash and insecure but also thoughtless and stupid. Based on these pieces of textual evidence, I think it is clear that King Lear is motivated by his self-concern, and nothing more. Shakespeare causes us to think this through both his words and his actions throughout Act
Characters like Iago with little pride let their thirst for pride overtake their judgment about what is right. Characters like Othello with a great deal of pride are easily manipulated, because they are so proud. Othello lets pride get the best of him, and this clouds his judgment to such an extent that he ends up murdering his wife because he falsely believes that she has been unfaithful to him and he feels humiliated as a result. Throughout Othello, an ordered structure is placed on this play to convey a sense of order as was required in an Elizabethan context owing to the significance of order, hierarchy and class. This can be seen at the end of the play when there is a need for Othello to be redeemed in the audiences’ eyes hence even Othello as a
‘A consummate actor who can exert his power over the most intelligent, as well as the most gullible’ In light of this comment, examine Shakespeare’s presentation of Iago When we examine the character of Iago- lauded as Shakespeare’s most foul villain, we must understand that he is indeed a crafty foe, influencing almost every character within the play, orchestrating the tragedy which culminated in Othello’s downfall. Within this essay, we shall examine exactly how he wields such power over characters, both intelligent and gullible, skillfully and why he succeeds. The notion of a consummate actor presupposes one that is utterly devoted to his art, almost living his act. In the case of Iago, it is almost certain that the only group to which he is truly and completely honest to, is the audience. To others, he is a talented actor, as they are completely fooled by his façade of honesty.