Iago states it himself in 1.3.387-388 “I hate the Moor; And it is thought abroad that twixt my sheets”. There is a motivation that is never actually mentioned in the play, and that is that Iago has homosexual feeling for Othello. Iago is jealous of Othello’s affection towards Desdemona and that is one of the reasons why he manipulates Othello into killing her. There is also a burning hatred towards Othello. Iago’s anger towards Othello is really anger at himself for his unholy wants.
An other traits of character of Othello that bring him to his downfall is his jealousy. Iago is playing with Othello about an affair between Desdemona and Cassio. Iago is just telling him that they are together and uses small details to prove Othello it really happened. Even with this lack of evidence, Othello choose to believe Iago because he is only thinking about what Desdemona possibly did to him. He is looking for a way to obtain revenge more than he is to find out the truth.
It is something that can destroy relationships and also consume the mind. Jealousy can be seen represented in the play a number of times and ways from suspicion to competition, and in every case, it can be very destructive. The jealousy theme in Othello is very interesting because Iago, an evil and destructive character, displays jealousy from the very beginning of the play. Iago has a mind where he feels that he should take revenge on those who he feels have done him wrong. Iago is jealous of both Othello and Cassio because of the same issue.
However, looking at the play in a different perspective Iago can be viewed as the heroic character. Iagos desire and motive to create a better life for himself, as well as his keen and cunning intellect make him a heroic protagonist in which the audience can sympathize with. Arguments Lieutenancy – Iago is portrayed to be evil and self-absorbed but he has dreams and desires like anyone else – secure a better life for himself and Emilia which he would achieve with a higher rank. Iago has proven his loyalty and worth to Othello over the years and yet Othello still gives it to Cassio a ‘mathematician.’ Iago is driven by passion to fulfil his dream and will resort to stealing it from Cassio. This desire is NOT based on jealousy or selfishness but Iago wants to have the typical ‘American Dream’ – people can achieve what they desire through hard work.
This play sends a strong message of fate and free will to the audience. Oedipus’ free will to pursue knowledge of his identity is significant; fate is responsible for Oedipus’s incest and many of the other devastating events that accrued to him thou out the play. By the importance of fate, Sophocles sends a message across that his characters cannot be fully responsible for their actions. A perfect example of this is blaming Oedipus for marrying his mother, his ignorance was his flaw leading to his downfall, fulfilling the prophecy he tried so hard to avoid. Sophocles’ use of irony helps the audience develop the characters of the play.
Jealousy and deception are central themes in many of Shakespeare’s plays, and are often what leads to the hero’s downfall. There are a number of key scenes in Othello that represent these themes of jealousy, deception and tragedy throughout the play. In Act 2 Scene 3 Iago uses different techniques in order to deceive Othello and change his opinions of Cassio. Iago says: ‘I would rather have this tongue cut from my mouth, then it should do offense to Michael Cassio.’ Iago is setting up his later deception, as he is tricking Othello into thinking that he likes Cassio and would never speak ill of him, which enables him to seem more believable when he later deceives Othello about Desdemona’s affair. This deception is confirmed when Othello says ‘I know Iago, thy honesty, and love doth mince this matter, making it light to Cassio.’ Othello is suggesting that Iago may not tell the whole truth as he wants to protect Cassio.
The application and reflection of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories in Hamlet’s character can be found in his works easily. It would be fair to mention that the character of Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play is a literary reflection of the Oedipus complex. Due to the reason that he lacks of ability to overcome Oedipus complex in himself, hence Hamlet fails to fulfill his mission and faces the tragic downfall in the end. Not only that, Freud’s psychoanalytic theories on Id, Ego and Super-Ego also can be applied on Hamlet’s character. According to it, the Id is the set of uncoordinated instinctual trends; the Ego is the organized, realistic part; and the Super-ego plays the critical and moralizing role.
Sunday 11th December English- How does Shakespeare Present ideas about Reputation in Othello? Throughout the play Othello, reputation is a continuous theme demonstrating the importance of reputation at the time when the play was set and the effects a ruined reputation can have among the characters. Iago uses his reputation as an honest man to deceive Othello and every other character in the play; including his own wife. Othello's reputation plays a key role throughout the play as he is portrayed as the courageous Moor who is the only one skilled enough to protect Venice. His reputation also helps him avoid punishment from the Duke of Venice by marrying Brabantio’s daughter Desdemona.
Therefore, gradually Iago begins to plant seeds of doubt into Othello’s mind over his trust for Desdemona. This is suggested when he says “Ha! I like not that” in act 3 scene 3 suggesting sexual relations have taken place between Cassio and Desdemona, whilst he tries to pretend that this was a slip of the tongue. This begins Othello’s deterioration of trust for Desdemona while seemingly increasing the trust he holds for Iago. This also creates dramatic irony as we know Iago did this intentionally to spite Othello.
It explains Iago’s insatiable desire for revenge against Othello, explores the theme of jealousy in the play, and gives light to Iago’s manipulative deceptions and dishonesties. The soliloquy highlights a lot of important facts about the central characters and themes in “Othello”. The extract explains Iago’s relentless desire for revenge against Othello. As Iago believes that the Moor has wronged him in many ways, he sees it somewhat appropriate to plot revenge against him and those close to him. Iago has many rather theoretical reasons for his revenge, one of which being his failure to receive the spot of lieutenant, and the other being that he “suspect[s] the lusty Moor” of sleeping with his wife, Emilia.