How Is Iago Portrayed In Othello

The Stage and Film Portrayal of Othello As Thomas Macaulay once said, “Othello is, perhaps, the greatest work in the world”, and that statement may be true. Othello, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, follows the military and romantic life of Othello and those he comes into contact with throughout the play. During the course of history, this famous play has been performed on both the stage and on film hundreds of times. The stage and film portrayals equate and differentiate from Othello in Shakespeare’s Othello. Othello is a powerful character who, despite a major flaw, the reader cares for and is the one the reader wants to be victorious. From the beginning of the novel, one sees Iago, Othello’s ensign, start to plot against Othello for not appointing him to lieutenant. Choosing Michael Cassio instead, a ‘great arithmetician’ and ‘a Florentine’, only fuels Iago’s anger and jealousy (1.1.18-19). This theme of jealousy continues to resurface throughout the play. Desdemona, Othello’s wife, becomes a part of Iago’s master plan. Because Othello trusts Iago, Iago is able to manipulate Othello into believing that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him with Cassio. Unable to control his jealousy, Othello murders
Shakespeare clearly presents Othello at the beginning of the play as a noble and pure man. This is demonstrated when Othello says, “My parts, my title and my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly” (1.2.34-35). As the play progresses, Othello slowly starts to give into jealousy. Instead of believing or even talking to his wife, he simply believes what Iago is telling him about Desdemona and Cassio. This is another factor which contributes to his ultimate downfall. At the end of the play, Othello could easily be described as a jealous monster. Understanding Othello’s personality is essential to evaluating stage and film portrayals of