Othello I Am Not What I Am

The play Othello explores the two-faced nature incorporated through Shakespeare's main protagonist Iago. In Othello’s opening scene, Shakespeare reveals to his audience immediately what Iago’s true character is, and how he’s driven by selfish desires of glory and lust for destruction. Iago’s cunning and crafty ways ultimately sets the “green-eyed monster free”, planting seeds of doubt and suspicion in everyone who crosses his path. Consequently this despotism everyone is blindsided by achieves in fooling them into thinking he is someone completely different to who he truly is, thus showing the idea of ‘I am not what I am’.

Iago’s deception incites great chaos and confusion within his game, as his corrupt principles and lack of legitimate moral methods, give rise to the various betrayals he commits throughout the play. Act 3 features the way that Iago taunts Othello with fears half-formed and preys upon the jealousy he knows Othello already suffers from regarding Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. Iago never names his fears, but the way in which he raises his concerns causes Othello to think the worst. Such a subtle approach towards Othello is Iago’s doorway which allows Othello to play right into his hands. Iago, because of his “love” for Othello and the confidence that he possesses is able to “abuse Othello’s ear” and as a result puts him a position to see what Iago wants him to see, oblivious to his manipulation.

Iago’s deceitful nature plays upon the fundamental weaknesses of Othello and is used to highlight as well as expose Othello’s barbaric side. His carefully calculated hints of infidelity and echoing “Honest, my lord?” and “Think, my lord” continues the undoing of Othello’s security; making him vulnerable through this manipulation. Through line “Villan, be sure thou prove my love a whore; Be sure of it. Give me the ocular proof;” the reader can clearly see the inner self of Othello that is in a desire of proof against Desdemona and the trace of Othello’s