Iago: Evil Incarnate “I follow him to serve my turn upon him. We cannot all be masters‚ nor all masters Cannot be truly follow ’d” (1.1.42-44). Iago’s speech to Roderigo in the first scene gives the audience their first glimpse at his true nature. He shows here that he only serves Othello in order to serve himself; this statement hints at his overarching scheme to bring down Othello in the end. Iago is unquestionably the villain in Othello‚ but beyond that‚ he perfectly personifies evil in every
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IAGO’S MANIPULATION Iago cites multiple and incompatible motives for wanting to destroy Othello. Earlier‚ he said he hates Othello because "the Moor" passed him over for a promotion but‚ here‚ he tells us he hates "the Moor" because he’s heard a rumor that Othello has been hooking up with Iago’s wife‚ Emilia‚ "twixt [Iago’s] sheets." It’s just not clear whether or not we‚ as an audience‚ can believe anything Iago has to say. From beginning to end Iago moves the characters of Othello as if they
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we need to understand the characteristics of a so-called tragic hero as defined by the Greek critic‚ Aristotle. He indicates that a tragic hero must have these characteristics: (1) Be a nobleman‚ prince‚ or person of high estate; (2) Have a tragic flaw‚ and a weakness in judgment; and (3) Fall from high to low estate. (Hubele). Using the Aristotle criteria‚ we can easily classify Othello‚ the Moor‚ as a tragic hero. At the time‚ it was common practice for the Italian city-states to have a foreigner
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this relationship is built on loyalty and trust under the main scheme of revenge. On one side is Othello’s complete faith and trust in Iago. While on the other side is Iago’s pretence of love and loyalty which is suppressed by feelings of jealousy‚ anger and hate. Iago strategized a well structured plot to destroy Othello. Iago’s hatred for Othello came about when Cassio got appointed the position of lieutenant which Iago believed he rightfully deserved for he is more experienced than Michael Cassio
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Tragic Hero? Considered by some to be one of the finest tragedies ever written‚ Shakespeare’s Othello tells the story of one man’s fall from happiness to utter despair. This is achieved by Othello’s fatal flaws – his jealousy and pride. Othello’s own fatal flaws lead him to his demise not Iago’s manipulation. This view point is supported in Professor Crawford’s article “Othello as a Tragic Hero.” In his article‚ Crawford conveys the idea that the misfortunes that befall Othello are cause because of
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Othello is a victim who runs ahead of his tempter Othello is a powerful and thought-provoking play because it demands its audience to contemplate the very nature of humanity. The concept of mankind’s inherent evil is explored primarily through the character of Othello. The audience is often left confused as to whether Othello’s downfall can be blamed on his character or rather the inescapable evil of man. Of course‚ in Othello‚ Iago acts as a catalyst for the disastrous chain of events and can hence
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Shakespeare’s Othello is considered to be a timeless text with the key themes that are incorporated into the play still relevant in today’s society. The text’s central themes are racism‚ honesty and jealousy‚ themes that are still seen in contemporary society‚ therefore making the text just as relevant today as in the Elizabethan era. Racism is a widely explored theme in Othello and is mainly delivered throughout the play by Iago. In the Elizabethan era‚ black men were considered to be lesser men
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due to their flaws. The idea of deception is found early on in the play when Iago says "I follow him to serve my turn upon him" showing us that he is just using Othello’s trust and friendship for his own personal needs. Iago follows on by saying "I am not what I am". This clearly shows the readers what Iago’s true intentions are. The ability to "seem something" but to "be something else" allows the readers to be manipulated into thinking that Iago is of a "honest" nature. Iago’s true intentions
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use this flaw against that man. Shakespeare’s play Othello shows a great example of how one can control others exploiting their weakness and flaw. The character Iago‚ cunning‚ envious‚ and manipulative‚ is the centre of all evil in the play‚ managing to deceit everybody under his own disguise. For my project‚ I have decided to make a fish bowl illustrating how Iago has trapped Othello in a web of lies‚ blinding him from reality and the truth.The fish bowl itself represents all of Iago’s lies and
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respects him. It gives us an insight into what a good a leader Othello is and makes us question what such a strong‚ commanding leader’s flaw might be. Shakespeare’s solid characterisation of Othello in Act One sets him up for his downfall throughout the rest of the play. This therefore make’s his change more credible‚ as we know what his personality was like before Iago’s manipulation takes hold. Othello’s transformation from noble general to murderous husband is portrayed by Shakespeare’s use of
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