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Betrayal In Shakespeare's Othello: The Moor Of Venice

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The human species have exhibited the tendency to be fascinated into the darkest parts of the human psyche, to explore the facets of human behavior that go against one's baser instincts. This includes the tendency to gravitate towards depictions of tragedy, be them real of fictitious, as they present the darker corners of human nature without dwelling too far into them oneself. Betrayal poses a particularly captivating conundrum as humanity’s residual instincts and moral compass suggest that such acts go against humanity’s very fiber as a just and interdependent being. The concept of betrayal is explored in Shakespeare's tragedy Othello: The Moor of Venice, wherein the characters are faced with the consequences of the actions set forth by the betrayal of Othello’s “loyal” standard bearer, Iago. The paramount moment in the play in which the full consequences of Iago’s scheme are realized come in the final act. During which, the full course of his actions are revealed by …show more content…

In a discussion with his companion Roderigo, wherein he describes that “[he is] not what [he is],” first introducing his two-faced nature to the audience (1.1.71). The reveal of Iago’s treacherous nature results in dramatic irony for the reader and viewer as he or she witness Othello’s gradual descent into madness spurred on by Iago’s continued insinuations of Desdemona’s infidelity. Furthermore, the base reasoning for his betrayal of Othello is revealed, citing his lack of promotion on Othello’s side in favour of the promotion of Cassio. Iago’s feelings about Iago are best summed up in his famous lines, “I hate the Moor. My cause is hearted; thine hath no less reason. Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him” (1.3. 409-411). Iago claims that his reasoning for his actions come from his base hatred for Othello, yet he conceals his betrayal to the very end, for he is a man that “follow[s] but myself”

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Determined to eradicate Othello, Iago intends to provoke Othello until the Moor does something so heinous and unforgivable, which is caused by “a jealousy so strong that judgment cannot cure”, implicating how Iago wants Othello to become so jealous that he won’t be able to think straight or reasonably. When Iago is alone with Othello he announces “Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio. Wear your eyes thus, not jealous nor secure. I would not have your free and noble nature out of self-bounty be abused”, ironically signifying how Iago is attempting to plant the seed of suspicion by subtly hinting at the notion that something is going on between Desdemona and Cassio. Othello believes and only trusts Iago, and Iago uses that trust against Othello, so in the end it will benefit him and only him.

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Iago’s Motives Iago is the main antagonist in Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. He is one of the most famous and mysterious villains of all time. Some might say he is the embodiment of evil, but what are his true motives? Why does he hate Othello so much?

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At the same time, he starts to think about revenge: “I have told thee often, and I re-tell thee again and again, I hate the Moor: my cause is hearted; thine hath no less reason. Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him. (Shakespeare 1.3.367)”. However, Othello consider Iago as one of his trusted

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Othello’s confidence for a loyal man to maintain honesty and morals are contradicted through Iago’s actions: “in a man that’s just / They are close dilations, working from the heart, / That passion cannot rule” (3.3.123). Iago, due to the understatement to his name, is not perceivable as hateful. Othello’s willingness to sense Iago’s distress, and to believe his accusations, is because of the lack of awareness Othello has for his vengeance. Iago is of such little power and relevance within societal ranking that if he were to have intentions to sabotage anyone, which he does, are not considered, thus making him easily trustworthy to those of greater dominance. Society’s view of an individual determines how others consider and surmise their persona, though these conclusions may be false.

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Jealousy and envy are not only two very powerful emotions but can also be seen as two influential forces that can dictate the actions of an individual. These emotions assist in igniting and fanning the fire that motivates people to seek out their desires. In the Shakespearean tragedy, Othello written by William Shakespeare, Iago utilizes his emotions of jealousy and envy as a catalyst to commence his plan of achieving the highest level of military and political influence while also destroying Othello’s social reputation. The development of the character, Iago throughout the play, happens very seamlessly and in a very gradual fashion, with the help of the writing and rhetorical strategies of bestial imagery, dramatic irony, and pathos. Furthermore,

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Othello is one of William Shakespeare’s classic plays which centres on two main characters, the villainous and manipulative Iago, and the powerful yet insecure Othello. Throughout the play, it is Iago’s goal to ruin Othello’s life which turns in to a constant battle for him. In the play, Othello is blinded by the manipulation of Iago, thus showing Othello’s jealousy and Iago’s manipulation, then causing him to commit a series of wrong acts. It is evident that throughout the play Iago uses his persuasive powers and figurative language to effect Othello’s mood and personality. It all started when Iago was hopeful to get the title of Lieutenant from Othello, who he graciously looked up to.

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Final Essay on Othello In the book Othello written by William Shakespear, one of the protagonists also known as the as the villain of the play named Iago is often debated on to decide if he is completely villainous or if he has real reasons for getting revenge against Othello. Another argumentation is choosing if he is a realistic character or does his behavior and emotions seem completely implausible. Although it seems like Iago has no motives in the play other than him being jealous about Othellos general position. In addition Iago has already demonstrated that he will do anything to get what he wants and won’t stop for anything.

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William Shakespeare’s 1603 tragic play Othello set in the Elizabethan era, depicts a world riddled with betrayal and jealousy. The play centres around the noble and highly respected general Othello, who is plagued with jealousy and betrayed by his second in command, Iago. Othello is ultimately about betrayal to some extent, as it also highlights the importance of being trustworthy and not letting jealousy overrule one’s ability to reason. Shakespeare wrote this play to highlight the damage that would be caused if the Great Chain of Being was disrupted or even worse, broken. In the play, Iago disrupts the Great Chain of Being and Shakespeare illustrates how catastrophic the damage that was caused in doing so.

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Iago uses very clever methods of persuasion and manipulation aimed to use Othello’s hamartia against him, pointing out that “ “She (Desdemona) did deceive her father, marrying you,” so much so that Brabantio “thought ’twas witchcraft”. Through this, Iago is subtly raising the issues of Othello’s cultural differences with Desdemona; a root cause behind Othello’s insecurities with his wife – along with inadequacy due to race, degree of sophistication and age. As Iago prompts Othello to think the worst, his utterances are short and uneasy, revealing the beginning to his downfall, whilst Iago’s dialogue is at length highlighting his growing power of

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Like a puppet master, Iago uses deception in the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, as a duplicitous being with perfidious views on the demise of others for personal revenge against Othello. Consequently, he is able to manipulate the characters in an adroit manner with ease as if fraudulency becomes second nature. Yet, Iago has not become this iconic villain without just (used loosely) cause. Before Iago’s notorious connotation, this dauntless soldier-people considering the precedent for just acts, and pious intentions- is discounted for a promotion by word of Othello, leading the inexorable “green-eyed monster” to peek its grotesque head out from underneath its lair. Agitated and undoubtedly cunning, Iago seeks his revenge against Othello with a ferocity unmatched, using every arsenal disposable to him; deception being his greatest.

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As the audience receives more information about his hatred for Othello, it is still vague on how and why exactly Iago wants to destroy him. Because of the lack of clarity, it creates a spark of interest to hear more of Iago’s

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In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare we are introduced to Othello who is the protagonist and faces a lot of obstacles, one of them being betrayal. Throughout the whole play we witness betrayal from many of the characters through their irrational behavior and actions. However the biggest betrayal we see is from Iago, who is the antagonist, in other words, the villain of the play. Iago plans on having his revenge and betraying Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Rodrigo and even his wife, Emilia. Betrayal is wrong and something that can’t be forgiven, at the end betrayal breaks friendships as well as lives and trust which never works out well in the end.

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While he knows that his actions are immoral, he embraces it fully by calling for evil forces to help in his plans to destroy Othello’s life. This imagery shows Iago’s true nature to the audience, one that wishes for the corruption of people’s lives and actively acting it out. Moreover, Iago refers to himself as a devil in a soliloquy after Cassio drunkenly --------, saying "When devils will the blackest sins put on, / They do suggest at first with heavenly shows, / As I do now" (2.3.351-353). He reveals his intentions to harm Othello to the audience, showing that he does not have empathy for Othello or those his actions would affect, showing his ------------------------------------------------------------------------.

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Iago goes against everyone whom he seems to side. Everything seems to work out in Iago’s favor; his trickery and deceitfulness lead him to becoming the swindler he yearns to be, with success in his schemes. Iago’s hatred towards Othello is evident from the very beginning of the play. In Act 1, Scene 1, Iago presents a couple of different reasons for hating Othello.

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Iago’s powerfully disruptive insinuations torment Othello to fall precipitously into his intricate trap, believing in the prospect of Cassio and Desdemona’s fictitious affair. Through the use of linguistic techniques such as elliptical speech, subservient vocative choices and a hesitant tone, Iago is able to construct artful innuendoes to deceive and manipulate Othello. Supplementary to linguistic techniques, dramatic techniques such as dramatic irony reinforces Iago’s role as a two-faced villain, who is making a pretence of being Othello’s loyal ensign. Eventually, Iago’s villainy nature sows a seed of doubt in Othello that germinates into the murder of Desdemona. Through the characterisation of Iago as a notorious villain, Shakespeare is able to hold Iago’s actions accountable for the play’s tragic downfall, establishing a sense of powerlessness amongst the

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