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Examples Of Iago Being A Devious Character In Othello

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Henry Gessford Troshinsky Writing and Rhetoric 20 December 2022 Othello Rough Draft “Im devious, cruel, cunning, and addictive” (Hopkins). In the book “Othello” by William Shakespear, there are lots of examples of Iago being a very creative, devious, and jealous character throughout the book. These are some of the most notable moments of the book that portray Iago showing these different characteristics. Iago is very creative with the ways he plans to trick Othello into thinking Desdamona is cheating on him. When Emilia finds the handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona, Iago demands that she gives it to him because he has a plan for what he wants to do with it, “Be not acknown on’t / I have use for it. Go, leave me.” (3.3 327-328). Iagos says he already has a plan for the handkerchief and it is to place it in Cassio's room as evidence to show that Desdemona has been cheating on Othello. Iago had created a plan for what he wanted to do with the handkerchief before Emilia even found it. This shows how creative and sneaky Iago can be throughout the book. …show more content…

Iago is convincing Othello that Desdamona is cheating on him with Cassio so that Othello will replace Cassio with Iago as his new Lieutenant. Iago is destroying Othello's relationship but Othello still thinks he cares about him when he really doesn't, “My lord, you know I love you.” (3.3 121). Iago says he loves Othello even after he just made up a story to destroy his relationship and replace Cassio as Lieutenant. Iago shows that he is devious because he lies about Desdemona cheating directly to Othello's face so that he can get a

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This all started because of a handkerchief. Iago has been asking Emilia to steal a handkerchief that in the end has a sentimental meaning. The handkerchief was a gift to Desdamona from Othello and Iago wanted to plant it in Cassio’s possession so it could look like Desdamona was cheating. Desdamona never knew why Iago wanted the handkerchief so bad

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The Manipulation of Jealous Iago In Shakespeare's Othello there is a character well known as an antagonist. Iago identifies as one of Shakespeare's most malevolent villains. He portrays the characteristics of jealousy and manipulation. Iago depicts the personality trait of jealousy.

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He preys on their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, exploiting their flaws to further his own agenda. For example, he manipulates Cassio, Othello's loyal lieutenant, by taking advantage of his drinking habit and goading him into actions that would harm his reputation. He also manipulates Roderigo, a wealthy suitor of Desdemona, by exploiting his infatuation with Desdemona and extracting money from him to fund his malicious plans, “She did deceive her father, marrying you”(III.iii.67). Iago's manipulation of these characters reveals his cunning and deceitful nature, as well as his mastery in exploiting human weaknesses for his own gain. Moreover, Iago's actions and motivations align with the outlaw archetype's tendency to disrupt social order and create chaos.

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At the beginning of Othello, Emilia, who is Iago's wife, remains blindly loyal to her husband. Emilia demonstrates this loyalty when she steals Desdemona's handkerchief for Iago. Desdemona is concerned that she lost the handkerchief and doesn't know where it is, while Emilia knows where it is and proceeds to not tell her. Othello appointed Emilia to be Desdemona's maid. Emilia is being risky to achieve her goal of giving Iago Desdemonas handkerchief.

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Iago will have his wife, Emilia steal Desdemona's handkerchief given to her by Othello. Once the handkerchief is in his possession, he will plant it in Cassio’s room, thus sparking Othello’s jealousy and suspicion of Desdemona and Cassio’s affair. This part of Iago’s plan has many moving parts, that he must facilitate or he risks the chance of getting caught. Moreover, Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony suggests that Iago intelligence outweighs the intelligence of all the other characters in the play. The audience knows the path the handkerchief, took before it got to Cassio.

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Contrary to Iago’s immoral values, Othello’s righteousness and connectedness are contradicted by his doubt and uneasy feelings later in the play. Promptly after talking with Iago, Othello begins to doubt Desdemona’s loyalty, questioning “Why did I marry? This honest creature doubtless sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds” (Shakespeare 3.3. 283-284). After just a few conversations with Iago, Othello’s confidence in his relationship begins to crumble, going against his steadiness, as a general should be.

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It was a task that fulfilled his ongoing request to obtain “that which so often you [Iago] did bid me [Emilia] steal,” and for that reason, shows how Emilia remained loyal in obeying Iago (3.3.354). Shakespeare even takes the paralleled obedience a bit further when Emilia ends an aside with her motive of taking the handkerchief for no other reason than “to please his [Iago’s] fantasy” (3.3.343). Despite Iago’s relentless abuse, there is still a part of Emilia that wants to please him and serve his desires, possibly earning affection in return, much in the same way as Desdemona states her desire at the beginning of this scene to “not now displease” her husband

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This is shown heavily on page 147 when Othello says “Give me a living reason she's disloyal” and Iago says “ I do not… to the moor!” In the long quote from Iago he tells Othello a lot of poor fake information about Desdemona and Cassio but is very open to telling Othello everything he knows which causes Othello to trust

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By telling her this, Othello connects this handkerchief to Desdemona's fidelity towards Him. However when Desdemona misplaces it, it appears to Othello that she has “misplaced her fidelity to him” and in turn has committed adultery. The misplacement of the handkerchief represents the lost connection between Othello and Desdemona despite their true love for each other. The fact that it was tampered with by Iago represents the love he stole from Othello and Desdemona. The deception paired with the appearance of infidelity pairs perfectly to fool Othello.

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Iago utilizes manipulative strategies tailored to each character to classify himself as a “successful” villain, which is evidenced by the outcome of his spiteful intentions leading to Othello losing the reputation he has tirelessly worked for. Iago’s successful acts of villainy are demonstrated through his strategy to use the weaknesses and emotional appeals of his victims in favor of manipulating them to fulfill his plan. Othello exclaims, “I heard thee say even now, thou lik’st not that, when Cassio left my wife. What didst not like?

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In the story of Othello, the handkerchief is of vital importance to the plot. This object was a major piece in the game that Iago played by manipulating Othello and convincing the audience of Desdemona's infidelity. Furthermore, this symbol brings to light unto Iago, Desdemona, Othello and the character of Emilia, and is such of vital importance to the overall characterization. This handkerchief has the symbolic meaning that reveals Othellos social background, his treatment of his wife, and the remaining characters feelings toward her husband.

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Unfortunately for Cassio, it was all a part of Iago 's plan, he then planted the handkerchief that Othello gave Desdemona as a symbol of love, in Cassio 's room. He told Othello of the connection between Cassio and Desdemona, and as she kept bringing his name up to reinstate him, it became more evident to Othello. Iago gradually drove Othello to the edge, he convinced him of the affair between the two and so he felt the need to kill her. Afterwards Othello found out that she didn 't cheat on him, and so he killed himself. The ultimate payback, driven by

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While Shakespeare's Othello is full of deceitful acts of immorality, Iago is behind each one of them. Iago’s, deceptions make Othello believe that his wife is cheating on him with Cassio. Through many remarks Iago is able to force images of sexual relations in Othello's mind. These images and the rage that the images bring soon lead to the hatred of both Othello and Iago. Iago is motivated by his need for revenge and his hatred that he has for Othello.

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His sinister and cunning acts are a perpetration of his character and can be demonstrated thus; when confessing to Roderigo his plans to betray Othello he declares ‘I follow him to serve any term upon him... I am not what I am’ (Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 42-46). Furthermore, Iago elucidates his strategy to the audience which is typified through the quotes ‘After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear’, (Act 1, Scene 3, Line 389) and ‘The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so’ (Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 393-394). These lines are noticeably omitted form the film due to the time constraints, and their exclusion has been perceived as the catalyst for the contrasted themes of the play. Other notable attempts by Iago to manipulate his peers include; his advice to Cassio to put his case to Desdemona regarding his disposition as Lieutenant, which can be seen in the lines ‘...turn her virtue into pitch, and out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all’ (Act 2, Scene 3, Lines 350-353).

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Iago is first shown to be a manipulative villain and stays the same throughout the entire play. However, the extent to which he deceives other characters increases as the play progresses. Iago has been evil all along, although it surfaces gradually. In Act 1 Scene 1 of Othello his trickery only causes Roderigo to be cheated out of his money, while in Act 2 Scene 3, Iago 's deception causes Roderigo to pick a fight with drunken Cassio, hence causing Cassio to lose his position as lieutenant. Moreover in Act 5 Scene 2, after he poisons Othello 's mind with his carefully crafted words, Othello murders Desdemona as a result of Iago 's manipulation.

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