The sympathy felt for a character often remains through character revelation. In spite of the change in personality and morals the first impression of the character is not forgotten. Othello who commits violent acts throughout the play ends his life with honour, reminding us he was originally introduced as a respected man of high position. A person can be manipulated by others to act outside of their character, and their emotions can blind them from making good decisions. In the end a person’s true character is reflected upon the way they react to the results of their wrong doing.
“I am not what I am.” This entire book is based on this quote. Shakespeare is a visionary and he really capture this sense of keep your friends close but your enemies closer. No one is truly what they say they are in this book which I think is a very important that Shakespeare does to his characters. In the calamity that is Othello, by William Shakespeare he consolidate influential themes and motifs that capture the nature of said calamity, these include the themes of manhood/honor and jealousy, as well as money and animal motifs.
Iago contributes to the tragic downfall of Othello, playing him like a fiddle. The human nature of Iago manipulates the trust
In the play Othello, Iago manipulates the others by creating a scene within a scene. He sets up characters, by controlling what they see and feeding them lies. In the opening scene, while Iago is talking to Rodrigo, he reveals it would be weak to allow his external actions show what he is thinking inside. As he describes; "When my outward action doth demonstrate/ the native act and figure of my heart/
In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, he uses duality and paradoxes to reveal parts of human nature that people wish to ignore. Othello is about a man named Othello who marries above his station and wrestles with his insecurities as the antagonist, Iago, uses them and his own reputation for candor as mean to enact his revenge for Othello’s alleged affair with his wife, Emelia. Iago embodies the paradox of a truthful man who uses his honesty to manipulate people, which contradicts a core human idea that honest people are the most righteous or virtuous. Iago earns his reputation for trustworthiness by being honest in the face of consequences and when it suits his own gain.
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.
Othello’s character undergoes a significant change due to a series of events at the hands of Iago, the play’s antagonist to enhance the fact that even a valiant heroes can become corrupt. In the beginning of the play, Othello adores
Envision a world where every person who you have told a secret to was planning a huge conspiracy against you and everyone you have ever loved. This metaphorical situation becomes the reality for valiant Othello, of the play Othello. In Othello Shakespeare take readers through an intrinsic journey of , Othello, a tenacious military chief who eventually turns into a perpetrator of murder; Othello’s journey is the steps of a hero's journey in reverse. By the end of the play he has lost everything due to trust in the wrong people. Shakespeare uses characters in the play to show that the source of cruelty is inside of the first perpetrator, who takes advantage of others insecurities and ignorance, scrutinizing the fact that trust in the ones
The tragedy of Othello written by William Shakespeare presents the main character Othello as a respectable, honorable, and dignified man. However, because of his insecurities and good nature he is easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his alleged friends. Shakespeare is known for his exceptional ability to compose plays full of deceit, revenge, and jealousy. Jealousy is an underlying theme throughout the tragedy and has been represented by many of the main characters, such as Iago, Roderigo, and Othello. The topic of jealousy will ultimately lead to the demise of many characters throughout the tragedy.
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
“Iago is both admired and despised simultaneously in Shakespeare’s Othello” One may agree with this statement due to Shakespeare’s portrayal of Iago. He is seen to have multiple personalities, in a sense, perceptively only displaying certain traits of his characteristics in certain situations. For example, soliloquies show the audience Iago’s true intentions, however Othello views him as a loyal companion stating, repetitively throughout the whole play “honest Iago” this shows that Iago is extremely cunning and smart to have so successfully displayed himself as a certain honest character which in actuality, he is not; “I am not what I am”, showing he is not as honest as he seems. He also says, “I follow him to serve my turn upon him” in act 1.
In the play Othello, William Shakespeare creates an elaborate tragedy with various in depth characters, enhancing the story with powerful characterization. Iago, the main antagonist of Othello, exemplifies Shakespeare’s use of characterization to create in depth and complex characters. Using his manipulative nature, intellectual mind, egotistical attitude, and dishonesty, Iago controls the other characters in order to achieve his goal, leading Othello to succumb to an overwhelming jealousy causing his downfall. In order for Iago to gain control of the characters in the play, he manipulates Othello, Roderigo, Cassio, and more to believe false information and turn on one another.
Human nature is perceived as a delightful entity. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, several characters demonstrate the dark side of human nature and display how simple it is to get carried away with emotions. This includes Iago, who only cares for himself, Brabantio who has many doubts, and Roderigo who lacks intellect. Firstly, Iago demonstrates the dark side of human nature by being self-centered.
Disadvantageous aspects of human nature unceasingly grow as bigotry increases; thus, dismally impacting mankind as a result. For instance, society becomes controversial in Shakespeare’s Othello when the destructive Iago formulates a plan to entangle almost everyone in the play; naturally, utilizing resources such as ignorance and bewilderment to carry out what he intends. In another event, Sarah Koenig’s Serial podcast portrays society as a system of criminal injustice and biased assumptions when the star of the series, Adnan Syed, becomes convicted of a crime without solid evidence; likewise, in Plato’s “Allegory of the Den,” the prisoners rest chained to their own ignorance with the same unadaptability as those subject to society’s everlasting
The play of Othello is a tragedy that exposes the characters in several ways, causing conflict and envy, eventually leading to a tragic end. To achieve this tragic end, Iago uses manipulation in order to change the views of, and bring out multiple personalities in the characters. One's perception of a situation is directly proportional to the demeanor of a person. When a person changes the way that they look at a situation, the entire way that they present themself; their attitude, behavior, and traits that they exude, change.
