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Iago's Motivation In The Play

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"Bradley believes Iago 's methods are considered plausible in the play. Leavis feels that Iago displays ‘a not uncommon kind of grudging malice’ and has enough of a grievance to explain his motivation. Some critics question whether Iago understands his own motivations. Hazlitt’s view of the villain has been extended so that Iago is now considered an example of the typical stage Machiavel who ‘personifies rationality, self-interest, hypocrisy, cunning, expediency and efficient “policie”’, he is an ‘amoral artist’ who seeks to fashion a world in his own image (Leah Scragg, ‘Iago – vice or
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Iago contributes to the tragic downfall of Othello, playing him like a fiddle. The human nature of Iago manipulates the trust

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When it comes to Iago, he is constantly using others in the story as “pieces” in his larger game. He knows how to trick others into thinking that ideas that are completely absurd and very unrealistic are true. The only thing is that nobody realizes his intentions until it is too

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Fred West characterizes Iago in Shakespeares’ Othello as a psychopath in his article “Iago the Psychopath” because of his manipulations and false honesty, yet his definition overlooks important characteristics such as his failures in relationships, parasitic lifestyle. unreliability and irresponsibility. As West mentioned, Iago has no motives. “His motives-or excuses- come more as afterthoughts, not as stimuli toward the heinous actions he perpetrates.”

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In the beginning of the novel, Shakespeare describes Iago as a mastermind of manipulating others. Iago holds a grudge and resentment towards the Moor, Othello, because another soldier, lieutenant Cassio, has been promoted

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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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Throughout history many of the great generals often had a right hand man or lieutenant to help make important decisions. When Iago was passed over for this great position he was willing to go to any length to achieve the position he felt he deserved. In the play, Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago became the antagonist in one of Shakespeare's most well-known plays. Iago used manipulation, deception, and creative thinking to hatch a plan that would cause the death of nearly every main role in the play.

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Though given the nickname “Honest Iago”, his acts throughout William Shakespeare's, Othello, is not so honest. Iago is an intelligent, convincing, and manipulative man. He enjoys feeding off of people's misery especially when something is in it for him. His intelligence allows him to convince people using the sway of his words so fluently and make them blind to the truth by eluting them with false appearances and telling half truths. This allows him to numerous characters throughout Othello by using their personal beliefs, jealous tendencies, and misleading them into false assumptions by twisting the truth around in his own words in a way that will be beneficial to himself.

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Character can be broken despite how strongly it is shaped. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Othello, Othello was a brave Moor who was quick to marry his lover Desdemona. His sinister ensign Iago deceived him into believing his loyal wife had committed adultery. Although Othello believed the alleged accusations, he also gave up his moral character to Iago. Regardless of the lack of trust from Othello, Desdemona did deceive her father prior to the situation.

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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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“Jealousy is just love and hate at the same time (Drake).” In the opening scene of Othello, Iago and Roderigo were having a discussion. Iago explains how he is enraged over Othello choosing Cassio to be his next in command instead of Iago himself after all the time he spent serving him. Also, Roderigo explains how upset his that Othello is married to Desdemona because Roderigo has bin trying to be with her for a long time. So long that he is in love with her and want her back.

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In the book Othello, Iago is a very manipulating man, throughout the book he manages to manipulate three main people, Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello. He uses all their weaknesses to bring them down. Iago wants revenge on Othello, because Othello overlooks Iago and his abilities, so Iago manipulates these three characters to get back at Othello in the long run. He comes up with a very good plan to get each other to turn against one another. So in the end he ends up getting what he wanted, revenge.

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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.

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Throughout the play of Othello readers can see the main antagonist, Iago, use of equivocation to his advantage and ultimately executing his external goal, while the readers are left

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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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