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Iago's Personality

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Iago is a manipulative person motivated by self-riotousness, greed, and jealousy. He craves control over everybody he comes in contact with. He finds each character’s passion or motives and uses it to drive his scheme. His most effective weapon is his words. He poison’s the other characters mind with misleading thoughts, which gives him more power over them. Iago’s first target is Rodrigo, a weak-minded, lustful, young, and wealthy man. Rodrigo thinks he is in love with Desdemona, but it’s really lust. He is willing to go as far as drowning himself if can’t be with her. Rodrigo’s love for Desdemona puts him in a defenseless state and this vulnerability gives Iago the power to take advantage of him. Knowing that it’s no limits to what Rodrigo …show more content…

Cassio is known for not being able to keep his composure when he is drunk. Envious of Cassio’s position as Lieutenant, Iago devises a plan to make Cassio seem incompetent for his job. He convinces Cassio that a drink or two won’t hurt him and then sends Rodrigo to provoke him. Cassio retaliates and Montano, a man of political power, is wounded in the scuffle. Othello hears of the situation from Iago and strips Cassio of his rank. Cassio is now vulnerable to Iago’s manipulation. Iago tries to comfort Cassio. “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving. (Act II, scene iii)”. The reader at this point is mentally hyped and urged to see how Iago will abuse Cassio vulnerability. Iago tells Cassio that he should talk to Desdemona because she can probably convince her husband that Cassio is actually a good man. I will do all my abilities in thy behalf (Act III, scene iii). Desdemona pledges that she’ll help Cassio. Iago knows that Desdemona has a big heart for people who needs her help. He uses this to later place her in a predicament that makes it seem inevitable that she is having an affair. Through all of this Iago is gaining more and more power. He won’t stop until he has ruined the man with the most power which at this point is …show more content…

Thou dost mean something (Othello Act III, scene iii) Iago keeps responding to Othello by purposely rephrasing everything Othello has said. Othello becomes angry. Iago then changes his speech. And when Certain, men should be what they seem (Othello, Act III, scene iii). Why, then, I think Cassio's an honest man. (Iago, Act III, scene iii). Iago talks to Othello in a specific manner to hint that he is hiding extra information from him. Othello becomes desperate for an answer and that’s when Iago manipulates him. Whereto we see in all things nature tends. Foh! One may smell in such a will most rank, Foul disproportion, thoughts unnatural? (Iago, Act III, scene iii). Iago explains to Othello that Desdemona is more attracted to Cassio (the men native to Venice) and she has lost her love for Dark men. He makes it seems like he cares by portraying to give him false hope in order to soothe his hurt. Iago, from that moment, gained control of Iago’s mind. He seals the deal when his handkerchief is found in Cassio’s

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No, sure, I cannot think it that he would steal away so guiltylike [sic], seeing your coming”(III.III.41-43). (4.) In this display of intelligence, Iago is cleverly using reverse psychology to plant a very small, but still present, thought that maybe Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. This is especially important as it kick-starts the rest of the plan of revenge. (3.)

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Cassio is the one Iago wanted dead or out of position. However, at the end of the play, Cassio didn’t die and Othello advocated him a higher position. Again, most things Iago says are lies and ironic. He states, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy…... ”(3.3.195)

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At this point in the play Iago had told Othello just enough to make him start to doubt his relationship with Desdemona. Iago realized that the small details would begin to drive Othello mad and he would believe anything, even if it was not real evidence of a relationship between Desdemona and Cassio. Othello will eventually let the Jealously take over and kill his wife over the lies told by

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He feels and thinks that he has been cheated, betrayed, made a fool of by others—but he has no proof. His arguments for revenge are built on suspicion, feeling, emotion, and impulse.” (Warnken) In this quote it proves that Iago wants power as a reward rather than to make himself stronger he wants the characters to feel what they made him feel. When Othello gave the ranking as Lieutenant to Cassio, Iago felt that he had been betrayed by Othello.

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To Othello, Iago is more reputable now causing Iago is, at this point, reputable, meaning Othello will to believe anything that Iago says even if it is a lie. Iago’s psychopathic manipulations of Cassio then ultimately cause his downfall once Othello discovers that Iago has been dishonest, his punishment of torture and imprisonment at the end of the play is his downfall. Iago’s Throughout the play, since Iago is trustworthy to Othello, Iago plants seeds of jealousy in Othello’s mind. In Act Five, scene two, Othello shows the audience how he believes that Iago is “most honest” (Shakespeare 1302).

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In the Shakespeare story, “Othello” the villain of the story, Iago has a not so shocking transformation. He was a small time rapscallion, who simply at the the beginning wanted revenge for the wrongdoing done to him by being passed up for the promotion to lieutenant. But then it turned into more of nefarious plan, to “turn [Desdemona’s] virtue into pitch.” (Shakespeare.2.33.338) He manipulated everyone in this storyline he interacts with, especially the following characters; Roderigo, Othello & Emilia, with each character he goes from being harmless physically to being unpredictably evil. Roderigo, the man who unrequitedly has fallen in love in with Desdemona makes a deal with Iago in hopes of winning her heart.

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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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Iago’s resentment towards Othello evolves because Othello chose Cassio over him in

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Thoughtout the whole play Othello was making bad judgements. The worst one he made was trusting Iago with such little to go on. Othello watched in act 4 scene 1 where Iago was talking to Cassio as a great friend, trying to get Cassio to “talk” about the affair with Desdemona. If Iago can break a best friend bond why wouldn’t he lie to

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When Iago begins to plot his plan for retribution against those he feels cheated by; he is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that his plan is successful. Iago does this by earning peoples trust and respect before crossing them. While receiving their friendship, he has no regard as to how they

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When Othello finds out he decides to remove Cassio from his position in which Iago talks to Cassio and convinces him to use Desdemona to get his job back. To his advantage, Iago uses this and schemes up a plan to convince Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. Listening to Iago, Cassio attempts to talk with Desdemona as she agrees to help him out. It’s during this time that Othello and Iago are approaching as the two are having a conversation which plays directly into Iago’s scheme.

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Othello starts to believe Iago’s lies about his friends and wife, leading Othello to change his behavior towards his closest allies. Iago instigates a fight between Cassio and Montano, and Othello must take charge of his soldiers, he says: Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio. Cassio, I love thee But never more be officer of mine. (2.3.210-213) Othello makes the decision to fire Cassio, and things get worse when Iago makes his wife, Emilia, steal Desdemona 's handkerchief.

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(2.3.122-24). Still motivated to get the position of the lieutenant, Iago ill-advises Cassio to claim back Desdemona, that she was rightfully his and thus he needed to talk to her to get her back (Bevington, 2014). To sound honest, Iago assures Cassio that he “protest, in the sincerity of love and honest kindness (3.1.321) so that Cassio may agree with what he is saying. Lastly, still motivated to get the position of a lieutenant, Iago lies to Othello that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona and that his wife prefers Cassio to him because he is ugly and old (Bevington, 2014; Adelman, 1997).

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944 Words | 4 Pages

Iago also manipulates Othello with jealousy. When Othello is gone at war, Iago tells him that Cassio and Desdemona were getting too close. At first Othello does not believe him, but by Iago saying “nothing,my lord; or if- I know not what” Othello starts to question if it is true (III. III. 39). Iago constantly uses his “innocence” to make Othello jealous and start to assume that it is true. These actions eventually lead to a tragic event.

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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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