ipl-logo

Iago's Use Of Honesty In Othello

789 Words4 Pages

Landyn Persicano
Mr. Spalding
Literature II
19 April 2023
Othello, Shakespeare, and Honesty
“Iago is most honest,” is one of the most uttered terms within the play Othello. Author Willam Shakespeare includes the word “honest” 51 times throughout the play. Shakespeare uses “honest” as an ironic phrase against the true intentions of the character, Iago. He also uses it in many ways which complete the irony and make the word truly stand out. This irony is included because of the effect it has on the audience and the other characters within the play.
Since the beginning of the play, Iago was labeled “honest Iago.” Othello did not see Iago's true intent, however this version of Iago was created out of jealousy. “And, good lieutenant, I think you think I love you.” (II.iii.) This is from …show more content…

Shakespeare wanted to bring in dramatic irony within the play. It enhances the tension between all of the characters. Iago being “honest”, creates a lot of understanding of how only the audience knows his negative intentions. However, the other characters had no idea he was behind a lot of mischief within the character grouping. This shows the irony of Iago being dishonest, creating dramatic irony toward the audience's feelings throughout the play. Iago, as the antagonist, strives to only get what he wants out of jealousy and greed. He believes that he can manipulate people and change their thoughts to get what he wants. For example, “But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets He has done my office. I know not if 't be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety.”(1.3.429-433) This shows that Iago hates Othello for getting a promotion. He then switches his reasoning for hating Othello to a rumor he heard about Othello and Iago’s wife having an affair. Obviously, Iago was the problem, and was never held accountable for those

Show More
Related

Similarities Between Gatsby And Othello

1837 Words | 8 Pages

Iago contributes to the tragic downfall of Othello, playing him like a fiddle. The human nature of Iago manipulates the trust

Read More

Comparing Othello And In The Time Of The Butterflies By Julia Alvarez

846 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

Examples Of Visual Proof In Othello

1625 Words | 7 Pages

It’s a scoffing moment for Othello, as he questions how could Iago be that? It’s something that is very difficult to explain, but because Iago is recognizing his own “crazy” thoughts, but what readers also know to be true thoughts, it manages to open the door for Othello to recognize them as well. After Othello recognizes that Iago could not be what he is describing, does Iago perpetrate honesty into absolute solidarity between them. As Iago is creating the illusion of honesty with Othello, he also lays the foundation of the “honest” ocular proof, that he is going to soon give to

Read More

Thesis Statement For Othello

494 Words | 2 Pages

Thesis Statement: Othello’s generosity and integrity, let the false accusations that Iago told him get to him because he was too focused on one part of the story that was being told. Forecast: As Othello kept listening to Iago 's lies he became very heated and ended up killing

Read More

Iago's Use Of Honesty In Othello

1221 Words | 5 Pages

The idea of honesty plays a prominent role in other Shakespeare works, with the word honest appearing multiple times in many of them. However, the word honesty plays the largest role in Othello. The use of the word honest to describe both Iago and Desdemona allows Shakespeare to heighten the dramatic irony in Othello. The use of the word honesty enhances the contradiction between people’s opinions of Iago, and his true nature, therefore; it magnifies the dramatic irony.

Read More

Examples Of Manipulation In Othello

901 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

Iago's Psychopaths In Othello

757 Words | 4 Pages

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).

Read More

Discussion Of Honesty In Shakespeare's Othello

1073 Words | 5 Pages

Othello, one of the most well-known tragedies written by William Shakespeare, is a symbolic piece of Shakespearean tragedies throughout 15th and 16th century, which is also known as the period of English Renaissance – the ‘rebirth’. Iago is often called ‘honest’ in the play as one of the speech by Othello adopted from the play goes “…A man he is of honesty and trust…” (1.3.283). To what extent can the so-called ‘Honest Iago’ is just ‘literally honest’ will be explained regarding my findings and opinions in following paragraphs. First of all, I think that Iago’s ‘honest’ words only apply to those ‘honest’ people whom he shares special relationships with throughout the play of Othello, indeed. A few relationships can be defined with the conjugal

Read More

The Destruction Of Honesty In Shakespeare's Othello

522 Words | 3 Pages

As it has been presented throughout the whole play, the hatred Iago has towards Othello has always been to get rid of him due to him being awarded Lieutenant. However, it seems that once Iago got promoted to Lieutenant shortly after Othello’s death, he stills seems to feel hatred. It maybe because Iago does not like himself and always was jealous of Cassio and Othello’s actions and how they were. Therefore, telling lies and creating schemes to make himself believable which he successfully does with Othello. They have known each other for a long time and the reason he trusts Iago because he is noble, smart with his words to allow others to have trust in

Read More

Essay On The Power Of Words In Othello

868 Words | 4 Pages

More than half of the time that honest is used in the play, Othello; it is used as “honest Iago”. This is ironic because honest is seen in the play as loyal, trustworthy, a man of his word, etc and Iago is anything but all of those characteristics. There is not character in the play that does not think that Iago is an honest man. When you look at the name of the play, Othello, you can see that the name implies that Othello is an outsider in the

Read More

Friendship In Othello

1474 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout the play, he would often talk about Iago in the same manner as in Act 2, scene 2, “a man he is of honesty and trust”( II,ii. 323-324). Given that Othello trusted who he thought was his best friend, it was easier for Iago to bring Othello down. The root of Iago’s evil intentions is jealousy, which he describes to be like a “green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on” (III,iii. 196-197). He speaks of it in a way that captures how it affects man because that is what he was going through after Cassio got the lieutenancy.

Read More

Theme Of Honesty In Othello

1199 Words | 5 Pages

The characters in Othello are effected by this word honesty because it shows us how we as people can be so trusting in someone that we should not. Through out the entire play there is not a part in which Iago is not manipulating the characters to his benefit. In the beginning of the play during act 1 scene 1, Iago already has a plan thought up to try and get at Othello because she did not get the position of lieutenant which he wanted, Cassio received it. Iago mad at this convinces Rodrigo to go to Desdemona fathers house during the night and inform him that his daughter and army general Othello are in love and are married. At the time this was thought to be a bad thing because Othello is what they called a “moor” at the time, someone who is of a darker complication.

Read More

Theme Of Dishonesty In Othello

750 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More

Iago's Influence On Othello

436 Words | 2 Pages

Iago is a unique and complicated character. He is intelligent in that he is able to manipulate people and events in his favour, which he thrives on throughout the play, classifying him as the antagonist of the play. Driven by jealousy and hatred, Iago plots against Othello to destroy his character and reputation. Knowing that if he foolishly attacked such a respected man directly, he would be sentenced to death. As a result, he devises to use other people to obtain what he desires by influencing the characters in the play to suit his plan.

Read More

Iago Manipulation In Othello

708 Words | 3 Pages

In many stories, there are villains who seem to control how the characters act by manipulation. These kinds of villains use multiple techniques to get what they want and to execute their plans. The techniques are used to affect the characters in a negative way in favor of the villain. In Othello, the antagonist Iago, plays that role. Iago affects the characters’ lives in a negative way by his honest reputation, his ability to “read” people, and how he “proves” to be Loyal.

Read More

More about Iago's Use Of Honesty In Othello

Related Topics

Open Document