Iago's Motives example essay topic

Iago's Motives I GCSE Literature Coursework It is said that Iago is the most evil character Shakespeare ever introduced onto the stage. As J.H. Walter's introduction discusses, , his motives have often been argued over. Some people believe that he is driven by pure malignancy and all his actions are accordingly bad. For them, there is no need to look too deeply into Iago's character for the reasons for his malicious destruction of Othello and Desdemona: he is simply very bad. However as discussed below, Although although he is always seeking to harm others and despises goodness is resistant to therapy, the text suggests that he has some real human motives is definitely not motiveless. On the surface Iago seems to have several motives, common vices.

Hhe himself confesses that envy and jealousy are his motives for hatred and revenge. Iago is a man possessed by the "green eyed monster that doth mock you He is jealous of Othello's wealth and success, who although being a stranger in Venice, suggesting Iago may be racist, is a very strong and powerful general. He also believes that Othello slept with his wife "I hate the Moor and it is thought abroad that twix't my sheets he's done my office" (1.3, . V 378). The thought that the Moor may have cuckolded him "Doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards". But he is jealous ooff the Moor because Desdemona loves him and there is lust in his feelings for the "supersubtle Venetian".

Iago is envious of Cassio who received a promotion to lieutenant instead of him, and resents his apparent good looks: "He hath a daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly" (V 5.1. 19-20). He also believes Cassio to be a proper man and does misuses his trust and friendship to get him demoted. However all these motives do not seem to justify Iago's sheer malignancy and people have argued therefore argue that Othello's 'ancient' is evil incarnate. Iago is a man possessed by the "green eyed monster that doth mock the meat it feeds on (3.3.

166) Somehow His motives as mentioned in his soliloquies do not account for his appalling evil. Looking deeper into Iago's character he does not have one good attribute. He is violent: he murders his wife Emilia. He is sadistic, he seems to take pleasure in doing harm "Work on my medicine work!

Thus credulous fools are caught" IV. 1.44. He is heartless without human feeling or pity. He reduces human feelings to crude lust and he is nearly misogynistic, he treats his wife as a whore and believes that women are only attracted to sex.

Iago is also cynical; he thinks Desdemona will tire of Othello (1.3. 347). He is contemptuous "the moor is of a free and open nature that thinks men honest that but seem to be so". He says himself "I am not what I am" suggesting he might not even be human. For he seeks to destroy not only Othello but everybody "and out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all". Othello doesn't know what Iago may be says " demand that demi-devil why he hath thus ensnared my body and soul" (5.2.

298) and doesn't understand Iago's motives. for Hhe believed his ancient to be an honest man "my ancient, a man he is of honesty and trust". Iago does not have friend or family and he does not trust nor confide in anyone. He uses everyone he knows to play a role in his game of destruction, such as Rodrigo whom he uses for money "thus do I ever make my fool my purse" (1.3. 375), he also persuades Rodrigo to attack Cassio. Iago uses people's qualities to destroy them.

Iago is without doubt one of the nastiest and most manipulative characters ever to appear on stage In the end we must question whether Shakespeare created a man or a monster. Shakespeare has obviously given his character some quite human faults and unworthy motives. We often see envy and malice in people. Shakespeare also gives the character some ordinary human features.

We know his age ('four times seven years') of his past and that he is married (1.3. 309). He is also believed by Othello as an honest man, which also makes him seem human. He has a job and chats to Rodrigo as a companion. It is therefore easy to see him as just a very bad man. However the much of the evidence points to Iago as being an unnatural creation.

It is rare to find only vices and no good points. It is the scale of his badness that seems extraordinary and inhuman., which is quite possible for the devil. Would Iago is Shakespeare's representation of evil in its fight against goodness. As the Introduction points out the drama is about vice against virtue. Iago despises goodness", Virtue, a Fig!" (or 1.3. 317), so we can see him as evil incarnate driven by motiveless malignancy.

And surely that is what he is for 'he is not what he is'. No man could destroy someone while remain in his favour and even become his ally but the devil himself. And Iago's character seems to be the perfect adaptation of hell on earth "I hav't it is engendered. Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light" (1.3.

395)... In truth Iago is both a man with evil motives and a monster who is simply all evil. It is Othello himself who sees that Iago is inhuman but yet cannot be the devil: "demand that demi-devil why he hath thus ensnared my body and soul" (5.2. 298) To make the drama more real and believable and the moral very clear Shakespeare puts evil into a human shape that everybody can recognise.