Othello's Back Iago example essay topic

The most interesting person in this play "Othello" is certainly Iago. A cruel vindictive villain filled with hatred and jealousy over people surrounding him. Iago is a character different from all the others in the play. He seems to be everyone's friend and is seen to everyone has on honest guy.

Iago even says he is honest although he is not at all. "I am an honest man... ". (2, 3,258). Iago is a character that is utterly cynical and is not ruled by his intellect but is driven by jealousy. Iago is a very sly and is the most heinous of all characters.

Any chance he gets to take advantage of someone someway he will execute it. Iago reveals himself only to the audience but he tries reveals others character to everyone. The rest of the characters only have a partial glimpse and small doubts about him. Iago disguises his characters to a certain extend therefore the audience must also interpret and judge for themselves why Iago does what he is doing. "Thus I do I ever make my fool my purse" (1, 3,376). Iago telling Roderigo that he wouldn't make a profit out of a fool.

Iago is showing his rudeness and ill-mannered character. Then he actually does it, keep all the jewels and money that Roderigo has given him to pass on to Desdemona to show his love. Iago just ignores it and puts all of the charms in his pocket. Iago is showing his cruelness. Iago is using jealousy to take his revenge on the moor (Othello). Since that was what he felt earlier as the moor did not vote for him.

Iago describes himself best "He hath me a daily beauty in his life, that makes me ugly". Iago is ugly he is ugly as sin. The key to Iago's character is in the line "I am not what I am". Iago is as times humorous, especially in his scenes with the foolish Roderigo. Iago certainly shows his manipulative abilities to the audience particularly when Roderigo is at the scene. He doesn't only execute it in front of Roderigo but also manipulates Othello.

But all this is done behind in very a clever but cowardly way. He is a genuine coward, as he killed his wife so that she could not express the truth about him out (5, 2,230-236). Iago's true, underlying motive for persecuting Othello is believed to be his homosexual love for the general. He always seems to take great pleasure in preventing Othello from enjoying his marital happiness.

Iago uses a lot of brutal sexual images while talking about Othello. "An old black ram is t upping your white ewe" (1, 1, 89-90). Iago talks about Desdemona and Othello have sexual intercourse to Brabantia. He uses sheep terms, which is a disgusting and disrespectful way to describe such a thing.

Iago is expressing his character out to the audience. Iago is a master observer. He observes everyone extremely carefully. Iago tells the truth about himself quite often, but in a way that everyone ignores. "I am not what I am" (1, 1, 66). Here is Iago telling the truth that I am not what I appear to be.

Yet everyone ignores that remark from him. Iago slowly poisons people's thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without implicating himself. Iago is jealous of Cassio because Cassio got the vote from Othello to be appointed lieutenant instead of him. Iago takes revenge on Cassio by tarnishing his reputation and by creating a doubt in Othello's mind that Desdemona and Cassio are lovers. He also hates Othello and gives the reason that he is black.

In front of the moor Iago behaves himself, appears loyal and respectful. Behind Othello's back Iago takes every opportunity to abuse and diminish the moor. Iago pieces together his whole sinister plot to get revenge. He gets Roderigo to come to Cyprus with him and plans to get Othello into thinking Cassio is in love with Desdemona. That way Cassio will be dismissed from lieutenant and Othello will lose Desdemona. Once they reach Cyprus Iago shows his evil right away, by getting Roderigo his supposed friend to believe that Cassio and Desdemona are in love.

This makes Roderigo hate Cassio. After the fight that Roderigo had with Cassio, Iago convinces Cassio to arrange a meeting to talk with Desdemona about reinstating him as lieutenant. Once Cassio listens and goes to Desdemona, Iago will turn to Othello and tell him how Cassio is in love with his wife Desdemona. And she is cheating on him. "I never knew a Florentine more kind and honest". This line by Cassio proves how innocent he actually is and how wickedness Iago can be.

Iago claims himself coil and says he has no emotions, but is driven by jealously and hatred. These are both emotions. Othello and his wife are in love and have a wonderful relationship "It gives me wonder great as my content to see you here before me. O my soul's joy...

". Othello telling us how happy he is to be with Desdemona. All until Iago gets involves. "A most dear husband", Iago saying that Othello is a loving but costly husband. This is where he already has everything in his mind on is ready to put it into action "Knavery's plain face is never seen till used". It is almost as though Iago never lied through out the play.

Iago is smart; Example if I say do not read the notice board, then everyone would be curious and everyone will go read it. He uses the same tactics in fooling Othello. But he did tell some lies, he told Roderigo that Cassio is in love with Desdemona that got Roderigo jealous. "I did not like the office. But sith... fate that gave thee the moor!" (3, 3,407-423). He has just told a huge lie.

Iago tells Othello that Cassio spoke in his dreams and said things about Desdemona. He would make people draw their own conclusions. Example when he (Iago) tells Othello that the handkerchief that Othello gave Desdemona before their marriage was seen with Cassio. Then Othello suspects Desdemona and causes him to disgust Cassio even more after he was already sacked from his job due to getting in a quarrel after drinking to much. Othello has just drawn his own conclusion that his wife is being unfaithful to him and that Cassio is cheating on his wife. The truth is that Desdemona dropped the handkerchief and Emilia picked it up and gave it to Iago.

A small lie from Iago has caused Othello to think absolutely the wrong craze. He finds Desdemona a minx for the reason that he is going to cockle (that's what he thinks). Iago a character who just can't live without putting chaos around his life. "But, with a little act upon blood, burn like the mines of sulphur".

Here Iago shows his wicked self, what kind of mind he has in him. Iago has driven Othello absolutely crazy by jealousy. Othello's anger is so powerful that he thinks he has no option but to slaughter his own wife. "I will chop her into messes! Cuckold me! (4, 1,196).

Othello could not take it any more, so he laid his anger on Desdemona by slapping her across the face in front of Ludovico (4, 1,237). "What you know, you know" (5, 2,118). Iago knows he has been caught, but Othello cannot do undo his action. Iago has driven Othello nuts. Iago a character of this sort did what he did because he had other motives but also with such a cruel vindictive mind he had done some of his actions just for enjoyment. His motives were frankly to take revenge.

He didn't get to be the lieutenant therefore he had intentions of taking revenge on Othello. He also wanted to take revenge on Desdemona since she insulted him when he was insulting Emilia in front of everyone when they arrive at Cyprus. "O, lame and impotent conclusion... ". (2, 1,158). He is very worried about his reputation and that disturbed it.

He also dislikes Cassio because he beat Iago to be lieutenant. He believes he should have got the job since he has more capabilities and is more experienced. He also dislikes his own wife Emilia since he thinks that she had slept with the moor. The bottom line is that he is jealous of everyone and takes revenge in very cruel, brutal and unforgivable ways..