Roderigo's Compassion Towards Desdemona Causes Iago example essay topic

In any story with a recurring dark theme there always must be an outsider from humanity who somehow stands out from the seemingly equal community. In the case of Shakespeare's Othello the outsider from humanity would be Iago for he truly stands out from the rest of society. Although Othello may be physically put out of the community, it seems that on an emotional and egotistical level Iago puts himself out of society further then Othello's blackness does. He is not merely manipulative, as other villains are; he turns aspects of truth and good qualities, which he does not possess, and uses them as weakness for his own scheme. He deceives people to follow his plans by telling them the truth and what seems to be good advice. By standing on the side and watching people he seems to learn more about them then they even know themselves.

He seems to envy these people and the relationships that they possess, becase he will never know what these connections feel like. He uses people's strengths as their weaknesses to bring them to their doom. He causes much destruction and is driven by a force that the reader cannot even understand. Iago makes himself an outsider by not realizing that his ego causes him to hate and disrespect all of humanity. Iago respects no one and yet is cunning enough to make people continue to trust and respect him.

This is a truly super human quality in Iago that allows him to manipulate people to do what he wants without them knowing. He is married to Emilia, and although the reader would see marriage as a sacred bond, Iago manipulates it for his selfish ways. It may be his careless marriage that causes him to feel that he must destroy Desdemona's and Othello's. This would show his childish, jealous mentality towards others. The reason he treats Emilia so badly may be that he blames her for their dysfunctional marriage. From this, she has gained a perhaps not so tainted image of men and husbandry.

She describes men "are all but stomachs, and we all but food; they eat us hunger ly, and when they are full, they belch us". ( , iv, 98-100) Iago treats Emilia as if she were a slave at his every whim and she knows it but for some reason Iago has tricked her into thinking that's the way life is in marriage; so although Emilia may seem like the more experienced character in the play she herself cannot even see the corruptness in Iago's ways. Another character who was obviously tricked by Iago was Roderigo. Iago used Roderigo's infatuation with Desdemona to set his plan off. It is obvious that Iago gets pure enjoyment out of manipulating an innocent, unintelligent bystander such as Roderigo; much like how flies entertain mischievous boys. Iago continually repeats "Put money in thy purse" (I, , 334-335) as he is pretending to ease Roderigo's pain and tell him that there's still hope for him and Desdemona. Roderigo's compassion towards Desdemona causes Iago to feel almost jealous of such a noble trait.

Roderigo has no clue that Iago is not only planning to use him as a pawn in his plan but to also take his money while he's at it. Iago delivers false trust to Othello as well as Roderigo. Othello trusted Iago to such a culmination that he would even leave the fortune of his wife with him". Othello My life upon her faith!

Honest Iago, My Desdemona must I leave to thee" (I, , 291-293) In this you can also see one of the various lines where Iago is referred to as honest. That continual reference shows how easily Iago gets people to trust his pretension. As well as that, Iago dangerously goes behind peoples backs to the point where he is literally disrespecting Othello mere lines after he was just honored by him. The fact that Othello gave his trust to him doesn't at all hinder Iago's ability to deceive him minutes later.

"Iago Thus do I ever make my fool my purse: For I mine own gain'd knowledge should profane, If I would time expend with such a snipe. But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor" (I, , 374-377) Both Othello and Roderigo have no clue of Iago's intentions. Iago was able to manipulate and destroy everyone's lives by taking friendship and trust turning it against the benefactors. Iago has no conscience and therefore unlike Othello or any other tragic hero asks for no redemption.

One of Iago's qualities is his ability to take the good quality of others and use them against them. He takes it even further, however, as he has no realization of the evil he has done. Iago suspects Othello may have slept with his wife. He is not positive, but says that surety is not necessary. "Iago But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets " as done my office.

I know not if't be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do, as if for surety". (I, , 379-381) This shows how Iago isn't really concerned about Emilia being unfaithful with Othello or anyone for that matter. He just wants to ruin Othello beyond reason. Iago takes what most of us see as good and uses those traits against characters in the play. He is able to take something as pure as Othello and Desdemona's love or Cassio's loyalty as a weakness that he can pounce on.

"He holds me well; The better shall my purpose work on him". (I, , 381-382) Iago possesses no good qualities so as a jealous pay back he takes trust and turns it against the trusting and then tries to take it even further for himself. "IagoCassio's a proper man. Let me see now; To get his place, and to plume up my will In double knavery. How?

How? Let's see". (I, , 383-385) Iago knows he can perform 'double knavery' if his plan goes right: he can get Cassio's position as well as the sheer enjoyment of watching others suffer. Of all the characters in the play it seems that Othello is the weakest contradicting his strong position. Iago knows this and is ready to pounce as soon as he feels trusted. "Iago The Moor is of a free and open nature That thinks men honest that but seem to be so; And will as tenderly be led by th' nose As asses are".

(I, , 390-393) Unlike Othello or outsiders portrayed in other works, Iago purposely puts himself outside of humanity and embraces his own egotistical nature as if he hates the human race. Throughout all of this chaos and evil that Iago spreads, it's as if he feels all of the characters in his game deserve what they " re getting. "Iago She shall undo her credit with the Moor. So I will turn her virtue into pitch; And out of her goodness make the net That shall enmesh them all". (II, , 337-340) In this soliloquy Iago says he will "enmesh them all", referring to the fact that he will entangle all of the characters in his web of destruction. It seems that this early in the play he already knows his whole plan to the last minute and he speaks as if what he is doing is punishment for something they all have done.

Could it be that he is punishing them simply because they are different then him? Or perhaps he feels that he lacks noble qualities that they all possess and they only way to restore his ego is to ruin them all. "Iago Now, whether he kill Cassio Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other, Every way makes my gain. Live Roderigo, He calls me to a restitution large Of gold and jewels that I bob'd from him As gifts to Desdemona; It must not be.

If Cassio do remain, He hath a daily beauty in his life That makes me ugly; and besides, the Moor May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril. No, he must die". (V, I, 12-22) This is at the point of the play where Roderigo finally goes to challenge Cassio in a duel to the death. He talks about Roderigo and Cassio killing each other over a situation he catalyzed.

In the beginning he doesn't even care who wins, its not until he realized that it is more to his profit for Roderigo to win that he picks sides. He is allowing people to kill each other so that he can get what he wants and even after Roderigo does the deed Iago kills still him. At the end of the play when all is said and done, and Iago is caught up in his web of destruction, Othello confronts him angrily. "Othello Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil Why he has thus ensnare'd my soul and body? Iago Demand me nothing. What you know, you know From this time forth I never will speak word".

(V, ii, 298-301) Even after the deed is done Iago will not reveal his motive for such evil. His plan stays secretive throughout the entire play. It leaves the characters in the play as well as the reader with an eerie brooding feeling at the end. The only reason that comes to mind is his jealousy of the nobility that the other characters possess.

It may be that there is no motive but his pure hatred for humanity and if he must be a part of it, he will create a hell for everyone else in it. Iago is the perfect villain in the sense that he is a true outsider from humanity. You can almost respect him in the fact that he can do such wrong with absolutely no recognition of the destruction he has caused. Plus he is able to manipulate people's good qualities such as trust and love and use them for his own immoral benefit. It may be that Iago himself does not possess any of these good qualities so he cannot understand goodness or it might be that he is merely jealous of the beautiful relationships and noble people surrounding him and he has had enough.

Whatever the reason, Iago purposely puts himself outside of humanity because he is egotistical in nature and feels that he deserves to disrespect everyone. Iago as the outsider in Shakespeare's Othello Shakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Oxford School, 2002.