How is Iago presented throughout Othello?
How is Iago presented throughout Othello and what do we learn about his motives?
From the onset of Othello, the audience is unknowingly subject to Iago’s manipulative customs. Despite being a stereotypical Shakespearian antagonist, Iago is a complex, two faced, yet three dimensional, character. Despite being an eponymous play, suggesting Othello’s importance, his absence in light of Iago’s presence allows the audience to be influenced and therefore misled by Iago’s representation of Othello
Iago stands a typical Machiavellian antagonist of Shakespeare’s, however his motives for revenge are distinctly complex, with the line of envy and justified hatred indistinguishably blurred. His cunning scenarios and therefore his motives for such, stem from wounded pride in relation to Cassio’s promotion over his own, “One Michael Cassio… That never set a squadron in the field”, underlying suspicion over Othello and wife Emilia’s relationship “Till I am evened with him wife for wife”, and personal injustice, “Preferment goes by letter and affection”, expressing his disgust towards Othello’s favoritism of Cassio. Iago’s motivation for revenge upon Othello and Cassio is spurred by an egotistical and superior attitude; “Heaven is my judge” suggesting that he believes only God, a power recognized as the highest judgmental authority is worthy of judging his unjust actions. This superior attitude eventually contributes to his demise.
Throughout Othello, Shakespeare constructs linguistic methods to create metaphorical representations of Iago’s persona, as presented in the juxtaposing simile “poisonous mineral”. Though the pejorative adjective “poisonous” represents Iago’s destructive nature, “minerals” are beneficial aids to human society, usually infused directly into your bloodstream, and often undetectable- representing the nature of Iago’s schemes. The powerful juxtaposition of support and malice mimics the complex nature of Iago’s plotting-Hereby, Shakespeare is constructing
From the onset of Othello, the audience is unknowingly subject to Iago’s manipulative customs. Despite being a stereotypical Shakespearian antagonist, Iago is a complex, two faced, yet three dimensional, character. Despite being an eponymous play, suggesting Othello’s importance, his absence in light of Iago’s presence allows the audience to be influenced and therefore misled by Iago’s representation of Othello
Iago stands a typical Machiavellian antagonist of Shakespeare’s, however his motives for revenge are distinctly complex, with the line of envy and justified hatred indistinguishably blurred. His cunning scenarios and therefore his motives for such, stem from wounded pride in relation to Cassio’s promotion over his own, “One Michael Cassio… That never set a squadron in the field”, underlying suspicion over Othello and wife Emilia’s relationship “Till I am evened with him wife for wife”, and personal injustice, “Preferment goes by letter and affection”, expressing his disgust towards Othello’s favoritism of Cassio. Iago’s motivation for revenge upon Othello and Cassio is spurred by an egotistical and superior attitude; “Heaven is my judge” suggesting that he believes only God, a power recognized as the highest judgmental authority is worthy of judging his unjust actions. This superior attitude eventually contributes to his demise.
Throughout Othello, Shakespeare constructs linguistic methods to create metaphorical representations of Iago’s persona, as presented in the juxtaposing simile “poisonous mineral”. Though the pejorative adjective “poisonous” represents Iago’s destructive nature, “minerals” are beneficial aids to human society, usually infused directly into your bloodstream, and often undetectable- representing the nature of Iago’s schemes. The powerful juxtaposition of support and malice mimics the complex nature of Iago’s plotting-Hereby, Shakespeare is constructing