Greedy Iago
Friends come in various forms, some are meant to teach lessons, others are there for the rest of your life, and the rest want to see your downfall. Iago from the play, “Othello,” by William Shakespeare, betrays the bond of Othello’s friendship, poisoning Othello’s life and everyone that he encounters. And all for what? Status, Position, Pleasure? Iago, consumed by revenge and jealousy, inflicts evil upon his fellow neighbors. Iago maintains a flat character, not altering his view throughout the play. His focus on revenge consumes him only festering his inner greed.
Iago’s position within Othello’s army was an ancient. His revenge transpired from his knowledge of not being promoted to a higher position of lieutenant. When Iago
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Iago’s treatment of women was disrespectful in that he sees them only as meat or servants. The women in, Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca are shown to represent their husbands and to serve their husbands every beckon call. Desdemona displays her loyalties as a wife when confronted about her marriage to Othello. Desdemona explains to her father that she has replaced him with her new husband, as it is her, “duty,” to the moor as his wife. This action causes Desdemona’s father to warn Othello about the dangers of his new wife, if it is so easy to replace her father than how long does her loyalties lie with her own husband. This sets up the overall image of women throughout the play as human beings that can’t be trusted, sexual creatures meant for men’s pleasure. Iago plays off of this warning to Othello, feeding him lies about Desdemona. During the time period men held the power so even when Desdemona was being truthful Othello still allowed for the lies of Iago to be represented as truth. Iago toys with his wife, Emilia, throughout the play only treating her respectfully once she gives him the items that he request of her. The women within the play are the only honest and neutral minded characters. They are all undermined because of their sexuality and social status, which causes their truth to be dismissed. Iago uses all the characters, even his own wife for his greedy personal gain. The women eventually speak the truth at the end once everything was too late and due to Iago’s poisonous plan they all die. The one they trusted the most was the most
The male characters of the play view women in varied ways. Cassio often idealizes Desdemona, praising her positive characteristics, even believing that she is "perfection" (2.3.25). Iago's attitude towards women is largely critical and negative. He tells Emilia that women are "pictures out of doors, Bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchens, Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, Players in your huswifery, and huswives in your beds" (2.1.111-114), meaning that women are often deceptive. He later says, "She never yet was foolish that was fair, For even her folly helped her to an heir" (2.1.137-138). Iago's cynical attitude towards women continues throughout the play, as he talks of women as being foolish and unfaithful creatures. Othello's views on women are more complex than Iago's. Othello loves and praises Desdemona often in the play. He tells Iago, "But that I love the gentle Desdemona, I would not my unhoused free condition Put into circumscription and
Othello, a tragic play written by William Shakespeare, depicts complicated relationships and imperfection of humanity by inaugurating various characters with unique personality. Specifically, Iago, driven by his avarice and jealousy towards others, plays a manipulative role who exploits the weakness and frailty in the characters around him as he justifies himself of those actions. In fact, Iago’s inability to control his greed, envy and jealousy towards others had implemented him to being a devious individual; his contriving nature had been the substructure to the tragic events that progress throughout the calamitous story. Moreover, Iago specifically shows of how obsessive covetousness had lead himself into irrational behaviors.
Othello is set during the Elizabethan era, where men were considered to be the leaders and women their inferiors. Women were often regarded as the ‘weaker sex’. This patriarchal society and theme of male superiority is portrayed throughout the play. These themes are depicted through the relationships between the characters. Brabantio and Desdemona’s relationship shows how he believed the traditional Elizabethan view, that men were to control and dominate their wife’s or daughters. He is furious at Othello for stealing his daughter from him. Also, Othello’s masculinity is destroyed through the poisoning of his mind against Desdemona, his wife. Iago also treats his wife
Iago is not the same when he is with Othello but Iago’s character totally changes when he is not with Othello. When Iago finds out that Othello appointed Cassio as his lieutenant, Iago is extremely envious and he plots a plan against Othello by deceiving the trust that they both carry. “I’ll put this pestilence into his ear.” (II.iii.334). This refers to Iago plotting to say his lies to Othello which demonstrates Iago being overwhelmed by jealousy. Iago puts all the falsehood into the general’s ear which becomes easier for him to do as Othello puts his full trust on the rival. Iago is a harsh and a coldblooded man that wants revenge through his master by plotting an atrocious plan and putting all falsehood into his ear just to obtain the higher position.
In Shakespeare’s Othello, the role of women is greatly emphasized. The important characters of the play, Othello, Iago, and Cassio, each have a women that stands behind him. These women each have an obligation to remain loyal and respect their husband's wishes, especially Desdemona and Emilia.
Greed and jealousy may cause the downfall of a powerful figure to occur. This theme is evident in the play, Othello by William Shakespeare. Othello is an African general in the Venetian army, Iago is his ancient, or advisor, and Desdemona is Othello’s wife. While Othello believes Iago to be a trustworthy and honest man, Iago really wants to take Cassio’s lieutenant position. In this play, cruelty is represented in the form of Iago’s manipulation Othello to become more powerful and his manipulation of Roderigo, Othello, and Emilia presented many of their character traits.
As proofs of holy writ” (3.3.323-325). Throughout Elizabethan England, Venetian women were notorious for being adulterers, and Iago uses this knowledge and Othello’s unbridled jealousy to convince him that his wife is unfaithful, even without concrete evidence. This represents Iago’s plan to use Desdemona as an accessory to topple Othello and his lack of concern for her happiness or reputation. Furthermore, Iago is able to recognize and utilize Othello’s envy and mistrust to his advantage because he is guilty of it himself. After hearing a rumor that Othello has slept with his wife, Iago declares: “And nothing can or shall content my soul/Till I am even'd with him, wife for wife/ Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor/At least into a jealousy so strong/That judgement cannot cure” (2.2.287-290).
Women are looked over in Othello but end up being the downfall of their male counterparts; It was Desdemona that was Othello’s greatest weakness and Emilia was Iago’s. This is alluding to Shakespeare being incredibly progressive in a time where women were widely renowned as objects of men. By analyzing and comparing aspects of both Emilia and Desdemona in the William Shakespeare play Othello This is illustrated in Othello by comparing the difference in the opinions between Emilia’s and Desdemona’s on taking and following orders from men, the double standard between men and women when it comes to human impulses and urges, and how hard a fight they will put up against a man. Emilia exhibits the traits of a modern feminist for her time.
Iago does not believe women are equal to men when he has an exchange with Desdemona and Emilia. He says women are only good for sex and cooking. Emilia wants her husband, Iago, to be happy by not talking. Desdemona, on the other hand, is angered by what Iago has told them and despises the gender norms he brings up. When she does question Iago he becomes crueler with each response by even saying women cannot see.
Despite the fact that Iago is angry with Othello and Cassio, Iago should not be mad enough about the promotion to lead it to the end of Othello or the murder of Desdemona. While it is understandable that he would be mad, Iago does not have a reason to be this angry and this creates a complexity to Iago’s character that makes him an interesting villain. The audience can conclude that Iago simply enjoys the idea of hurting others. He is flattered by how manipulative and sneaky he is, and often times throughout the play, he will have an aside speech where he tells the audience just what he has done and what it will lead to. Iago’s character is very diverse, yet simple at the same time.
In William Shakespeare’s play Othello, there are two main female characters, Desdemona, who is the wife of Othello, and Emilia, the wife of Othello long friend Iago. Some of the women characteristics are very similar to one another but when some events arose throughout the play you could see a sharp contracts in regards to their experience and innocence. Both are strong women whom personalities and demeanors feed off of their lover’s position in power. Desdemona and Emilia both have some interesting beliefs regarding marriage, men, and morals.
Desdemona, the bride of Othello, and Emilia, the wife of villain Iago, are the two main characters in Othello. Desdemona and Emilia are linked in the common of supporting their husband in greatness, but they have differing in moral standpoint. Desdemona and Emilia’s love for their husband and loyalty had a big major impact on Othello because although they both very loyal to their husband, this show a very sharp contrast between these two women is realized with regard to Desdemona’s innocence and idealism and Emilia’s experience and realism.
In addition, Iago’s noticeable abhorrence of women is undeniably apparent throughout the play. This decisive factor compels Othello to have awful jealousy towards female protagonists (Barnes, Shakespeare and Coleman 75). Interestingly, Desdemona along with Emilia offer the most crucial conflict for the feminist and terrible sexes’ ideas. Therefore, women in Othello’s play are immensely revealed with increased complication
In any story, the antagonist always scheme their way into getting what they want by any means necessary. In Shakespeare’s play, Othello, Iago is a prime example of this. In fact, he is one of the greatest villains Shakespeare has ever created. Some even believe that he is the source of immorality like in other work Shakespeare has done. According to Sholokhov and Tolstoy, author Helen Muchnic states that the Vice of the morality plays who evolved into Shakepheare’s Iago. He also states that “If Iago, like Falstaff, may be considered a continuation of the Vice figure, he seems, also like Falstaff, to elude the role at every point.” But besides this, Iago is indirectly responsible for the deaths of Othello, Desdemona, and Roderigo. Every act in Othello contains an evil plot set up by Iago. It is ironic because throughout the play he is known as “Honest Iago”(II.iii.7). The readers are the only spectators that understand Iago’s true feelings. Each character believes that he is a trustworthy and noble man, but they are unaware of his thoughts and schemes. Iago is so wicked because he takes advantage of people; he lies while making himself look admirable and he is able to manipulate characters through his words and actions. A very formidable character that can easily do harm without blinking an eye.
Shakespeare’s Othello, a play which begins with Othello, a moor and his wife Desdemona’s perpetual love, ends as a tragic as Desdemona is murdered by her husband and lover Othello. The other characters in the play such as Iago, Michael Cassio, Emilia, Roderigo and Bianca play an active role in this tragic end. However, more than the characters that play the active role in a tragic end, the inferiority of the women depict in the play ultimately results in such an ending. The only three women in the play are Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca and all three of the women portray the expectations of women in Shakespeare’s patriarchal Elizabethan society. They are in a men dominated society and are expected to follow and live under the male authority. It can thus be argued that in Othello Desdemona is marginalized and suppressed by the men in the play, as she is used for her sexuality and portrayed as a possession and thus she is depicted as the other. Desdemona is portrayed as the other in Othello, because Othello wants to stay true to his expected authoritative role. Shakespeare presents the women such as Desdemona as possessions through diction and his style of language, as his choice of word portrays the women to be read upon as possessions and property rather than humans. Othello in the play already holds on to an authoritative role as he is the general of the Venetian army, therefore staying true to his dominant and expected role is very important to him. Desdemona is portrayed as