Iago In Othello's Jealousy

He is able to manipulate innocent characters all through the plays. An example is one of Iago’s favorite targets: Roderigo. Iago is able to realize how foolish and blind Roderigo is, and is able to convince the Venetian to do what he is told. In one of Iago’s soliloquies in act 1 shows Iago speaking about how he is always able to get money out of fools , and continues on calling Roderigo an idiot and his only purpose for him is to get his money. (I.iii.374)

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.

Iago does not follow his own advice because he uses his anger towards Othello for putting Iago third in command as well as Cassio for taking the second position in command. Iago uses his anger to get Roderigo to get Cassio really mad to the point where he’s getting fired. Iago also uses his anger and not his logic to catch Desdemona’s attention to get revenge on Othello. Iago says to Roderigo, “Make Cassio angry somehow, either by speaking too loud, or insulting his military skills, or however else you want.” (page 10). Iago uses anger to get Roderigo to go bother Cassio because Iago wants Cassio to get really mad and make a choice. According to Iago, this will lead to Othello waking up from his honeymoon and firing Cassio for such a disruption.

Iago uses his own jealousy to fuel his hatred towards the other male characters. At first, Iago says that he hates Othello because he had given the lieutenancy to Cassio, but he later comes up with another

People often pretend to be things they are not, just to get what they want out of people. They go to great lengths just to benefit themselves and do not care how it affects anyone else. Iago is one of those people; he went to the extreme just ruin Cassio and Othello in any way he could. Iago seemed to have compassion and great loyalty to his friends in the beginning of the play but as his plan started to be revealed he showed that he was inclined towards the manipulation of other characters due to his jealousy.

The poet Coleridge appropriately described the character of Iago as being one of "motiveless malignity." Throughout the play Iago’s motives are secondary to, and seem only to serve as justification for, his actions. Iago is driven by his nature of character. To discuss Coleridge’s assessment we must look at Iago’s character—from Iago’s point of view and that of the other characters—his motives, methods, and pawns. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him; all the while he is pushing Othello, Desdemona, Roderigo, Emilia, and Cassio to their tragic end.

Iago’s intentions lie within his goal to replace Cassio as lieutenant as he complicates many relationships to the extreme, without showing his good qualities and proving himself to Othello as a strong and hard worker. Iago is more complex than what meets the eye, but he’s devious and manipulative towards the people around him; he contains a static personality and will not change because he is who he was meant to be causing mayhem.

Iago even in the beginning of the play is very manipulative, and he is easily able to do so by appealing to the trust and insecurities of other characters in a way they he can get others to do what they want even if it is for the wrong reasons. In act 1 scene 1, Iago claims he hates Othello since he gave Cassio a promotion over him. Iago claims he is way more experienced, and that results in Iago getting jealous. Yet Iago tells Othello that being jealous can make a man turn against someone, he still continues to be skeptical over who was given the promotion. Cassios lack of experience on the battlefield led to Iago thinking he is more fit for getting the promotion. Since Othello gave the promotion away to Cassio, Iago sets out to destroy Othello.

In the first scene, Iago explains that he was passed over for a promotion to Lieutenant by Othello, who gave the job to "Michael Cassio, a Florentine...that never set squadron

In this scene we discover Iago’s hate towards Othello and his motives to ruin him; one of them being Othello’s recent promotion of Michael Cassio to the post of lieutenant. In spite of Iago’s service in battle and the recommendation from the ‘three great ones of the city’, Othello chose to give the position to a ‘Florentine’ that ‘never set a squadron in the field’. Iago only follows Othello to ‘serve my turn upon him’. Iago is shown to be looking out for his own self-interest whilst pretending to serve Othello. Thus revealing his capacity to hide his feelings and motives so that his actions don 't reveal them.

Scene1. Lines 11-17). This quote demonstrates one of the causes of Iago’s behavior: Iago begins to have the abhorrence for Othello because he gives the position of lieutenant to Cassio, who is young and inexperienced in the battle, although Iago deserves that

Iago wants to destroy Othello to seek revenge for naming Cassio as lieutenant. Iago was sure that Othello would give the title to him, so when Cassio was named lieutenant, Iago is enraged. Iago then becomes jealous of Cassio because he is now of a higher rank and is a young handsome moor. As we know Iago is the villain from Othello; Iago poisons people’s thoughts throughout the entire play. He bounces all the other characters around.

At first, he was jealous of Cassio taking the position of lieutenant. Then it’s that Cassio slept with his wife, but wait not only Cassio but Othello as well. His reasoning changing around so much it makes the reader wonder if he doesn’t even have a real motive at all and just wants to be evil. Iago, himself, is known as Honest Iago. The other characters display a level of trust that he readily takes advantage of.

Iago’s other reason for his actions are because Othello promoted Cassio to lieutenant instead of Iago. In the opening scene of the play, Iago reveals his jealousy over the matter saying that Cassio “never set a squadron in the field, [. . . his military sense is] Mere prattle without

In Shakespeare's Othello, the villainous Iago is the cause of all the tragedy and misunderstanding in the play. He carries out an elaborate plan to get what he wants, which is the position of being lieutenant, by deceiving and tricking everyone around him. It seems Iago is either an amazing actor and very talented at perfectly carrying out detailed plans, or has an advantage for himself. He is able to completely change people's true beliefs and to listen to him. It is entirely possible that Iago is able to get his plan to work as far as it does because he has the power to control minds. With his power, Iago is able to convince Emilia to steal the handkerchief, and lead Othello to believe Desdemona is cheating on him.