Iago Is To Blame In Shakespeare's Othello

Shakespeare’s Othello is a play consistently based on jealously and the way it can destroy lives. One is quick to think this jealously is based on Othello’s lack of belief in Desdemona’s faithfulness to him or his suspensions over Desdemona’s affair with Cassio, Othello’s honorable lieutenant. Upon closer inspection of the jealously that exists throughout the play it becomes clear that his jealously is not the sole start and reason for all of the destruction that occurs. Iago, a good friend of Othello, is not who he appears to be. Iago’s own jealously of those around him pushes him over the edge. He begins to deceive all those who believe he is a true, honorable, and faithful man. Throughout Othello, Iago incites his own jealously in

Othello’s trust for Iago enables Iago to completely discredit Othello as the good guy of the play when Iago manipulates him into thinking Desdemona was unfaithful to him with Cassio. Even though Othello must know in his heart that Desdemona would not betray him, he is so caught up by Iago's efforts and has fallen for his manipulative lies, that all rational thoughts abandons Othello and he ultimately ends up murdering his wife since to Othello betrayal was immoral. At the end of play, even Othello can hardly believe what he has done because he thinks of himself as, "One not easily jealous, but, being wrought, perplexed in the extreme..." meaning that he has acted out of character and only in the interests of honor. Iago’s betrayal to those such as Othello and Desdemona, ultimately successfully destroyed everyone, himself included.

Iago is the antagonist of the play, and one of the most evil Shakespearean villains. Iago is extremely clever in the way he uses unsuspecting power- especially psychological power. He gets into people’s heads in many dishonest ways- by spreading false rumours, telling lies and psychologically tricking people and secretly controlling certain situations. His power to manipulate is a key point in the play, as it results in major consequences and the deaths of some main characters. Iago’s schemes are multi-levelled- he conspires with roderigo, and makes him believe that Desdemona will take him back. On another level, he leads Othello to believe his wife is having an affair with Cassio. He uses his wife Emilia (unknown to her), to bring back the handkerchief he uses to deceive Othello. Iago is an extremely resourceful and talented man, but he uses these resources and talents in detrimental ways. Iago is constantly referred to by numerous characters as ‘honest’. He himself also refers to honesty. Numerous characters believe that they know and trust Iago and that he would not lie, nor deceive them. Iago’s soliloquies also provide invaluable insight into his wicked mind and evil schemes and plans.

Iago, who presents himself as Othello’s confidante, signifies the antithesis of the virtues of the play, and Othello’s belief in the lies this villain tells destroy these values and lead to his demise.  Iago is disloyal from the start.  From the beginning he tells us, “In following him [Othello], I follow but myself. / … I am not what I am” (I, I, 55-62).  Iago feigns devotion to Othello only to bring him down, and in doing so he makes himself seem virtuous and turns the true virtue, in Desdemona, to vice.  When scheming to make Othello think that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, he plays on her concern for people, and her willingness to help Cassio come back into Othello’s favor: “So will I turn her virtue into pitch, / And out of her goodness make the net/ That shall enmesh them all” (II, iii, 360-62).  As the opposite of all that is valued in the play, Iago is able to make the virtue of the other characters into their downfalls without them suspecting it.  He observes of Othello, “The Moor…Is of a constant, loving, and noble nature” (II, I, 288-89).  He then plans to use this nature to “Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me / … Even to madness” (II, I, 308-11).  Iago uses Othello’s trusting nature and Desdemona’s goodness to create the

Othello is a play written by William Shakespeare that tell the story of othello, who meets an untimely and unhappy death. There are many characters that i think they played a role in othello’s demise. One of them is othello himself, for being a easily mislead man. He believed all the lies that Iago told him which was the reason why he started to lose faith and trust in his own wife. Iago is also responsible because of his jealousy and resentment towards othello.

Othello written by William Shakespeare is a play centered around the theme of fidelity and honesty. In Iago’s own words during act 2 scene 1 lines 223-248. The main villain in this story, Iago is driven by the way women act. Iago is the main villain throughout the story, he is very twisted in the web of lies he strings to manipulate the purity of people. His actions are motived by the jealousy of a main character Cassio, and the anger through his story of an affair between Othello and his wife.

In William Shakespeare’s seventeenth century play Othello readers can see that Iago isn’t the only one responsible for the tragedies within this text as he didn’t actually kill the Othello or Desdemona and all people have free will and must choose to accept manipulation. Although Iago played a major role in bringing about the disaster evident in this script, other characters played a supporting although vital role. The Elizabethan play is set during a time of war and racial conflict. This social climate breeds insecurity in the minds of its people.

He is consumed with jealousy of Cassio and with hatred of Othello because he was not chosen as lieutenant, Cassio was. Iago is a man blinded by envy, jealousy and anger, with an objective in mind for everyone to become equally jealous. Shakespeare uses Iago’s jealousy to move the force of the play and with Iago’s betrayal and manipulation Shakespeare shapes the play as a study of how jealousy can consume you, leading to the destruction of others. Iago’s plan is to get revenge on Cassio while destroying Othello. Iago’s jealousy towards Cassio leads him to invent a lie about Cassio having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife.

The strong emotions of jealousy and misplaced thrust present trouble for most of the main characters in the play, Othello. William shakespeare displays how these emotions are easily brought out in the best of people. Iago, although brilliant in this own mnd still falls vitem to jealousy's for cassio's job. The brave moor othello has doubt sof desdemona's faithfulness and in stand of trusting his wife he allows iago manipulations to could his good judgement. Desdemona is the kind innocent wife othello could ever look for but she constantly battle for trust with the moor while still helping her friend cassio.

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.

After seeing everything that he has done and the evidence that he has left behind Iago is the one to blame for the deaths of Desdemona, Roderigo, Othello, and Emilia. From the beginning of the play we can see the hate that he has for Othello after promoting Cassio to Lieutenant. There is evidence that Iago said “I am not what I am” which shows the reader that even from the beginning he was just putting up an act to make everyone think that he was honest but he just used this to deceive them. Iago used this in order to get Othello on his side even to the point where he only referred to Iago as “honest Iago” even though Iago was only telling him lies. Iago put Othello in a sort of trance because he only believed what Iago said and thought everyone else was lying and conspiring behind his back which made him a

Though the name of the play written by William Shakespeare is called "Othello," the character Othello is not the main character, but rather Iago is. Iago is the character who drives the play, he is the one who makes things happen. Without his greed and hated, there would be no play at all. The whole play is centered around Iago's revenge and in doing so, he is willing to make other people's lives miserable. Through "Othello," Iago uses the other characters to avenge the wrong doings which Othello has inflicted upon him, and will go to any means to do so.

In Othello by William Shakespeare, the villainous Iago devises a plot with the hopes that Othello and his wife, Desdemona, will be separated so that he can take Othello’s position as head of the Venetian Military. Iago’s scheme consists of him convincing Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago has told no one else about his ploy so while everyone else’s actions remain true, he manipulates their every move for his benefit. While their actions may not lead to results that they expected, exploring the reasoning behind everyone’s actions, can give insight to their values since the actions were based on what they believed was the best thing to do. To the characters of Othello, honor is more important than

"Othello is set in a world and focuses on the passions and personalities of its major figures." (Thomas). Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, Othello's wife Desdemona, his lieutenant Cassio and advisor Iago. The play appeared in seven editors between 1622 and 1705. The themes of the story are racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal. Othello is a black soldier who is accused of stealing his wife Desdemona. Although Desdemona's father dislikes his daughter's choice, Desdemona loves Othello very much and the two are married. Othello’s right hand man is angered at the fact that Othello picked a man named Cassio to be more important than him and he also feels that he is messing with his wife. Iago plans to manipulate Othello but his plan eventually causes more hurt to most of the characters. Iago tries to use the meeting between Cassio and Desdemona as a way to make Othello believe she was cheating on him. Iago goes on with his manipulative plan by planting a handkerchief in Cassio's room, and goes and tell Othello about what he has seen Cassio do. Othello becomes jealous throughout the story and begins to believe that Cassio is talking to his wife. Iago persuades Othello to come up with a master plan to kill Cassio and Desdemona. As Othello tries to kill Desdemona, Emilia, Iago's wife, comes in to tell Othello the truth about Iago. Unfortunately it is too late. Othello had already suffocated her. When Othello

In Othello, by William Shakespeare, the characters Iago, Cassio, and Othello share a good bond between each other. They have been good friends for some time. Othello, being sdeen as the hero and Iago as the villain. Iago is a two face person. He manipulates Othello into thinking that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. Throughout Shakespeare's entire play, Othello, goes through emotions of love, jealousy and betrayal which changes him in the end of the play. The naive actions and belief lay the downfall of Othello from the man he once was. Othello's weak character is to blame for the tragedy because of his inability to distinguish good from evil, lack of trust in his wife, and his own insecurities as an outsider.