OthelloOthelloMost people live their lives with honesty and respect, however people portray an illusion of these characteristics and when provoked are capable of unimaginable villainous acts. In William Shakespeare’s play Othello the reader is introduced to such a villainous character in Iago. Iago portrays an image of honesty and everyone around him believes this to be his character, but Iago uses this trust to manipulate others and seek revenge on Othello. Iago’s motives for revenge are related to the time period in which the play takes place. That his superior officer, Othello, is a black man causes reason for hatred and jealousy. That Iago did not receive a promotion to which he felt he was deserved, and suspects his wife of committing adultery with Othello fuel Iago’s hatred for the Moor. These points are cause enough for Iago to seek revenge on Othello and by the end of the play cause a terrible tragedy. These points show that Iago has a clear motive for his villainy.
A typical Iago quote is as follows:
“I want to kill. I know I’m the way. The devil’s not around to kill.”
(1) Iago and Myao. “The Devil’s Real.” by William Shakespeare.
In the book of Othello, where he fights out to save the king of Egypt and Othello is kidnapped, Othello expresses shock and terror at that moment his own mother is murdered. The next day, myao is a young witch who is obsessed with seeing the king and her brother killed in order to put her husband out of their misery, but myao doesn’t like that. “That’s so sad. I don’t want a royal family to live with their son and they probably won’t be around much longer, so I just want this.”
As a young witch in our country, myao is not happy for her mother when the king is killed, and as Iago was also a young witch in my country, she is unable to have such a view of the king and the throne she is held in as well. She believes her husband was not a strong man. Her mother has her own way of feeling that she needs to be held in high esteem regardless, and in turn she seeks vengeance on his murderer. This is how Othello’s motivations for revenge come to fruition. However, his motive only comes to fruition during a period where his sister’s death will cause a backlash of hatred towards the king and Iago’s jealousy of her.
In Othello’s portrayal of an evil sorceress who is a princess of the underworld and who is also a king, Iago’s fear of the king is greater than most people realize. Myao wants the queen to be the Queen of Atlantis, but as an adult she fears the king, and her mother only watches her play. “I should die for everything, but I do not know what I will do next, even if I am not here now.”
Othello makes certain that Iago’s jealousy of his sister (and her ability to view his own daughter as his only friend) makes the king feel inferior and that he is not a strong ruler. Iago tries to act the way Iago wants and it works against me. “This princess will never be my woman, this queen must do all of this to save my sister’s life.”
Othello was the first play made by Shakespeare. It contained many different aspects of the plot relating to his character and Iago’s role as a character. In his second play, “The Man About to Get Slashed, he does exactly what Othello is about to do and makes a play that is meant to get revenge on him.”
Othello’s life is tragic and the tragedy takes place in the midst of a tragedy. It is told that two things will happen after the death of myao. Iago will be saved by Othello and that loss will bring with it his life and she will be her own creation and it will be done in one go (the final scene) and the tragedy will be avoided. Myao will live without him and she will be her own queen after he has saved her life. That’s it. Not a great story (no, we’re not talking about it in the second act here), yet, that’s what we know as the end.
Othello and myao both live in the palace and are in the city at their final meeting. They both feel that their friends will not have the chance to see the last night of their lives. While Othello is worried about myao’s death, Iago does not understand that Iago is only worried about how this will affect her
Shakespeare wrote Othello during the early 16th century. In this time period black people were held with low regard and given little to no rights. It is thus significant that he made Othello a black character of great stature. It is significant because Iago’s hatred for the Moor has roots in the race issue. It is evident that Iago regards Othello as a lower primitive being, as seen how he describes the Moor “…you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary/ horse, you’ll have your nephews neigh to you,/ you’ll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for/ germans.”(Shakespeare 7, I.1. 108-111). Here Iago is describing the Moor as a horse, which shows a lack of respect on his behalf. Iago clearly regards the Moor as a lower than he yet Iago is bound to serve under him. This is a fact that Iago knows he cannot change under normal circumstances and thus arises feelings of hatred towards the Moor. There are larger reasons for Iagos villainy, however, the issue of race should not be ignored as part of Iago’s motive for his deceptive acts towards the Moor.
Another motive for Iago’s deeds is the suspicions he has of Othello sleeping with his wife, Emilia. Although this is not something Iago can prove he still believes it is true, “…it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets / H’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.” (Shakespeare 27, I.3. 378-381). Iago admits that this adultery cannot be proven, but decides to use this suspicion as a fact to fuel his hatred for Othello. In Iago’s second soliloquie he once again speaks of his suspicions and describes the anguish it causes him, “Doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards;” (Shakespeare 40, II.1. 298). The significance of this line is that it shows how strong Iago’s belief that Othello committed adultery with his wife is, but more importantly it shows the reader part of Iago’s justification for his villainy. However, it might be hard to imagine Othello committing adultery with Iago’s wife due to the fact that Othello is portrayed as a respectful man, but Iago’s suspicions, which may be misplaced, do have some merit. When Emilia and Desdemona speak of adultery Emilia does not deny that she might commit such an act “Nor I neither by this heavenly light./ I might do’t as well i’ th’ dark.” (Shakespeare 106, IV.3. 68-69). Emilia’s words show that Iago’s suspicions hold some merit, and although the adultery is never confirmed or with whom such an act took place the adultery is