Shakespeares Othello - The Character of Iago :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Character of Iago There is no doubt in Othello as to the role Shakespeare has givenIago, he is the scoundrel, masterful at falsification he generates some evil in the play. The clever soldier, his incredible playacting allows him to be two or three completely different people. During most of the Act the audience finds itself constantly trying to find a origin for Iagos actions but finds none that can justify what he is nearly to do. What does seem to come back again and again is his view on women which he sees as sex rapacious and a danger to his Machiavellian plans. Scene 1 offers us a good preview as to what Iago is going to do for the rest of the Act and ultimately the rest of the play. Our initiatory view of Iago is of a hard deceitful man who says Sblood as inappropriate to Roderigos Tush, we see already his powers of deception as he explains how he is even worse off than Roderigo, his furious language A fellow almost damned in a fair married woman manages to conv ince the intellectual Roderigo who is presented along with Cassio in contrast to Iago. They are polite, educated, slightly wealthy and can not imagine that something as evil and unmotivated as Iago exits. Iago has not only lost his promotion but excessively his hero in Othello. We sense the irony in We cannot all be masters, nor all masters can be truly followed and see that what Iago says he will do to Othello he is doing Roderigo, he is manipulating him. He gets a consequence carried away in his speech about how he hates the Moor to the consequence that some parts are hard to understand Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago which might mean that if he was the Moor he would not like to be followed by Iago (himself) so that we see that although he might be exaggerating to justify taking more of Roderigos money he really hates Othello. We see how he enjoys playing the part of the villain and already wonder why Roderigo cant see that Iago has stingy motives to do what he wants to do to Othello, we arent sure what he plans to do but can tell that it involves extreme sufferance and maybe death. He also acknowledges here that he is not what he seems to be I am not what I am which strengthens the impression we have had of him so far.