iago
Of all the characters in Shakespeare's Othello, none is more complex and of great depth and dimension than “honest” Iago. A person of vengeance and dishonesty inspired by jealousy, yet portrayed by every character as honest and trustworthy. To help coax this image of honesty he outwardly addresses it, by stating, "I am an honest man...." (II. iii. 245). By gaining the trust of his comrades, he schemes to snake his way into the lives of others and exploit them through their weaknesses. The manipulative nature of Iago has profound effects on decisions made by other characters throughout Othello. Through carefully thought out words and actions Iago manipulates others to his benefit. What marks his consummate villainy is the willingness to be absolutely evil-to have no qualms about being diabolical and no strains of human morality tugging at his conscience. Operating on a self-styled level of morality, he never doubts his actions, however diabolical they may seem to the audience. Experiencing not even an iota of empathy or guilt Iago becomes the perfect villain, for it is the feeling for another that leads one to experience guilt and Iago feels f
or no one. Manipulation of others is not questioned by Iago to be right or wrong. To Iago love is merely “a lust of the blood and a permission of the will” and self-love, the mother of all vices, is the only love that Iago respects. Without the understanding or ability to love, Iago lacks a conscience and it is thus that he is able to cruelly continue to manipulate and the perfect villain is defined. Carefully and masterfully Iago entraps the characters one by one, satisfying his appetite for revenge. Through deception he creates the appearance of truth and honesty, gaining the trust of those around him. Iago’s diabolical prowess then enables him to bend and twist the supple minds of his friends and spouse, unremorsefully destructively destroying those that lie in the way of his goals. A character of depth and spirit, the basis of Iago’s success is derived from the carefully built trust with individual characters. Through his high intellect, misuse of trust, and absence of conscience the perfect villain was defined. The inability to posses a conscience aids Iago in his malevolent schemes. Without a conscience he is then able to steal, mani
Some topics in this essay:
Shakespeare's Othello,
Othello Desdemona‘s,
perfect villain,
,
perfect villain defined,
ii iii,
conscience able,
love iago,
guilt iago,
gaining trust,
villain defined,
word choice,
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Approximate Word count = 781
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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