Free Essays on Iago

, Iago’s only reason for destroying Othello is that Iago is an inherently bad person. The conversations that Iago has with Roderigo and Cassio show that Iago invents reasons for his actions against Othello, so that his own selfish ends can be met. Iago’s first dialog with Roderigo serves as an introduction to Iago’s plan. In this scene the reader learns that Roderigo is in... Free Essays on Iago Free Essays on Iago As villain in Shakespeare’s, Othello, Iago has two main actions: planning and deceiving. Iago hates Othello for two reasons: he believes that Othello made love to his wife, and he is also mad that Cassio was chosen, over him, to be Lieutenant. From this hate comes his need for vengeance and the main conflict of the play. Iago plans to ruin Othello, in doing so, make Iago the only person that Othello believes and trusts, and Iago will use this trust to manipulate Othello. In Iago’s vengefulness, he First, Iago plans to remove Cassio from his position as lieutenant so that he himself take over Cassio’s position as confidant and Lieutenant to Othello. Then Iago hopes to convince Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. If Iago’s plan unfolds properly, he will be granted the revenge that he believes he deserves. Iago’s plan and his motives are disclosed through a series three of conversations. He speaks with Roderigo twice and Cassio once. These three conversations show how Iago manipulates others to gain his own ends, and they also give motives for Iago’s behavior. The conversations all follow the same pattern. Iago first speaks with Roderigo and Cassio to forward his plan, and then Iago has a soliloquy in which he discusses his motives. Iago states that the reasons for his hate are that Othello slept with Emilia and Cassio was chosen to be Othello’s Lieutenant. However, Iago’s actions lea d to ends that do not revenge his given motives. Coleridge calls Iago’s actions "the motive-hunting of a motiveless malignity" . In other words, Iago’s only reason for destroying Othello is that Iago is an inherently bad person. The conversations that Iago has with Roderigo and Cassio show that Iago invents reasons for his actions against Othello, so that his own selfish ends can be met. Iago’s first dialog with Roderigo serves as an introduction to Iago’s plan. In this scene the reader learns that Roderigo is in... Free Essays on Iago The Deceitful Nature of One Man Iago is arguably the most deceitful character known to literature. While Shakespeare’s Othello is full of devious acts of immorality, Iago is behind each one of them. By way of his deceptions Iago is able to entrap Othello into believing that his wife is sharing a bed with Cassio. Through many suggestions and deceits Iago is able to embed images of unfaithfulness in Othello’s mind. These images and the rage that they bring about ultimately lead to the demise of both Othello and Iago. Iago is motivated by his need for revenge and the genuine hatred that he has for Othello, Iago’s hatred then becomes contagious and is passed on to Othello as he increasingly becomes more distraught. Othello and all of the immoral acts that it contains are the direct result of Iago’s hatred for Othello and the insecurities that Iago has about his own achievements. As Othello opens the first notions that Iago has an extreme hatred of Othello become abundantly clear. Iago shows his displeasure with the promotion that Othello gave to Cassio as opposed to him. After explaining that Cassio is not qualified because he has never set foot on a battlefield, nor lead men, Iago tells Roderigo that â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him. / We cannot all be masters, nor all masters / Cannot be truly followed† (1.1.42-44). In saying this Iago is letting it be known that he would not follow Othello except to exact his revenge on the moor. Further in the scene Iago brings another of his reasons of hatred of Othello to the fore front when he declares that Othello has slept with his wife. When he tells Roderigo â€Å"I hate the Moor; / And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets / H’as done my office† (1.3.367-369) it is almost possible to feel compassion for Iago. He has lost a promotion to a man less qualified and ap parently his General has had an affair with his wife. However, with the next line Iago shows...