He lulls them into a false sense of hope and security that everything will be alright, even though it is clear to the audience that there is sinister meaning in it. He toys with their emotions, changes their priorities to fit his own and works his black magic on them all. While their lives fall apart around them, Iago immediately arrives on the scene to give a word of advice, which is why so many times he is referred to as ‘Honest Iago’. Iago supposedly has the answers to everyone’s problems he presents himself as an advisor, disguising his true intentions and creating a trustee and confidant for the other characters. He tells Roderigo to avoid being a slave to morality and live for himself and act upon his own will, this highlights the distinct difference between Iago’s actions and the actions of the other characters within the play, distinguishing a factor separating good from evil. From Roderigo all he wants is his money ‘put money is thy purse’ is repeated eight times in one conversation with this particular victim, cleverly used to apparently persuade him to refrain from committing suicide. The audience is informed at the start of the play that he does in fact, ‘hate the moor’ and this is reiterated frequently within the play. ‘Fie! Your sword upon a woman? ‘ This is a pivotal point within the final scene where the villainous ‘demi-devil’ becomes apparent to the other characters on the stage. His motives are entirely self-orientated, it is clear that Iago does not have any compassion for any character, not even his own wife who he murders in the final scene as a last attempt to avoid discovery. Iago’s evil attributes are intensified as the play progresses as the audience are shown ruthlessness and revenge he will not let anything disrupt his path to success. This final scene is where the audience can truly see the villain as the devil Iago has sealed his own fate. The play ends on a damned Iago who will never speak again, entrapping himself into his hell, unable to manipulate with words again. Shakespearean audiences demanded morals and values to be displayed and therefore a punishment had to be undertaken by the playwright. He is put into a living hell, suggesting the idea that a punishment must fit the crime- the end of his speech will end all manipulation. Iago cleverly manipulates events throughout the entire play, until the end when the villainous character gets his comeuppance and is found out. It is illogical to argue that the outcome was fatalistic as Iago’s plotting is so clear and blatant within his asides and monologues that the unfolding events rely on his actions and intellect to generate the outcome. It is debatable whether the play should have been titled after Iago’s name rather than the hero that Shakespeare creates in Othello. Why Does Iago Want To Destroy OthelloĪs Leavis argues, ‘It was the external evil, the malice of the demi-devil that turned a happy story about romantic love into a tragedy. Iago’s soliloquy reflects his thoughts and yet we cannot tell what his true feelings are as what he says varies throughout.Iago tampers with the events and evidence, effectively playing the hand of God to create the intellectual masterpiece of his intrigue. The audience is charmed as they are drawn into Iago’s plan and cannot help but be enticed as Iago slowly improvises a plan. Iago’s soliloquy intrigues the audience as it seems as though Iago is speaking directly to the audience rather than to himself. On the contrary, the audience enjoys Iago’s twisted intelligence as he slowly cultivates a plan in Act 1, scene 3. This illustrates how Iago is condescending towards others throughout the play not making him seem like a tragic villain at all. It is ironic how Iago is saying this to Roderigo who could question Iago’s loyalty to him however Iago is extremely conniving and underestimates Roderigo’s intelligence. This dialogue is juxtaposed right at the beginning of the play this highlights the importance of Iago’s complex and villainous character and his attitude towards others in different situations to achieve what he wants no matter how duplicitous he has to be. However it could also mean that no one knows the real him: including Iago himself. He explains to Roderigo that ‘I am not what I am’ which could be interpreted as though there are many different levels to him meaning he is a complex character and shows various sides of him to different characters. Iago is the villain of the tragedy Othello but to what extent is he a tragic villain? Iago is portrayed to be an intelligent and deceptive character whom exposes his deceit within the first scene of the play.
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