Othellos Relationship with Iago - 2536 Words

Othellos Relationship with Iago From Hamlet, an ideal prince, and other essays in Shakesperean interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear by Alexander W. Crawford. Boston R.G. Badger, 1916. The first scene of Othello presents a conversation between Roderigo, the disappointed suitor of Desdemona, and Iago, concerning incidents of which Othello is the chief agent. Othello and Desdemona have eloped, it seems, leaving Roderigo disappointed and distressed. He complains that Iago had not forewarned him in order that their marriage might have been prevented. But Iago, though in close touch with Othello, protests he did not dream of such a matter, implying that it was as much a surprise to him as to any one. For some†¦show more content†¦Now all at once, for some reason that has not been understood, lago has been turned into the bitter enemy of his old friend, Othello, and as if to mark the importance of this for the interpretation of the play, the dramatist has chosen this point in their relations for the opening scene. But in spite of all that has been observed about the importance of Shakespeares opening scenes for the exposition of his dramatic art, little attentio n has been paid to this fact in respect to Othello. The task of the critic at present, then, is to discover the cause of this great change in the relationships of these two men, and from this to trace the further development of the play. Ever since Coleridge it has been the common thing, though by no means universal, to attribute the whole trouble to the sudden and unmotived malignity of lago, or to forget the fact that it has been sudden and unlike anything heard of before on the part of lago, and to assume only the malignity. Later critics, however, have not been able to overlook the emergence of the malignity at this time, and have attempted to explain it from their own imaginations rather than from the words of the play. Professor Bradley may be taken as voicing the best that can be said by those who would lay all the blame of the tragedy upon lago, but who feel they must account in some manner for this sudden malignity. Not content with charging lago with the evil the play undoubtedly lays upon hisShow MoreRelatedOthello, By William Shakespeare957 Words   |  4 Pagesinnocent person kills himself while not knowing the truth. The best example of that would be the play Othello by the great William Shakespeare. A s little as a handkerchief could make a difference if it is a symbol for something. In the play Othello by Shakespeare, handkerchief is first introduced by Othello to his beautiful mistress, Desdemona, as a sign of their love. At the end of the play what gets Othello to take extreme measures by the location of the handkerchief. As the symbol of the handkerchiefRead MoreDramatic and Linguistic Devices in William Shakespeares Othello1399 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeares Othello Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, in my opinion is one of his most cleverly written plays. It is a tragedy, similar in a way to the likes of the famous Romeo and Juliet, as there is a definite romance in the play, which quickly turns sour, due to lack of trust and jealousy, or as some might think, the tragedy is all down to manipulation and deceit. The play deals with many controversial issues such as racism which makes it unique. In Act III Scene 3 Iago convincesRead MoreIago: One of Shakespeares Most Misunderstood Villains Essay1330 Words   |  6 PagesIago is one of the most misunderstood villains in Shakespeare literature. We side with Othello from the start because his name is on the cover of our paperback, we read Othello when learning about heroes, so we expect Iago to be a villain, a ruthless manipulator. We don’t know why, he doesn’t state it plainly or in simple English, so we assume that he’s evil, that he’s just a disgruntled sociopath out to exact his exaggerated revenge on good and noble Othello. Iago’s misunderstood reputation isRead MoreManipulation In Othello Analysis1237 Words   |  5 PagesThe Manipulation of Ideals Iago uses an intricately complex network of lies, manipulations, and sins to control Othello not only physically, but mentally as well. Iago concentrates his efforts on corrupting Othello’s positive view of women created by his marriage with Desdemona, the purest of the pure. 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The relationships that most interestingly relate to the homosocial continuum are Desdemona and Emilia, Iago and Roderigo, and Iago and Othello. FirstRead MoreOthello : Vulnerability Destroys Virtues Of A Great Leader1601 Words   |  7 PagesOthello: Vulnerability Destroys Virtues Of A Great Leader Thesis: Even though Othello considers to be vulnerable is a weakness, his temperance and prudence should never come in conflict with his leadership principles because Iago despises Othello and manipulates him therefore, Othello becomes vulnerable resulting in his death. 1. Othello believes that being vulnerable is a sign of weakness. A. Othello will not expunge himself from his race and ethnicity, for he knows glorifying his heritageRead MoreJealousy in Shakespeare ´s Othello Essay886 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom identifying the truth. Shakespeare heavily emphasizes this theme throughout the drama Othello, especially through the actions of characters. In the play the heinous antagonist, Iago, uses each character’s jealousy to deceive that person and manipulate the truth. His false promises and deceitfulness bring to the demise of many of the main characters in the play, including the protagonist, Othello. Othello could not have been deceived if it were not for his powerful jealousy. Therefore, ShakespeareRead MoreIago Quotes In Othello1008 Words   |  5 Pagesonce an angel.† (Unknown). Honest Iago, good Iago, many names for the character who created so much chaos throughout Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Othello. Iago manipulated everyone; he went out of his way to destroy Othello’s relationships with Desdemona, take everything from Rodrigo, and the effort to destroy Cassi o. Othello had much respect towards Iago and put much trust into him. Iago was very good a hiding his true intentions to take down Othello’s relationship. â€Å"After some time, to abuse Othello’s