These mistakes, little they seemed for the moment, grew and exploded in Brutus’s... many other characters towards their tragic end. The term honest is a word that is easy to describe yet often times difficult to portray. away with this because they trust him, his lie (his “poison”) works, b) Iago fools everyone in the play to reach his goals. Iago planned to fire Cassio and it worked in his favor, but now This decision on Roderigo’s part seals his fate as a consequence of trusting the “honest” Iago.Thus, through the entire play, the character of Iago alters little except in the method of his treachery which increases proportionally. Iago achieves this easy as his great ability to play the portion of the “loyal ensign” renders his frontage more than converting. Join Now Log in Home Literature Essays Othello Honest Iago Othello Honest Iago Jeremy Zorn "IAGO: Stand you a while apart. Bradley, A. Iago does this by getting Cassio drunk and causing him to get in a fight and disturb Othello, Othello then demotes Cassio of his rank as second-in-command thus securing the position for Iago. I believe Iago is also racist towards Othello as his hatred towards him spills Iago uses their weaknesses, secrets, and fears to ruin the names Michael Cassio, Othello, Desdemona, and anyone who stands in his way. “Honest Iago” is a sentence heard a fair amount of the time when used to describe Iago, but the audience sees very early on that Iago is anything but honest. The relationships between Hamlet and his mother and Hamlet and Ophelia. Trust is a very powerful thing that Iago easily abuses. Honest is used in Shakespeare’s play, Othello, as well as in society to describe… He uses this to his own He has the ability to charm and convince people of his loyalty and honesty–“Honest Iago,” according to Othello–but the audience is immediately introduced to his vitriol and desire for revenge, despite his lack of proved reason. Cassio takes his leave from Iago: "Good night, honest Iago. Iago being known for the honest man he earns everyone’s trust and therefore learns their weakness for his ultimate plan of destruction. Iago is not a traditional villain for he plays a unique and complex His intelligence shines through his ability to deceive, his ability to strategize, and his ability to twist the truth. An example of this is when he stabs Polonius through the drape, without even checking to see who he is. judge of the other characters. When faced with this accusation, Iago simply offers that killing Cassio will aid his cause and the gullible Rodrigo falls for it. ...that Desdemona was ever false to him, but Othello counters that it was "honest, honest Iago" (5.2.156) who showed him the truth. Thus Iago dishonestly uses his reputation for honesty in order to suggest that Othello has done terrible things -- and will do them again. Works Cited and Consulted Hamlet avoiding conflict causes his girlfriend to stop talking to him. He is the main driving force in this play pushing This is a scene of mixed speech and action with the comedy of drunkenness, the visual action of the brawl, and the to-and-fro of arrangements between individuals at the end of the act. Seeing as he always comes across as helping others and not looking out for himself, this “honest” tactic ironically gains him more trust and respect from others. ” He even says of himself, “I am an honest man…. It prompts him to mistreat those around him—specifically important women in his life, his girlfriend Ophelia and his mother Gertrude. Shakespeare's vast knowledge, and writing style made his works interesting for both the intellectual, and the illiterate. Through carefully though-out words Iago also feels that Othello is having an affair with his own wife, If one is so obviously honest, it is astonishing it need be repeated so often. By doing this he is planning frame Cassio and Desdomonia as having an It would make sense for him to be mad at the Moor and even perhaps plan to kill the Moor over this, but we can see in other scenes that Iago clearly does not care about his wife. Othello And Iago Analysis In Shakespeare's Othello, the character of Iago is constructed to demand the audience's complicity despite the corrupt nature of his actions. Iago is merely manipulating the other characters’ good nature and using his reputation as “Honest Iago” to avoid being conspicuous. affair to make Othello jealous. He has done my office: I know not if 't be true” (Shakespeare 1.3.363-365). Lago deceives Othello, who trusts him the most throughout the story, often referring to Iago as “honest Iago” (I. iii. Hamlet, despite being the hero of the tragedy, commits various actions that would consider him as a villainous character. Othello. Although he never directly tells his motive for hating Othello, there When Michael Cassio explains, “I have very poor and unhappy brains/ For drinking” (2.3.28-9). Iago is very popular among the characters in the play. he would like. Those The most interesting and round character in the tragic play Othello, by This helps explain why Curley does not want his wife to have conversations with the other men; she has not been married long and she is already looking at them. Iago’s green-eyed monster of Othello’s place is more than apparent as he broods upon the lost publicity. Thus credulous fools are caught..." Iago slowly poisons people's thoughts, implanting ideas in their heads without implication to himself. Iago is one of the most complex characters in William Shakespeare’s Othello. seems to be helping his “friend” to keep his reputation and use it to manipulate other characters Iago knows that if he can obtain Othello’s trust then he will be able to hurt and destroy him in any way necessary. Iago does know all about human dealings, but he is far from honest. Tricking someone into believing that they are being honest and true is one of the most terrible acts possible for it is messing with the persons trust and emotions. Iago is seen as one of the most hated villains ever as he was extremely devise and no one ever really understands why as his motives are never quite clear. ” [Act II, Scene III, Line 245]. Iago notices Othello’s character and acts on his weaknesses, showing both his cruelty and intelligence. Honest Iago of Othello To most of the world William Shakespeare is recognized as the greatest dramatist in history. Iago is often called ‘honest’ in the play as the speech by Othello goes “…A man he is of honesty and trust…” (1.3.283). Before Iago can even begin to initiate his plan he is referred to as honest by many of the characters. Even though that didn t work he is able to get himself in a better position to further inflict harm, and confusion between Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio. is definite hatred throughout the play. “Honest Iago” is a sentence heard a fair amount of the time when used to describe Iago, but the audience sees very early on that Iago is anything but honest. William Shakespeare, is "honest" Iago. "With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as In every scene where Iago speaks you can point out his deceptive manner. After the murder of Desdemona and as Iago's scheme is about to be unveiled, it is pitiful when Othello still insist, "My friend, thy husband; honest, honest Iago" (V. ii. That makes me ugly..." He only gets He seems to know people very well and is an excellent when after the senate meeting Othello leaves Desdemona in his care, referring to him as Honest Iago. Copyright © 2000-2020. i. Iago puts his first of many destructive plans into motion; destroying Michael Cassio’s honor and reputation. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer toward his goals. Tom hates the fact that his wife, Daisy, has been spending so much time with another man, Jay Gatsby. Iago is an expert judge of people and their characters and uses this to his advantage. To most of the characters, he is “Honest Iago” (Shakespeare, 5.2.73). Othello to believe that Desdemona is having an affair. Though the story he tells is a heartbreaking and predictable tragedy, Sophocles masterfully employs the tools of his craft to fashion a drama that has captured the fascination of untold generations. Brutus throughout the whole play has made many blunders. Character Analysis of Iago From Shakespeare’s Othello. He hath a daily beauty in his life One of the most ironic parts of the play is the fact Othello puts great trust into Iago, who lies the most and is actually working against Othello. All the main characters turn … But [as we know], their trust in Iago is an eyewash and things are revealed after a heavy toll of life of the protagonists. It is hard to imagine Othello as a man who could be led to murder his innocent wife at this point in the play. out into a racist verbal attack – This would suggest that this is a fundamental characteristic of his. ironic because really everything the man says they know to be a lie. Possibly the most heinous villain in Shakespeare, Iago is fascinating for his most terrible characteristic: his utter lack of convincing motivation for his actions. For him this was going to be easy- he would prey on the weaknesses of people around him and use them to his own advantage. Cassio, like Rodrigo, follows Iago blindly, thinking the whole time that Iago is trying to aid him, when in-fact, Iago, motivated by his lust for power, is attempting to depose Cassio of his position as lieutenant. For instance, in case of honesty Iago is termed “honest” racism is depicted when Othello is termed “the black with thick lips.” Iago has a reputation for honesty, for reliability and direct speaking. Get yourself to a convent, fast” (III.i.136-152). The real motive seems but a slip on Iago’s part when he says in act five, as he waits to stab Cassio: Perhaps the most interesting and exotic character in the tragic play "Othello," by William Shakespeare, is "Honest" Iago. He uses the trust Othello puts into their friendship to turn him into a jealous man. ... middle of paper ... 7–32 ). But Iago is actually honest to the readers who read this play! His character is totally unconflicted about being evil, making him known to some authors as the villain of all villains. In this rage, he tells Ophelia that if she marries a smart man he will know that she will ruin their marriage, he tells her that he doesn’t want to marry her anymore, and to bring herself to a whorehouse. Throughout the story he known as “Honest Iago. One last word play that is quite powerful in the play is how Othello always described Iago as, "honest" Iago. The word "honest" itself means free of deceit with the implication that one is sincere in his/her actions, behaviors, and so on. He looked down on Ophelia at this moment because she had upset him by following what her father had told her to do. You can see this happen when All rights reserved. So the thought that he would go and try to ruin the life of the Moor over something like that just seems. The themes of the play are honesty, love, misrepresentation, self knowledge, magic, racism, oppression, pride, appearance and reality, revenge, betrayal and jealousy. The irony … In doing this, Iago keeps Rodrigo in the dark and continues to profit from him monetarily. ‘The Devil’ Within one single scene, II.iii, Iago is four times called "honest", twice by Othello, once by Cassio, and once by himself. Iago is a master of abusing people’s trust to gain more power and further the completion of his goals. Confine yourself but in a patient list. But this is not surprising because Hamlet distrusts everyone and tries For instance, when Hamlet states, “Get thee to a nunnery. Shakespeare in his play of Julius Caesar accurately and expertly showed how Brutus was a tragic hero. When he learns of his fathers death, he acts mad and possibly even becomes truly mad. ...to be a person "of exceeding honesty, (who) knows all qualities, with learned spirit of human dealings." Iago is appealing to the characters of the pay because he gives them what they want. This is Iago?s main reason for revenge against Othello. ‘I hate the Moor’ Now, you must remember Iago's initial motive, here: to `strip' him out of his lieutenancy. Throughout the whole play Iago manipulates the people around him and lies to them. ” (II. 151). 123Helpme.com. play Iago is described as an "honest" man, which to the audience seems Iago is the main driving force in "Othello," pushing several characters Iago means that because he is Othello's honest (loyal) friend he cannot honestly (truthfully) say everything he knows about Othello. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer toward his goals. "Honest Lago" 337 In the construction of the play two leading motives are em ployed,?Iago's mendacity and Othello's credulity, and these motives are inseparably connected, forming a single stream of influeuce, from which flow all the action and all the passion of the plot. ... middle of paper ... of this play. 294). Iago is, in many ways, the most intelligent and appealing character in the play. ... middle of paper ... Needless to say, Iago is one of Shakespeare’s most sinister villains, often considered such because of the unique trust that Othello places in him, which he betrays while maintaining his reputation of honesty … Is it acts like these make him seem absolutely mad, because he behaves so erratically. Iago’s crude language is excused as that of a straightforward soldier, with Cassio allowing, 'He speaks home, madam; you may relish him more in the soldier than in the scholar' (2.1.161–62). It is so typical of Iago to make sure a comment which absolutely describes his motives but covers it to appear have some moral conscious. Iago has very few redeeming qualities. Iago is a jealous, manipulating, vindictive type character. He is referred as “honest Iago” and claims to wear his “heart on my [Iago’s] sleeve”. If Lodovico wants to know more, he should just keep an eye on Othello. Tom Buchanan is also a possessive and jealous husband. 123Helpme.com. Iago tricks Othello into believing that his own wife is having an affair, without any proof. Iago uses cunning and trickery to make peoples impression of him, as 305-306). (full context) Emilia is dumbfounded as she digests this information, but recovers herself enough to say that Iago was lying and to condemn Othello's actions. This tactic of Iago's is extremely effective. It also causes his "friends," Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to deceive him. Cassio.” Through often referring to Iago as honest, there is also irony shown, since he is the least honest character. This was from all the flaws and faults Brutus carried. (I., ii, 1322) Iago states his discuss for Othello and his intent in the play s opening: “, “I hate the Moor: it is thought abroad: there is gossip. ...ally, he caused more trouble for the people of Rome he held so close than good, but it is for his actions that he among of conspirators deserves some amount of sympathy and honor. Iago frames Michael Cassio and then later tells him that he will help him get his job back ... middle of paper ... Iago is appealing to the reader as well. To begin with, many have looked at the reasons of this tragic hero’s need for enlightenment. Iago is very distressed, because Michael Cassio was promoted to Othello?s lieutenant instead of himself. greatly (5,1). His "med'cine works! Shakespeare uses irony continuously throughout the play when it comes to Iago. Iago is habitually praised by Othello: "Iago is most honest" (6), and Cassio: "Not tonight, good Iago." "I have no great devotion to the deed and yet he has given me satisfying reason," (Act 5, Scene 1, Line 8). Iago does succeed in his plan, because, ironically, everyone in the play believes all his actions and advisements are just, true, and from the heart. He uses Roderigo, `whom love hath turned almost the wrong side out' to `put our Cassio in some action'. towards their tragic end. Iago manages to appear honest partly because of natural characteristics and partly because he purposely sets out to look honest. Othello's jealousy is not a constructive motive, for it His “med’cine works! They are not quite of the same class and Iago resents that, for he knows that the promotion was not ... Being a Shakespearean tragedy, Iago and—ultimately—evil, triumphs. 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