Iago- a character analysis

A detailed Summary of Iago- a character analysis

"I am not what I am" Iago states of himself and this certainly seems to encapsulate all that he is. A 28 year-old highly ambitious and headstrong "ancient" to Othello in the Venetian Army, the audience sees that he has an overwhelming desire for power, his envy of those he views as better or luckier than himself eats at him and is the reason he wishes to destroy them.

Iago, in the words of M .R Ridley is "contemptuous"- his obsession with revenge takes over his life and through using careful manipulation to sustain his villainous side his complex role in "Othello" becomes apparent.

The benefit he reaps from the downfall of the others who ironically see him as "honest" drives him to continue his Machiavellian scheming, it is Iago who is principally behind the propulsion of Shakespeare's hero Othello to his tragic and harrowing end.

It is at the very beginning of the play that Iago reveals the most of his real self to the audience. Set at night in a Venetian street, we see Iago and Roderigo whisper their secret grievances. Overlooked for military promotion as Othello's Lieutenant, Iago is angry because he has been rejected, he feels that his service and experience have been downgraded. His re

Another reason he gives for wishing revenge upon Othello is more personal than career related, Iago has a genuine suspicion that Othello has been with his wife, his feelings of inadequacy may be a reason for this and why he is extremely racist towards Othello. He feels that black men should not have authority and frequently refers to Othello as the 'Moor´ and the 'Black Ram´, with these disparaging statements Iago is implying that Othello is worse than white people and because of his race he should not hold the position he does in the army. He is also jealous of Cassio's good looks "the knave is handsome" believing Cassio has slept with Emilia too and wants revenge.

In "Othello" we discover that Iago above everything is capable of anything, he is a truly dastardly villain. Iago has a nihilistic personality and in conclusion, we see that in the character of Iago Shakespeare has created a fascinating study of perceived wrongs on an envious personality. Iago is an intelligent man, and the absence of conscience allows him to use the weaknesses and insecurities of those around him to his own advantage. His attempts to improve his status finally lead to murder, but even when threatened by torture he retains a degree of power by refusing to reveal his motives.

The audience watch as Iago plots Iago against Othello and in a meeting with Roderigo he reveals "I follow him to serve my turn upon him". This statement uncovers the fact that Iago is going to take revenge while feigning honesty, trust and loyalty to hide his true nature. The preliminary inspiration for Iago's unscrupulous scheme voiced during his first soliloquy where Iago cunningly perceives that Othello "holds me well" and believes he can m

Some common words found in the essay are:
Granville Barker's, Othello Cassio, Iago Othello, Venetian Army, Roderigo Iago, Desdemona Iago, Iago Cassio, Iago Shakespeare, Lieutenant Iago, Cassio Othello's, words ridley, cassio follows, watch iago, reveal motives,

Approximate Word count = 1153
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English