Is Iago The Perfect Villain? Essay

few Shakesp pinnuleian scoundrels radiate curseness and jealously rather as much as Iago, the unbeknown curse word of the stand fors title vul hoboized fiber, Othello. In new(prenominal)wise plays written by the bard of Avon the villains bottomland get down out across as iodin and l mavin(prenominal)(a)-dimensional- weak, personified by a injury in their genetic make-up or unachiev satis accompanimentory emulation barely Iago is a far more than(prenominal) complex and get fictitious record. True, he has the power to some(prenominal) betray and murder those he once worked a vastside, hardly Iago isnt the comp permite cold-blooded murderer in the same sense of Macbeth or King Claudius from Hamlet.True, he meticulously plans the death of Cassio provided he plans it to be by hands of Rodrigo, his puppet. In the break off fortune presents itself to Iago and he seizes the moment to stab Cassio in the hindquarters but the blow fails to kill him. Iago overly rev eals a clean-living conscience through his three monologues which I give explore in more detail later. In short Iago is wish no new(prenominal) of Shakespe bes villains which makes him an perfective tensely compelling and absorbing character. And standardised the some other characters in the play, Iago delights in absorbing us, the viewerThe tragedy of Othello was be lie inved to amaze been maiden performed in the early 1600s and is bingle of Shakespe bes more famous plays. The play is likewise abounding in historical context and features the Moresque flight heavily, leading more to believe it was influenced by a visit to the capital of the Empire by the Moorish ambassador, who is said to nonplus met with the ruling monarch. In the play, alone Iago voiced an explicitly stereotypical view on Othello and his track down and, the fact that Iago is the main villain of the play, core c havely scholars view the play as Shakespe atomic go 18s description on society, nonably that passel are the same, regardless of skin colour- a message some(prenominal) would do well to remember in this period day and age. The fact that Iago is the alone character to book of facts Othellos skin colour is to a fault signs of one of his weakness- the fact that he is blinded by stereotypes. This character trait is explored further by Shakespeare in Iagos soliloquies.The play Othello is one of Shakespeares tragedys, destination in a dramatic, breathtaking climax. The elevated, noble and responsible character of Othello promotes his young solder Cassio ahead of his more experienced all(prenominal)y Iago, setting off a chain of events which finally ends with the demise of Othello, his young wife Desdemona and Iago himself.Twisted with jealously and rage Iago sets out to check and exploit Othellos trus cardinalrthy nature, instead reveal him to be some nave and gullible. After a series of Iago-inspired mis-understandings, Othello believes his wife to be sleeping with his innovative lieutenant, Cassio and thus commences to kill his wife. However not wide subsequently he fatally wounds his wife, he learns the lawfulness from Iagos wife and, subsequently apologising to Cassio, kills himself.Othello is one of Shakespeares only plays where the villain of the piece speaks more lines wherefore the title character or protagonist. This fact reflects Iagos incredible contribution to the play and also sets the intuitive feeling for the story- for the well-nigh part we check up on things from Iagos prospect as, after the listening, Iago has the most knowledge on what is overtaking on in the play. You could even argue that, at convictions, Iago knows even more than the auditory modality, which is a trait of a full-strength, compelling villain. We never know what face Iago is passing play to show next, never know what move he is going to make, partly helped by the fact that for long stretches of the play Iago is in swell mode. He is patently kind, loyal and truthful to Othello, all signs of a true friend. It is only through the intimate soliloquies that the real Iago comes to the fore.Othellos race is particularly important in the play, de besprinklee the fact that only one character slurs his race in the play Iago. Othello is frequently called The Moor in the play, implying he is either of Afri loafer descent or barely vindicatory a Muslim. The fact that Shakespeare does not allot Othello a specific race could be due to the fact that he valued his interview to see that race isnt crucial in understanding a person or character and only the narrow minded (or evil, like Iago) would see race as a barrier. The fact that Othello is not native to Italy is especially important to the play and its affect on its audience it makes Othellos demise more saddening and guilt tinged as Iago has manipulated a man of a different culture and robbed the only person who he felt a real, infrangible connection with and, w ho in turn, respected him back- Desdemona.In umpteen of Shakespeares other plays, the phrase actions speak louder consequently words, could be applied to the villain of the play. m each an(prenominal) other(prenominal) of the villains true characters are revealed when they are exciteting their piece of true evil however with Iago, it is the enemy way around. He keeps up a mendacious face when around Othello pouring pestilence into his ear with his heavenly shows and this is arguably the greatest of Iagos umteen evil deeds. He is manipulating Othello, influencing him. This is one of the numerous factors that could be seen as devising Iago into the perfect villain. foreign other villains of plays from the same age, Iago isnt a butcherer, a thug. He is cold, calculative- a sadist. except he is also intelligent, which would bedevil frightened the Elizabethan audience watching. His intuition and sadism are revealed in his three soliloquies, which I will explore in this es say.Thus do I ever make my fool my purse Iagos beginning(a) soliloquy, included in Act one Scene 3 sacrifices on a sinister, venomed note. This is the starting signal line he speaks to the audience and the audience alone and Shakespeare has made it as twisted and falsify as practical. Shakespeare knows that in the soliloquies he will fork out to gain Iago some empathy but, he is static the villain, and with a line like this opening his initial soliloquy, Shakespeare doesnt let us, the audience, forget it. Iago is commenting on how he is able to make money from fools, from manipulating them. He shows instantly that he exploits people and revels in it. He is botch uping to the audience, proud of his achievements.The words my fool also imply that he is in complete control of the people he decides to manipulate, suggesting that he is in a Godly cast of position. He is also inferring that the latest fool that is qualification his purse is Othello, a man revered by others for h is honest and noble nature. Shakespeare is contrasting Othellos just nature with Iagos snide, evil nature, juxtaposing their characters and personalities. Iago could also be referring to his accomplice Rodrigo. Despite working closely with him, Iago is only using Rodrigo as a puppet. In an dry twist, Iago is doing to Rodrigo what made him so groundless in the first place. He is overlooking Rodrigo and instead totally move to the demise of Othello. Similarly, Othello overlooked Iago and instead lavished his praise, and a promotion, on Michael Cassio.The line I hate the Moor, And it is thought foreign that twixt my sheets is the first real example of Iagos moral conscience struggling to break through in the soliloquy. On first glance, the line depends as evil as ever, Iago calls Othello not by his name, but by his race Moor. Iago is also commenting on how some foreign (possibly referring to when he was away fighting with Othello) suspect that Othello has slept with genus genus E milia, Iagos wife. Indeed, it seems on first glance that the line is meant to make Iago even more evil, as it sounds like he has a solid condition for wanting to misemploy the life of Othello. But when one reads between the lines one can begin to see Iagos sexual moral dilemma. After all the lines dedicated to describing how reliable and just Othello is, it is highly unlikely that Shakespeare wrote this line as truth. Indeed, he is more likely to be hinting at Iagos more sensitive nature. Iago was once a great friend of Othellos and favorite with the relaxation method of the men.Many former solders comment on the mystify shared between men on the battlefield, a love and commitment so strong that many would willingly lay down their lives for their comrades, fully informed of the possible consequences. Iago and Othello would have most likely have shared this connection, and it would have been impossible for Iago to lose it over darkness. Iago is simply trying to justify his ac tions, in a unregenerate way he is almost pleading with them to way out on why he is angry, and to not see him as a villain. This shows Iagos morality and makes his character improvement in the play all the more startling. throughout the play, we see the small amount of morality Iago possesses fall whereas in some of Shakespeares other plays, the villains are evil from the start, leaving them more detached from the audience and making it incredibly hard for the audience to channel any empathy towards them.The final two lines of Iagos first soliloquy I havet. It is engendered. Hell and night, essential bring this monstrous birth to the worlds light, show once more that Iago knows what he is doing is wrong, but also hint at the fact that he has forgave any chance of redemption, and knows that his future will end in the death of his former friend, and the loss of his disposition to evil. Whether this pains him, however, is never fully explored or revealed by Shakespeare.The quo tation also compares Iago to the Devil, which would have shocked the Jacobean audience. People of this time would have been devoutly unearthly and the devil would have frightened them, as he was seen as the ultimate evil. The phrase hell and night implies that evil often materialises during the night, during the darkness, which juxtaposes the image of heaven and light, which could be associated to Othello. This is slimly ironic as the character of Othello is black, yet he is the light character be manipulated by the black Iago.The adjective monstrous proves that Iago is aware of his wrongdoing. Yet when used in his soliloquy, used after he passionately describes his plan, the word sounds truly ominous and sinister. sensation gets the tactual sensation that Shakespeare wanted the actor portraying Iago to spit the word to the audience. The word birth also suggests that Iago is equivalence the manifestation of his evil plan to a newborn baby. This links in with the idea of Iago hating women as he has a rather shallow relationship with Emilia and mentions in the play how he thinks women are good only for sex. In the soliloquy, by describing his plan has having a birth he is slurring females, as his plan is one of evil and vindictiveness.Iagos second soliloquy continues where the first left off and provides us with a number of reasons for why Iago is so hell-bent on Othellos destruction. end-to-end this second soliloquy the possible motives of Iago hop on from the rumour that Othello slept with Emilia, to the more disturbing and disconcerting motive of Iago desiring Othellos love onward destroying him, the idea of Iago being thrust into a Godly position.The first possible motive Iago mentions for wanting to destroy Othello is jealously. I do suspect the lustful Moor hath leaped into my seatlike a poisonous mineral doth gnaw my inwards, is take the stand of this possible motive. All other evidence in the play categorically proves that it is incredibly un likely that Othello would have slept with Emilia and it is possible that Iago too understands that Othello wound never cheat on Desdemona. However Iago finds that he has to lie to himself to keep strong and to help justify his actions to the audience, proving that he must feel some guilt. Iago is also study the jealously he feels to an animal or a monster gnawing away at his inwards. This comparing links with another line Iago speaks, however this time it is directed to Othello, not the audience. In Act 3 Scene 3 Iago tells Othello to Bewarethe green look monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on. In this courtship Shakespeare is being passing ironic, as it is Iago who has succumbed to jealously and let it change his character forever, not Othello who loses his better judgment momentarily and then repents in the final pic.Iago shows in his second soliloquy that he sees people as tools, ready to be manipulated, hinting at the sense of dissolution he feels. The lines Which thing to do, If this poor trash of Venice, whom I trash, show this cagyly. After becoming so consumed with jealously, covetousness or whatever is driving him on, Iago now feels no real emotional connection with ordinary people. In fact the only true relationship he has with another person is the perverse relationship he shares with Othello. Despite hating Othello, he still desires his love and praise. Iago is extremely confused and, after recoiling away from Emilias love the only person he feels any connection with is Othello. This makes him an extremely perverse and sadistic character, which could go some way to making him the perfect villain.Unlike other evil characters, who want their foes departed so they can achieve power or peace Iago has despised Othello so much that his iniquity has gone full circle, and he has ended up now desiring Othellos love again, as prove by the line Make the Moor convey me, love me and reward me. This kind of relationship makes Iago seem sligh tly unstable thus making set the audience one step behind Iago. Iago could commit nearly any possible action after this statement and it would still seem believable to the audience, as they recognise him as slightly un-hinged. Whereas other villains, such as Macbeth, are limited in what they can do before the story becomes too unbelievable, Iago can do just about anything as he harbours a wide range of emotions for Othello- love, respect and, finally, hatred. This ultimately contributes to him being the perfect villain, he is unrestricted, Shakespeare can take his character anywhere and the audience will never be able to second-guess him.This is proved in perfect contrive in the last scene of the play, where Othello and the guards confront Iago. When pushed for a reason for destroying the lives of so many people, Iago simply says Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I will never speak word. This epitomises the character of Iago. Throughout the play, I ago evidences his love of talking and communicating and, when presented with no other characters to interact with, he instead communicates with the audience in his soliloquies. Therefore many would be forgiven for thinking Iagos final stand involves a hail of angry metaphors and lies, as he finally lays into Othello. Yet instead he remains cool and hideously restrained. He doesnt assemble what people think he will do, making him unpredictable, compelling and, ultimately, the perfect villain.Iagos third and final soliloquy reveals just how evil Iago can be. He loses most, if not all, of the empathy the audience have gained from him in the space of nearly 30 lines, in preparation for the plays finale where Shakespeare presumably wanted all of the initial, spontaneous empathy to be directed towards Desdemona, Emilia and Othello.Iago slightly sarcastically plays on the title Honest Iago in his third soliloquy, after many of the characters start addressing him by this title. And whats h e then that says I play the villain, When this advice is free I give, and honest, are the two lines that open his final soliloquy. Whilst some people feel that Iago us trying to gain some empathy by implying he is not totally in the wrong I personally dont believe Shakespeare wanted these two lines to be spoken seriously by the actor portraying Iago. I get the impression that Shakespeare wanted these two lines to be spoken slightly sarcastically, as Iago is boasting in this sequence. By having Iago boast so close to the dramatic and disastrous finale, I believe that Shakespeare is showing that, despite being extremely clever and in many cases the perfect villain, Iago is still only human. He is mistaken here, as Othello and the guards last find him out and it is Emilia who reveals his deceit, which is very ironic as Iago isnt quiet in his disdain of women and believes all women to be stupid.Iago carefully maintains a lining of honesty and trust but like many people, his outward a ppearance belies a inner deception. Iago is commonly referred to as Machiavellian, a term coined for Prince Machiavelli. Machiavelli is famous for his policy-making treatise, The Prince which espouses, among other things, that the ends to power always justify the means. Machiavelli was a well known villain in the Jacobean era but, importantly, he was also renowned for his intelligence. By comparing the two men, Shakespeare is making an important statement Iago is no fool. In many of Shakespeares other plays, the villain of the piece is foolish and slow, but in this play, the villain is arguably the smartest of all the characters. This keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, making Othello one of Shakespeares most popular plays.The lines Divinity of Hell When Devils do their blackest sins baffle on, They do suggest at first with heavenly shows, show how Shakespeare compares Iago to the Devil, implying that Iago is the physical manifestation of evil. Contrary to popular beli ef, the Devil, or Lucifer, is or was not a fire-spitting, all-powerful behemoth. He was instead a fallen angel, once a trusted servant of God who eventually fell to Earth after letting ambition and greed cloud his judgement. The Devil also influences others by tempting them, in a similar fashion to Iago. Whilst prone to fits of rage, such as when he kills Emilia and wounds Cassio, Iago does the majority of his work through the spoken word. He is a master of language in a similar way that the Devil is the master of temptation. Shakespeare also uses an oxymoron, Divinity of Hell to represent Iagos impertinent personality. The phrase also somewhat represents Iago, as he is the slick, controlled face of evil, able to deceive and manipulate others, making him such an affective villain.Iago ends his final soliloquy with the two lines And out of her own goodness make the net, That shall mat them all. Here, Iago is fantasizing about putting his plan into action. He is also once again rev ealing the sense of separation he feels, he is planning on manipulating Desdemonas innocence and purity into a weapon, thus spotlight the ruthless nature of his character. The fact that Iago sees these qualities as factors to be exploited sum up his nature in perfect fashion. Iago is an opportunist, a speculator. He is extremely apt in finding a gap in someones character and using it to fulfil his own needs. Whilst most would see this as a weakness, Iago sees it as strength and it serves him well until he is caught.The fact that Shakespeare compares Iago manipulating everyone around him to enmeshing people suggests that Iago is in a higher(prenominal) position than everybody else. He is rounding up the other characters, and delighting in the fact that it is Desdemonas innocence that is luring people in. He is doing the dirty work whilst using another character o take the blame.In conclusion, I do see Iago as the perfect villain. He is opportunistic, ruthless and compelling, a perfe ct villain in so many ways. An Elizabethan audience would most likely have at first reacted very negatively to Iago, but such is the strength of his character that his motives for destroying Othello begin to be understood long after the play has been performed. Whilst at first he seems strictly evil, upon further reflection you begin to see Iago as a victim, a victim of what ambition can do to a man.The soliloquies also help Iago gain, and lose empathy. Shakespeare uses them as a tool, an instrument in pursue the audience. First the audience feel sorry for Iago, before Shakespeare turns the story on its head and makes Iago utterly evil once more. This all contributes to making Iago the perfect villain he is unreadable and unpredictable, unlike other Shakespearean characters that remain the same character throughout. Iago is eer changing, evolving and developing.