Evil In Shakespeare's Othello
While honest or moral qualities are often admired within a story, it is often the evil or immoral qualities that speak loudly and more effectively to an audience. Villainous actions and ruthless behaviour have always been carefully woven into William Shakespeare's great tragedies. Of all the characters presented in Shakespeare's literature, the most sinister one is, without a doubt, Iago. Iago explains the whole reason for conflict in Othello, and he is directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of all the main characters in the play. Yet, Shakespeare did not just intend for Iago's character to be evil, Iago is meant to symbolize evil in itself. The presence of such dark forces in the play create a distinct contrast between good and evil and suggests that evil is an inevitable quality that all men can possess. Through his words and actions, Iago personifies the forces of evil in Shakespeare's Othello and is the ultimate cause of tragedy in the play.
Iago's immoral acts of manipulation and deception fuel Othello's tragic flaw and lead to Othello's destruction. From the very beginning of the play, Iago, the villainous protagonist, reveals his true nature to the audience by stating, "I am not what I am" (I.i.69). Immediately showing that he is not who he appears to be, he says that he hates Othello because he has preferred Cassio as lieutenant instead of Iago. Yet, "though [Iago does] hate him as [he does] hell pains, for necessity of present life, [he] must show a flag and sign of love" (I.i.170). As he pretends to befriend Othello, he develops his grand scheme' by first attempting to anger Brabantio for Othello and Desdemona's marriage. His evil plot thickens as he cleverly and mischievously hides his true nature from Othello, who continues to believe that "Iago is most honest" (II.iii.7). For example, while planting ideas of Desdemona and Cassio's affair, he pretends that he hates to tell Othello anything which might make him...
View Full Essay