Honest Iago (Othello)
In William Shakespeare's "Othello", there were many characters that played important roles in telling this story, but perhaps none as important as the character Iago. Iago presented himself as faithful and trustworthy, but underneath lied deception and betrayal. Three characteristics attributed best to his personality, Iago's motivation, his honesty, and his self-esteem.Discussions of Iago's reasons for his hatred of Othello often begin with the fact that in choosing a lieutenant, Othello passed over Iago in favor of Cassio, but Iago may have hated Othello even before that. Roderigo opens the play by exclaiming to Iago, "Tush! Never tell me; I take it much unkindly / that thou, Iago, who hast had my purse / As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this". The "this" is the elopement of Othello and Desdemona. Roderigo has been giving Iago money to help him into Desdemona's favor, and he assumes that Iago knew about the elopement. Iago didn't know, which must have been embarrassing. Iago tells Roderigo that the elopement was a surprise, and Roderigo replies, "Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate". Then Iago tells Roderigo about being passed over for promotion. So Iago must have told Roderigo of hi
Othello appoints Iago to be that officer, because "A man he is of honesty and trust". Alone with Iago, Cassio moans that his reputation has been ruined, and Iago replies, "As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound". Iago may have been deceitful, but he was clever. Clearly, Iago considers himself vastly superior to Roderigo. Iago is lying again, and he knows it, but that doesn't change his attitude towards Othello. A little later, Othello entrusts Iago with the responsibility of escorting Desdemona to Cyrpus, and asks him to have Iago's wife be her companion. Iago shrugs it off by making a joke at Emilia's expense, but alone at the end of the scene he says, "I fear Cassio with my night-cap too". Later, after Cassio is drunk, Iago tells Montano the lie that Cassio gets drunk every night. Still grateful, Cassio bids Iago goodnight by saying, "Good night, honest Iago". He says, "I know not if't be true; / But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, / Will do as if for surety". "Abroad" means "everywhere," and Iago's "office" (function) between his sheets is to have sex with his wife. He's not like those men who loyally serve their masters all their lives and then are fired when they're too old to work. s hatred for Othello before this, and maybe before he was passed over for promotion. Iago then goes on to advise Cassio that he can get his job back by asking Desdemona to speak to Othello, and Cassio thanks him for the advice, whereupon Iago says, "I protest [promise you], in the sincerity of love and honest kindness". In other words, he's been having fun during his busy night, so the time has just flown by.
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Acceptance Essays
