Othello Iago en0
As villain in Shakespeare’s play Othello, Iago has two main actions. They are to plot and to deceive. Iago hates Othello for two reasons. He believes that Othello made love to his wife, and Iago is mad that Cassio was chosen to be Lieutenant instead of himself. From this hate comes the main conflict of the play. Iago plans to ruin Othello by carrying out a plan based on lies and deceit. This plan will make Iago the only person that Othello believes he can trust, and Iago will use this trust to manipulate Othello. First, Iago plans to remove Cassio from his position as lieutenant so that he himself take over Cassio’s position as confidant and Lieutenant to Othello. Then Iago hopes to convince Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. If Iago’s plan unfolds properly, he will be granted the revenge that he believes he deserves. Iago’s plan and his motives are disclosed through a series three of conversations. He speaks with Roderigo twice and Cassio once. These three conversations show how Iago manipulates others to gain his own ends, and they also give motives for Iago’s behavior. The conversations all follow the same pattern. Iago first speaks with Roderigo and Cassio to forward his plan, and then . . .
Cassio is a ladies man, and Iago believes that Cassio’s charm makes women fall in love with him. He states that he would never associate with someone like Roderigo except to gain his own ends. Iago’s first dialog with Roderigo serves as an introduction to Iago’s plan. Iago changes his opinions and makes up events in order to ruin the lives of those around him. At this point in the play, Iago’s plan is underway. Uses Roderigo’s weakness to help him remove Cassio from his lieutenant position. While Cassio is fighting, Iago is using the violence to create a riot in Cyprus and unnerve the people. "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse--/ For I mine own gained knowledge should profane/ If I would time expand with such a snipe/ But for my sport and profit" (365-368). This conversation and the soliloquy following it introduce the two different sides of Iago. To substitute for real motives, Iago treats rumors like they were facts and invents situations that never happened in order to suit the ends he wishes to achieve. These two factors, plus Cassio and Desdemona always being together, will prove to Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are in love. Instead of wooing Desdemona, Iago spends his energy on trying to break up the marriage of Desdemona and Othello. Othello did not break up Iago’s marriage by sleeping with Emilia; it is never proven that this even happened.
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