Essay on The Motives of a Dishonest Man Iago in Othello

One of the most outrageous literary vilians of all time is William Shakespeare’s Iago. Iago has been described with many words; villian, antagonist, cruel, selfish, malignant, chaotic, etc. What motivation could one have that would posses them to act in ways to be labeled as such? Are there even any motives present, or is it just the nature of the character that gives Iago his naturaly naughty personality. Many people see the main motive of Iago’s chaotic nature as the simple fact that he can do it, so he does. This statement is false. The abilities that Iago possesses may incline him to do what he does, however are they his sole purpose? The answer is absolutely not. Carrying a gun around may leave you more inclined to use it, however†¦show more content†¦Iago could possibly be just as Coleridge said, motiveless, and give an excuse for his motives so he will not appear as cruel. As many evil acts as Iago initiates, it may seem hard to believe that he would lie to the audience who already knows his evil plan, only to make himself seem better. However taking a different approach, as a compulsive liar why wouldn’t Iago lie to the audience? In fact, in Act I lines 57-65, Iago states â€Å"I am not what I am.† This statement gives Coleridge an even stronger stand in that now Iago has given the audience a personal testimony. Yet, no matter how strong Coleridge’s view may seem, it is completely incorrect, the motive is there it just may seem to be hard to see. One thing that can be concluded about Iago is that he is not an honest man, and that Othello has mislabeled him drastically. Iago’s character through a strategic and well planned manipulation process eceive many of the other characters. He uses carefully thought out words and actions to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits himself, while also pushing Othello, Desdemona, Roderigo, Emilia, and Cassio to their tragic death. Not only is he betraying his commander he is also using his wife, lying to his friend, and getting back at his enemy! Iago’s character has learned to use a high intensity of deception. Iago pretends to be this sweet innocent man, while in reality the audience knows hisShow MoreRelatedHuman Nature And Evil Nature1227 Words   |  5 Pagesalthough placed in a simulated environment, allowed thei r evil nature to triumph and, as a result, abused the civil rights of others. Throughout history, literature has portrayed this transgression of human nature and revealed evil’s presence, goals, motives, and strategies. His cunning tactics cause Eve to disobey and betray God, resulting in both her and Adam’s banishment from Heaven. 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