Abstract
This paper examines William Shakespeare's "Othello" and refutes the claim that Iago is less a villain due to his artistry. It argues that the artistry of Iago is merely a dramatic device, and that it is not meant that we admire him for it. We are made privy to his dark inner thoughts, but this does not meat that we sympathize with villainy. The paper also argues that the villainous soliloquies are only meant to carry the plot forward. In this way it is a mistake to judge him an artist only because he appears to be so coherent.

From the Paper
" Coleridge describes Iago's villainy as ''motiveless malignity'' (Hadfield 39). His one motive seems to be to glory in the success of his machinations, and thus to make it an art. Rubinstein comments that there can be no evil involved if is a task is undertaken with a purely artistic motivation (191). If evil is considered to be a manifestation of unbridled passion, then Iago should not be termed evil. But I believe it is a mistake to consider Iago without motivation. He hates Othello due to his color and his creed. Critics tend to overlook this basic fact, seeing that it is only Iago who hates, whereas everyone else in the play overlooks the 'blackness' of the Moor, and indeed respects him for his nobility of character. But there is no reason for us to assume that sixteenth century Venice has freed itself from racism. Iago must be seen as a personification of this form of hatred, which cannot have been absent in the Venice of renaissance times."

Tags:tragedy, soliloquy, Desdemona

Abstract
The paper analyzes a passage from "Othello" in which Iago first conceives of his plot to inflame Othello's jealousy against his wife. The paper shows how it is in this passage that Iago effectively defines his plan of action that leads to the tragic destruction of the play's primary characters. The paper highlights how the passage is critical to our understanding of both the action of the play and the complex character and motivations of Iago.

From the Paper
"This passage is situated in the play directly after the failure of Iago's initial plot to hurt Othello; in which he had stirred Desdemona's father, Brabantio, into a rage at the thought that the Moor had seduced and "stolen" his daughter (I.1). This plot fails when both Othello and Desdemona are brought before the Duke of Venice, where both Othello's nobility and Desdemona's protestations of her love for him sway the Duke in favour of the couple (I.3). Yet, this plot having completely failed, Iago nonetheless continues to scheme. At this point, Shakespeare is compelled to reveal the reason why Iago seems so driven to hurt his master. Significantly, it is Iago's own jealous belief that Othello has slept with Iago's wife that, Iago states, fuels his rage: "I hate the Moor,/ And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets / He's done my office" (I.3.380-382)."

Tags:jealousy, destruction, evil, Desdemona, schemes

Abstract
This paper describes how the villainous Iago in Shakespeare's "Othello" is a master manipulator who utilizes his knowledge of human psychology and motivations to persuade others to place their trust in him.This enabled him to further his own plot against Othello. His methods included selective use of honesty, flattery and using different stories with different people in order to play them against each other.

From the Paper
"At the beginning of "Othello," (Act I, Scene I), on a Venice street, Iago is introduced as a friend and trusted ally of Roderigo, and one who has his "purse" (financial trust.) Roderigo reminds Iago that Iago told him previously that he was antagonistic to Othello, and Iago assures him this is so: "Despise me, if I do not" - even giving what sounds like a plausible reason, i.e., Iago is bitter at Othello for selecting another man, Michael Cassio, over himself to serve as Othello's lieutenant, and he admits his jealousy of Cassio and his wish for vengeance against Othello. Of course, it seems that he is telling all this to Roderigo in order..."

Tags:othello, shakespeare, iago

Abstract
The plot of Shakespeare's "Othello" relies on interpretation rather than observation. Iago is able to shift the way that Othello interprets what should be meaningless observations. The paper shows that by doing so, Iago is successful in making Othello believe that his wife is cheating on him when she is not. This illustrates that what is observed is given meaning by how it is interpreted. It also illustrates how one can be fooled into interpreting things incorrectly, especially when another person has the ability to deceive effectively.

From the Paper
"It is worthwhile to consider exactly how Iago manages to convince Othello that an affair is happening. The first important aspect is that Iago uses Othello's own nature against him. From the beginning, Iago recognizes that Othello is prone to jealousy. He specifically chooses to make Othello believe that his wife is having an affair because he knows that Othello's nature will compel him to experience jealousy. As Iago says, "The Moor is of a free and open nature, / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, / And will as tenderly be led by the nose / As asses are? (I,iii). This is exactly what Iago does, using Othello's nature to make him believe what he wants him to believe. One of the most important aspects is that the more jealous and angry Othello becomes, the less rational he becomes."

Tags:Desdemona, Roderigo, Cassio

Abstract
This paper explains how Shakespeare uses the soliloquy in Act 2 ,Scene 3, lines 335-362, in "Othello" to demonstrate to the audience Iago?s nature and to provide insight into his character. It shows how, in this scene, Iago reveals a devious plot that involves three other characters in the play with the intention on destroying two of them, Othello and Cassio. The third, Desdemona, is secondary, and her function for him is only as a vessel to carry his plan into action.

From the Paper
"By content alone, one may deduce that Igao lacks strong character and a high moral value. It is difficult to believe that a character with a strong sense of morality would hatch such a plot, regardless of the circumstances that causes Iago's actions. We know that the circumstances that fuel his motivation certainly do not warrant this type of action by Igao. But for argument's sake, even if the circumstances were different and Iago was not fueled entirely by jealousy, his obvious lack of respect for the other characters? well being provides strong clues into understanding the type of character he is."

Tags:desdemona, cassio, othello

Abstract
This paper analyzes a passage from William Shakespeare's "Othello" in which Iago first conceives of his plot to inflame Othello's jealousy against his wife. The paper shows how in this passage, Iago effectively defines his plan of action through the course of the play that leads to tragic destruction of the play's primary characters.

From the Paper
"This literary essay will analyze a passage from William Shakespeare's tragedy of Othello in which Iago first conceives of his plot to inflame Othello's jealousy against his wife. As this essay will argue, through a critical analysis of the content of the passage and its wider significance in terms of the play as a whole, in this passage Iago effectively defines his plan of action through the course of the play that leads to tragic destruction of the play's primary characters. This passage is situated in the play directly after the failure of Iago's..."

Tags:shakespeare, othello, iago

Abstract
This paper examines racism as presented in William Shakespeare's "Othello." The paper describes the racism of the Elizabethan era and how represents its belief system. Various themes from "Othello" are also explored, such as good versus evil, in which good is depicted as being white and evil being black. Additionally, the paper includes an extensive plot summary and character analysis of Othello and Iago. The paper concludes that this drama ends in tragedy because of Othello's African heritage.

From the Paper
"The literature of the Elizabethan period was very racist. It used to portray people of African heritage in a very negative light. Shakespeare himself had been racist in some of his earlier works, especially the Merchant of Venice. However, Othello is the only text in Elizabethan literature that allows the man of African heritage to shine and be viewed in a positive light. From the beginning of the play, Othello, a man of African heritage is portrayed positively by William Shakespeare. The author depicts Othello as a real hero, a very brave general and a man of high social standing. However, this great man, just like any other Elizabethan greats, has some weaknesses that antagonists use to bring him down."

Tags:Othello, themes, racism, Iago, Desdemona

Abstract
This paper examines how the tragedy of "Othello" is one of the four great tragedies written in what literary historians call Shakespeare's "period of despair." It looks at how out of the four tragedies, ("Hamlet," "King Lear," "Macbeth," and "Othello") "Othello" might be said to be the most ill-motivated. It shows how Iago, the villain of the play, is perhaps the most sadistic and overall evil character in all of English literature. It also examines how, in "Othello," the plot line and the theme are intertwined with love triumphing over evil and hate and how the love of one woman for another is instrumental in bringing the villain to his "poetic justice."

From the Paper
"A prime example of this "fatal flaw" associated with jealousy occurs when Othello begins to suspect that his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. In Act III, Scene 3, he states that "I had rather be a toad/And live upon the vapor of a dungeon/Than keep a corner in the thing I love/For others uses" (270-73). This also points out Othello's noble pride and his self-esteem, both of which are closely related to his jealousy. Leonard F. Dean adds to this by mentioning that Othello's jealousy, part of the ongoing war of love against hate, leads to the final ingredient of uncertainty, for at first, Othello, "thinks that the solution to his jealousy is bound up in converting love to hate" but then discovers to his dismay that "the two emotions are inextricably linked, for he cannot give up loving his wife whom he now hates" (167)."

Tags:iago, desdemona, moor, love

Abstract
This paper discusses how the characters in William Shakespeare's "Othello" are what really make the play come to life. It provides a brief summary of each of the main characters with a character analysis and a description of their contribution to the plot of the play. It shows how Othello is bold warrior and a good person, how Iago brings all of the evil and fallacy into the play, how Desdemona is young and innocent and how Cassio's character is vulnerable and easily manipulated.

From the Paper
"The character of Desdemona is young and innocent. When she is wrongly accused of infidelity, her innocent response to his rage is "I never gave him cause!" (III.iv.155). Desdemona's innocent nature is highlighted in the play, through the contrast with the two other female characters, the cynical Emilia and Cassio's mistress, Bianca. These women are harsh and ugly, and make Desdemona seem all the more pure. Her love for Othello is a major part of her character. She permits his abuse of her, although it shakes her self-confidence. She is an obedient and devoted wife. She carries her love for Othello with her even as he strangles her to death."

Tags:desdemona, cassio, iago, infidelity, jealousy, madness, murder

Abstract
The paper examines the claim that Othello's own weakness of character is responsible for his downfall. It uses Othello's feelings of jealousy and his low self-image as examples of this claim. It traces the way Othello's personality changes through the play in response to Iago's plot. The paper also looks at the animal imagery used in the play to describe the characters.

From the Paper
"Othello is an accomplished military leader who has the trust and admiration of the duke and the senate, as well as that of Desdemona and her father, Brabantio. But his greatest battle and tragic failure takes place within him, his weakness of character, especially his response to the temptations of jealousy by the vile promptings of Iago, his ensign. Othello is prepared for the most difficult fights with strong opponents, but not when his opponent is his own reaction.
Despite his high rank in the military and the Venetian society, Othello remains insecure within himself and suddenly realizes his small self-regard when Iago dubiously suggests that fresh, young and beautiful Desdemona and his newly-stalled lieutenant Cassio are having a secret love affair. Othello becomes conscious of his perceived liabilities, namely his being a black man with "thick lips" and his being older than Desdemona, which perhaps make him not that attractive to her."

Tags:self-esteem, characters, Iago, Desdemona, jealousy, animal, imagery