The Theme Of Evil In Shakespeare's Othello

2308 words - 10 pages

Just what is "evil" in Shakespeare's play? Iagos will for "revenge" on Cassio, who has been promoted to a higher army rank than himself? Is Iago evil? Essentially, Iago could be described as the central trouble-making, ill-willed character of the play; he leads a lot of the characters into a state of confusion, convincing them to think poorly and wrong of other figures in 'Othello' that are in fact innocent of their accused crimes.But does this make him an "evil" individual? Let us begin by defining the word "evil". An evil person may be considered as somebody who condones bad or morally wrong activities that cause ruin, injury, misfortune or destruction.From this definition, it beco ...view middle of the document...

Cassio is plied with drink while on duty and is challenged by Roderigo in his intoxicated state of mind, leading to a fight. Cassio is thus disgraced and a dismissal from his post is inevitable. Iagos tomfoolery does not end here; he goes on to persuade Othello that Desdemona is in love with Cassio, thus having committed adultery on her husband. Iago receives a handkerchief from Emilia that was dropped by Desdemona for false proof of Desdemona's invented relationship with Cassio, maintaining it was found in Cassio's chamber. This move by Iago leads Othello to think Desdemona a whore, escorting him to jealousy, shattering the love and pride he showed for Desdemona. Shakespeare uses this to create a foreseeable but delicately ironic situation: Othello now seeks revenge on Desdemona and Cassio, who in fact are innocent and haven't performed a single thing to harm the other characters; all arisen complications are the result of Iago's treachery and manipulation of the individual characters.Othello requests Iago to kill Cassio, where Iago persuades Roderigo to assist him. As Roderigo strikes an unsuccessful attempt on Cassio's life, yet more complications arise; Iago stabs Roderigo as a consequence of his sloppy, incomplete work, and while this is going on, Othello smothers Desdemona in bed.When Emilia informs Othello of the attack on Cassio, she finds her mistress (Desdemona) dead and screams for help. It is at this point of the play that Iago's plot is revealed by his wife, who is, perhaps unmercifully and flabbergastingly, killed by her husband in return for letting the truth out.Othello realises the mistakes he has made in being gullible enough to believe Iago's tall stories and kills himself. Iago, in return, receives the punishment of torture.From the above, it becomes clear of the role appointed to Iago by his author. But what does Iago seek out in performing such evil and malicious activities and telling such ruthless lies? True, he seeks revenge, but was it his original intentions that people were killed for the pursuit of his vengeance on Othello and Cassio? It is doubtful. At any given point in the play, Iago does what he thinks best to climb out of the current situation he stands in. Naturally in doing so, he digs his own grave deeper and deeper, not achieving the desired task, but only causing more confusion from the point of view of the other characters and thus leading to bleak suffering of all the persons mentioned in the character list of the play.From my point of view, Iago lacks any type of solid, convincing ground for his "evil" activities on the characters; he simply never backs up his actions with proper reasoning, clearly taking advantage of the vulnerable and uneasy atmosphere following the threat of invasion Cyprus finds itself in. For example, in the first scene he makes a claim to being angry at Othello for not having considered him worthy of promotion to lieutenant. (Act I Scene 1, lines 7-32) Additionally, at the end...

More like The Theme Of Evil In Shakespeare's Othello

"angels, Men, And Devils" In Shakespeare's Othello

823 words - 4 pages ... In William Shakespeare's Othello, the character Emilia suggests that the other characters of the play represent "heaven and men and devils," loosely setting up the format of the entire work, and summed up clearly in the final scene. There are characters that distinctly represent each of these realms, as well as some that seem to have characteristics from two of the areas. Desdemona is the character most closely associated with heaven as is ...

An Examination Of "O" The Movie: A Modern Adaptation Of Shakespeare's Othello

1936 words - 8 pages ... background inner quarrel provided by Iago in his monologue from the play is missed. This seems to allow the viewer to feel pity Hugo that you would feel he didn't deserve had you known Iago's intense, unprovoked hatred and volatility nature towards Othello.The Character's that Kaaya forms in his text are quite similar in name and characteristics to the ones developed originally in Shakespeare's play. The character of Othello portrayed as Odin in the ...

Title-cassio's Tragedy And Shakespeare's Use Of Minor Characters Assignment-analyze A Play (othello) In Terms Of A Minor Character's Relation To The Plot

964 words - 4 pages Free ... and confidante, than Othello would have had his good advice and honesty there to guide him. By separating the two friend's Iago put himself in a position to be the only voice Othello could hear. Cassio's removal was of great importance to Iago.However, this importance was not because of who Cassio was, but rather, because of where he was: at Othello's right hand. This is a vital difference between Shakespeare's minor characters and major ...

Othello: Essay On The Themes, Description Of The Shakespeare's Text - English - Essay

775 words - 4 pages ... Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’ introduces audiences to a world of contrasting human behaviours through his various characterisations in order to explore the complexity of the human mind. Shakespeare juxtaposes characters as the plot unfolds in order to communicate the dualities of the human condition, in turn Iago becomes the embodiment of Machiavellian evil and Othello, whilst brave and confident is ultimately compromised as a result of his ...

Essay On Iago's Soliquy In Shakespeare's Play "othello"

869 words - 4 pages ... shows the raging evil within Iago. Up to this point in the play, Iago has had a racist attitude, always insulting Othello. His racism is seen through him calling Othello "the Moor" in the soliloquy instead of his actual name. Iago uses the term "blackest sin" metaphorically to mean the worst sin possible, confirming his racist prejudice towards dark-skinned people, especially Othello. Not only is Iago racist to Othello, but also wishes to cause ...

Othello - Evil Characteristics & Nature Of Mankind - AP Literature - Essay

447 words - 2 pages Free ... Desdemona at the spark of jealousy. From Iago’s manipulative state, he indirectly causes the death of Desdemona and Cassio. A part of the nature of villainy includes the outcasts of the social hierarchy. By this definition, Othello is “evil” in the eyes of the society since a Moor is the general. Roderigo is angry at the fact that Othello has the hands of Desdemona, since the fair maiden chooses to marry the Moor. Iago reiterates this idea of ...

The Treatment Of Blacks And Women In Othello

1799 words - 8 pages ... In the Sixteenth century, as we can clearly see from Othello, blacks and women were not treated as equals with the rest of the society. White males were superior to all others. Women were considered second to men and then following that was the black race. Racism is a particularly important theme in the play; it has a great deal of influence on how people in the play regard Othello. Some Characters in the play distrust black people merely on ...

Othello - Comparative Study Of Original Text And Oliver Parker's Film 'othello' Text 1: Othello By William Shakespeare Text 2: Film Othello Directed By Oliver Parker (adaptation Of Shakespear...

957 words - 4 pages ... William Shakespeare's Othello is an Aristotelian tragedy that dramatises the gradual demise of the eponymous protagonist. Shakespeare employs a multiplicity of literary techniques to convey universal ideas exemplified throughout the course of Othello's decline. However, Oliver Parker reinvigorates the play's timeless ideas in a cinematic medium, sexualising the play for modern sensibilities. Parker utilises visual motifs and cinematic devices to ...

The Theme Of Isolation In "great Expectations" Through Miss Havisham

3267 words - 14 pages Free ... Question: How does Dickens in his portrayal of Miss Havisham explore the theme of isolation?The oldest of eight children, Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. Dickens experienced a very traumatic childhood which included the ordeal of seeing two of his brother pass away. John Dickens, his father, worked as a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, due to his occupation, the Dickens family had to move a lot. Financial problems led to the ...

Theme Of Guilt In The Kite Runner - English - Essay

2277 words - 10 pages ... The Theme of Guilt in The Kite Runner If you disguise or mask a sin or wrong doing, it denies the option of staying true to one’s self and the guilt will eventually set in. guilt is one of the many themes presented in the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Characters are challenged and struggle with the theme of guilt. Some take the guilt and convert it to make positive changes in their life to somewhat right the wrong they have done ...

Exploring Good Versus Evil In "lord Of The Flies" - Lincon High School - Essay

1237 words - 5 pages Free ... In William Golding's “Lord Of The Flies,” the theme of good versus evil is widespread throughout the text. William Golding has cleverly incorporated it throughout the story with his application of symbolism as a literary device. There are three significant pieces of evidence of symbolism depicting good or evil. The first being the Lord of the Flies itself, The second being the literal and symbolic meaning of Piggy’s glasses, and the third being ...

Essay That Describes The "human Tendencies Toward Evil" Found In Heart Of Darkness

1109 words - 5 pages ... observation of Kurtz. He also discovers that human nature can be altered, subject to the constraints placed on it by the environment, and that it is able to be either good or evil. The temptation of evil, existing especially in an environment lacking any rules, creates turmoil in the human soul, as it struggles between its conscience and its tendencies towards evil. Kurtz confides in Marlow near the end of the book, and from him Marlow learns about human ...

The Significance Of Jealousy In The First Half Of 'othello' - English Literature - Essay

1308 words - 6 pages ... Explore the significance of jealousy in the first half of the play Jealousy is introduced as a key theme within the first half of Othello, the ability for personal jealousy to consume and influence the actions of characters emphasises its power and importance within the play. It is epitomised within the definition as ‘the green eyed monster which doth mock’, this personification further demonstrates jealousy as a power. The theme is revolves ...

Evil And The Confessions Of St. Augustine

947 words - 4 pages ... Brett WalterHUM 205Paper # 9Evil and theConfessions of St. Augustine:Aurelius Augustine lived from 354 -430 A.D. During his life, Augustine introduced some extremely important philosophical ideas with regards to these concepts of evil. These concepts were introduced in a direct defense of the Christian faith.Prior to St. Augustine's time, many philosophers questioned the picture of evilpainted by the Christians. This picture portrayed evil as a ...

Money, The Root Of All Evil

549 words - 3 pages ... Money has screwed up society a lot. The times long ago were not focused around a green piece of paper that we have labeled as money. This piece of paper got an amount and then finally you have to have it. True, money buys you things. Things that you want. Things that you need. To me, money is just that; a thing. A thing to which we treat like a God. A piece of paper that we carry around and every now and then do something worth while with it ...