Essay on "Iago's Mastermind of Privilege and Oppression"

Essay 5 pages (1256 words) Sources: 1 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Iago's Mastermind Of Privilege And Oppression In Shakespeare's Othello

In William Shakespeare's play, Othello, Iago is the character that believes his privilege is someone else's oppression. Iago believes that it is his privilege to seek revenge and oppress Othello for the promotion he (Iago) did not receive. This revenge is aimed at Othello and, from the very opening of the play, we see that Iago is scheming to get his privilege to oppress one way or another. His privilege will become Othello's oppression if it is the last thing Iago accomplishes. Indeed, it is the last thing he does accomplish but he does it great ease, thanks to Othello and his good nature. Iago is intelligent enough to pit Othello and his wife against one another and once this is accomplished, they jealous fiend set loose in Othello's head already has control of his logic and reason. Iago is the character that is knowingly culpable in the scheme; however, Othello, Cassio, Emelia, and Desdemona are complicit unknowingly. They are victims of the equation rather than active participants in it. Iago has only one benefactor and that is himself.

Simply put, Iago is a man plagued with "issues" and this is why he becomes the character that is most probable to determine that he deserves something in the play. If he were alive today, he would no doubt be a man that had few friends and, more than anything else, he would be always seeking how he could obtain more than what he already possessed. In addition to this, he would never be happy because enough would never be enough. This attitude toward life and people in general can be seen early in the play when Iago expresses agitation over the fact that he was not promoted to lieutenant. He is interesting because he moves directly to the idea of privilege without considering why he was not promoted. This is behavior that we can expect from egomaniac, however, and Iago lives up to the title. Iago only knows that he did not get promoted and someone else did; his next action is bent on the privilege, or revenge. He tells Roderigo:

Others there are Who, trimmed in form and visages of duty,

Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,

And, throwing but shows of services on their lords,

Do well thrive by them, and when they have lined their coats,

Do themselves homage. (Shakespeare I.i.46-52)

These lines reveal a man that is fully aware that he is different from others and simply does not care. He has probably just identified why he did not get promoted but he does not comprehend this because he is the type of person to look at what he does not have as opposed to what he does have. He only distinguishes these decent characteristics as weaknesses that will only result in an individual's downfall. When he states that Cassio and those like him have some soul and "such I do profess myself. (I.i.46-53), he is pointing out what makes him different from the others. He then says that by following Othello, he follows but himself and he does not do anything but for love or duty but to his own "peculiar end" (I.i.61). He even Roderigo of things to come when says his goal is to wear his heart "compliment extern" (I.i.64). Iago knows that he is evil and he seems to exhibit no trouble when articulating this fact. His attitude bleeds into his philosophy of live for he does not see a reward for being a decent person that has lived a good life. He states, "To be direct and honest is not safe. / I should be wise, for honesty is a fool / and looses that it works for" (III.… READ MORE

How to Reference "Iago's Mastermind of Privilege and Oppression" Essay in a Bibliography

Related Essays:

Othello Iago's Soliloquies in Othello (Act I.3.375-396) Term Paper

Othello

Iago's Soliloquies in Othello (Act I.3.375-396)

Throughout the play, the only character to speak to the audience directly and intimately is the character of Iago. He speaks to the… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1250 words) Sources: 1 Style: MLA Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Iago: Evil Unbound William Shakespeare's Tragic Drama Essay

Iago: Evil Unbound

William Shakespeare's tragic drama, Othello, provides us with one of the most interesting villains of all time. Iago is a man fueled by his own hate. Jealousy,… read more

Essay 3 pages (920 words) Sources: 1 Style: MLA Topic: Psychology / Behavior / Psychiatry

---

Iago: Villainous Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Thesis

Iago: Villainous Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Many individuals are remembered for their greatness but few are remembered for how great they were at being villainous. One individual that was undoubtedly… read more

Thesis 4 pages (1122 words) Sources: 4 Style: MLA Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Iago, Devious Manipulator of Shakespeare's Othello Term Paper

Iago, Devious Manipulator of Shakespeare's Othello

According to the great English essayist and critic William Hazlitt, the character of Iago in William Shakespeare's masterpiece Othello "is one of the most… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (963 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Reputation and Good Name in Othello How Iago Shapes Is Own and Others Images Literature Review

Iago in William Shakespeare's play, Othello, is undoubtedly one of the most conniving characters ever created. Even today, there are few man that can compare with the man who convinced… read more

Literature Review 5 pages (1519 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>