The Nature of Evil in William ShakespeareÂs Othello Essay

William ShakespeareÂ’s Othello uses different and unique techniques in his language to express the nature of evil throughout the play. Verbal twists and the characters most importantly stress the act of evil. Iago, most of all is portrayed as the “villain” or “protagonist in the play. Shakespeare uses this character to set the basis of evil. Each plot point is spiraled further into tragedy due to the nature of Iago and his manipulative language towards the other main characters. Corruption overcomes the Venetian society as Iago uses his crafty skills of deceit. The plan to have Othello turn against the ones he loves is the perfect example of evilÂ’s nature. The power struggle is evident between these two. This situation is the start to†¦show more content†¦355,] By playing on his hopes, Iago is able to conjure money and jewels from Roderigo, making himself a profit, while using Roderigo to further his other plans. He also thinks stealthy on his feet and is able to improvise whenever something unexpected occurs. When Cassio takes hold of Desdemonas hand before the arrival of the Moor Othello, Iago says, With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. [II, i, 163] This language demonstrates the evil inside IagoÂ’s goals of retrieving absolute power. He actually even says of himself, I am an honest man.... [II, iii, 245] Iago slowly corrupts the characterÂ’s thoughts, creating ideas in their minds without implicating hims elf. His medicine works! Thus credulous fools are caught.... [II, i, 44] And whats he then that says I play the villain, when this advice is free I give, and honest, [II, iii, 299] says Iago. In turn, people rarely stop to consider the fact that old Iago could be deceiving and manipulating them; yet they are convinced that he is Honest Iago. From these quotes from “Othello” it is proven that the dialogue used between Iago and the others is manipulative causing an evil outcome. IagoÂ’s complexity in character grows as the play comes closer to a conclusion. The tricky and crafty way Shakespeare uses the evil in Iago is to make him seem amoral as opposed to the typical immoral villain. At the climactic end of the play, Iagos plot and plan is given away to OthelloShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Othello By William Shakespeare Essay1418 Words   |  6 Pageswork. However, for many centuries the writer has also been seen to have a diagnostic function, scrutinizing the ills of their society and portraying them for the world to see. William Shakespeare, 1564-1616, was an English playwright, poet and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world s most distinguished dramatist. His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and a few other verses. HisRead MoreThe Chinese Concept Of Yin And The Dark Knight Essay1324 Words   |  6 Pagesconcept of Yin and Ya ng shows how opposite dualities are interconnected and mutually dependant in the natural world. Take the coexistence of good and evil, for example, and you will find that within us all is the source of each.Having the potential to be both good and evil is part of our human nature. As humans we cannot be perfect, because inherent evil is something that will always be part of humanity. Throughout time, a variety of texts and film have been able to give us the greatest insight intoRead More Iago of William Shakespeares Othello Essay1546 Words   |  7 PagesIago of William Shakespeares Othello Who is Iago? Iago poisons peoples thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without implicating himself. His first victim is Roderigo. Roderigo remarks, That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse as if the strings were thine. [Act I, Scene I, Line 2] Throughout the play, Iago leads Roderigo, professing that . . . I do hate [the Moor] as I do Hell pains. [Act I, Scene I, Line 152] He tells Roderigo to Put money in thy purse [Act I, Scene III, Line 328]Read MoreOthello As A Tragic Hero872 Words   |  4 PagesVenice, Othello is transformed into a crazy, senseless man. William Shakespeare uses the idea of a tragic hero in almost all of his dramas. A tragic hero can be described as a person of high status who is neither completely good nor completely evil, possesses a tragic flaw, and leaves this flaw to be the reason for his/her downfall. Othello believes he can trust one of his soldiers, Iago, who is determined to seek revenge on Othello for not promoting him to be a lieutenant. Othellorsq uo;s temperRead MoreSummary Of The Prince During The 1500 S1622 Words   |  7 Pagesduring the 1500’s, which emphasized the need for stability, rather than fairness. The text was written as a guide to keeping power above all else. As Machiavelli has proved to be both repellent and enticing, the message of his essay has often been misinterpreted. The most common misreading is to suggest that Machiavelli advocates the idea that ‘being evil for the sake of being evil is acceptable’. However, as John Roe has noted, ‘Machiavelli at no point advocates the practice of evil as acceptableRead MoreOthello, The Moor Of Venice, Is One Of The Principal Tragedies1180 Words   |  5 PagesOthello, the Moor of Venice, is one of the principal tragedies by Shakespeare. This tragedy contains many themes which are important in society today. Many aspects of people s lives have changed, but the way people think is still the same . Shakespeare s Othello wants to underline t he psychological and social impact of racism; and the power of manipulation as well as jealousy. These are the most important themes throughout this drama. Othello takes place in Venice, Italy. He was a black generalRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello The Moor Of Venice1745 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Othello the Moor of Venice, is a tragedy of great manipulation and jealousy that exploits the evil in people and how one could take advantage of another based on their weaknesses and flaws; perfect people do not exist in a world filled of temptation, failure, and suffering as Shakespeare proves the consequences of being trustful and naà ¯ve. People of Venice must be aware of the people around them and who they trust because one should live with a reasonable mind in order to avoidRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Othello 1119 Words   |  5 Pagesplay â€Å"Othello†, by William Shakespeare and film adaption by Oliver parker explores the idea of how an individual’s sense of identity affects their actions and how this can be manipulated to create conflict. Shakespeare uses techniques such as soliloquies , dramatic irony, imagery, foreshadowing, and symbolism to show us how tragedy occurs from counteracting to patriarchal rules and stereotypes. Identity is a very key, important thematic issue in William Shakespeare s tragic play, â€Å"Othello†. IdentityRead MoreThe True Nature Of Shakespeares Characters In Othello1546 Words   |  7 PagesThe True Nature of William Shakespeare’s Characters in â€Å"Othello† Ever since it’s creation over four centuries ago, William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy â€Å"Othello†, has reigned as one of the greatest play’s of all time. Being widely studied and analyzed, there should be no question as to why this piece has remained so relevant, even within the twisting and turbulent times of the 20th century and beyond. With copious amounts of today’s youth becoming caught and obsessed with the virtual life of socialRead MoreOthellos Tragic Flaw Essays1208 Words   |  5 PagesOthello, a Moor, comes to Venice after several years of serving in the military. Being a Moor makes it difficult to be taken seriously. I tis like segregation in the 1960’s, white’s had luxury while colored had almost nothing. In order for Othello to gain some respect, he had to gain authoritative power, which he did by becoming a military general. In the military Othello meets Cassio and Iago, he chooses Cassio as his lieutenant which u psets Iago. The promotion of Cassio begins to show jealousy