The nature of evil in the character of iago

Iago remains the embodiment of evil in Othello, never changing his selfish and cruel behavior. Henry the Fifth tells us: If I were writing this paper, I would focus on Othello's choice--his belief that he is is right, that he is just.

His consistent language seems practically that of a shrewd, self-reliant man with great knowledge of human nature; yet, when his actual conduct is calmly examined, it is more like that of a reckless, as well as vindictive, desperado.

The second alleged reason is jealousy for his suspected cuckolding by Othello. He recognizes no standard beyond himself; indeed, he hardly seems to grasp the reality of other people at all, save as tools, marks and dupes — always means, never ends.

It is possible that Iago has his own secret passion for the Moor's new bride, and he is enraged at the idea of the "old black ram" 1. The Case of Iago, Ladislaus Lob tr.

Each of these is familiar enough and offers the prospect of normal understanding. You might discuss the difficulty of judging good and evil. It is so easy to misjudge those around us, to become suspicious because of our own failings, to embrace those that in reality want to do us harm.

There are two salient sides to Iago: He calls Iago a "demi-devil that hath ensnared [his] soul and body. He believes neither in her faithfulness to him nor in her personal heroism; hence his crimes are chiefly caused by his distrust of the former, while his final detection is mainly caused by his ignorance of the latter.

The most obvious is that he has just been passed over for a promotion which has gone to Cassio.

Iago Othello Driven by an overpowering lust for evil rivaled only by Satan, Iago grabs the title as worst Shakespeare villain hands down. Iago is much more confidential with Othello than Cassio, who, on his part, always admires and likes Iago.

Iago deceives almost every character he interacts with in the book.

In all Venice he could hardly have found three men more easily guided, influenced, or persuaded than Othello, Cassio and Roderigo, who all admire and trust him from the first, while in his wife Emilia he is evidently completely mistaken.

He also seems locked in a kind of dark conceptual symbiosis with Othello — as if he is the other half of a hybrid organism. He is not only jealous, but he acts on his jealousy, making him appear crueler than when first introduced. Iago suspects that his wife, Emilia, has committed adultery with Othello:.

Get an answer for 'How has Shakespeare used Desdemona and Iago to portray the good and evil of human nature?I have to write a presentation on an aspect of.

Iago is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Othello (c.

–). Iago is the play's main antagonist, and Othello's standard-bearer. He is the husband of Emilia, who is in turn the attendant of Othello's wife Desdemona. 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.

Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews is an electronic, peer-reviewed journal that publishes timely reviews of scholarly philosophy books. The Apologetics of Evil: The Case of Iago // Reviews // Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews // University of Notre Dame.

Through the character Iago, Shakespeare, in his play Othello, explores the concept of the evil nature of man and argues that one who is motivated purely by greed and the desire for power will ultimately face the consequences of his or her actions.

Alexandra Melville provides a close reading of the villainous character of Iago in Act 2, Scene 1 of Othello.

The nature of evil in the character of iago