Essay Database

‘It is in the soliloquys rather than through his actions that the audience learns the true nature of Iago’s villainy.’ Do you agree? In ‘Othello,’ a world created by Shakespeare, where men are not what they seem, we explore the character of Iago, a suspicious, egocentric and deceitful figure who feels no remorse or guilt. The distasteful pleasure that Iago seems to gain from his insidious actions and his disturbing malicious nature show the …

…his inward choice to be evil, and it is his inadequate motives to bring about the downfall of Othello and Cassio, that may well leave the audience feeling unsympathetic towards this “notorious villain”. On the contrary, it is also Iago’s actions that show his true malicious nature, as it is his conduct, rather than his thoughts, that show the extent of his villainy as well as the pleasure he gains from his cold-blooded work.