The Role of Iago in William Shakespeare’s Othello Essay

The Role of Iago in William Shakespeare’s Othello As in any Shakespearean tragedy, there are opposing forces that bring about the tragic ending. William Shakespeare’s play Othello would not be one without an evil catalyst named Iago. He is a standard-bearer, or an â€Å"ancient† to the tragic hero Othello, who was a Moorish general in a Venetian army. In the play, Iago is the Satanic figure in whatever the word evil connotes. The word â€Å"evil† means that of which is morally bad or wrong, or that which causes harm, pain, or misery (Popkin, par. 1). There are several traits or characteristics that are common to both Iago and Satan. According Professor William Grace, of Fordham University, â€Å"Both Iago and Satan are skilled deceivers,†¦show more content†¦This quote, which appears in an early monologue by Iago, shows how Iago sees virtue as meaningless, trivial, and insignificant and that personal will should rule one’s decision making. Also, by his simple condemnation of virtue, Iago is alienating himself from every aspect of goodness. Satan, on the other hand, was morally pure (Ezek. 28:12-15). Satan was formerly an angel of God and was also known as Lucifer or â€Å"the morning star† (Isa. 14:12). However, he rejected all of the following to be evil and rebelled against God, the image of goodness (Ezek. 28:15-16). Satan’s rebellion and his goal of corrupting the image of good is symbolically similar to Iago’s when Iago whispers: IAGO. [†¦] I have’t. It is engender’d. Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light (Oth. 1.3.446-447). In this scene, Iago exposes to the audience his diabolical view of corrupting the light of the world, which is also light of the glory of God (2 Cor. 4:6). According to Richard H. Popkin, â€Å"Evil is the privation, or absence, of good, as darkness is the absence of light† (par. 3). Iago intends to fulfill Satan’s goal, which is to destroy God and influence the world with corruption (Rev. 12:4a). Iago and Satan promoted immoral, corrupted, and evil ideas. Lance Morrow, from his article about â€Å"Evil,† unfolds another characteristic of Satan, which was exhibited by Iago: Satan and evilShow MoreRelatedDramatic Irony Used for Characterization in Othello by Shakespeare713 Words   |  3 Pages[Michael Caine,] Batman; The Dark Knight). William Shakespeare uses a variety of literary devices throughout his works, but his use of dramatic irony specifically puts his readers at the edge of their seats. Being full of jealousy and betrayal, the plot of Othello is guided by this playwright’s usage of dramatic irony. Through the use of dramatic irony and characterization Shakespeare creates Iago, the most sinister character in all of literature. 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