Iago - character Flashcards
‘I am not what I am’
Embodies Iago’s cryptic and laconic manner of speaking, with the allusion to biblical imagery, Iago transforms God’s words into a negative formulation to cast him as an allegorical figure of wickedness. At this moment, Shakespeare begins to intertwine the moral concept of deception in the play to commission the audience to identify Iago as the tragic villain or as Graham Bradshaw states, ‘the surrogate dramatist’. Here the visual recognition of Iago as the tragic villain comes into action to ignite Iago as one of the key elements of the transgression of the play. All the audience can do is question how this will fall into place.
(link to how Iago fends of goodness and transforms it into wickedness - agent of chaos)
‘An old black ram is tupping your white ewe’
Iago characterises Othello as a mindless, ruthless animal who has besmirched the pure Desdemona with his lust, employing animalistic imagery to introduce the racial connotations of black vs white, most prevalent in Shakespeare’s times. In reducing Othello to a ram, Iago demotes him to a beast essentially stripping him of his humanity and belittling Othello, subtly alluding to his own jealousy. This acts as the origins of the fall of the tragic hero. Othello is alienated from the people of Venice; Iago uses this to enact his villainy and wicked intent of ruining Othello’s happiness and peace of mind. The general has everything Iago wants, status, power and respect considering his background and race, it is no surprise that the first comment he makes about Othello to Brabantio is about his race.
‘you’ll have you daughter covered with Barbary horse; you’ll have your nephews neigh to you” (Racism)
1.1 Iago
Further animalistic imagery suggests the habitual use of racism to reveal the climate of the 1603’s so that the audience is able to grasp that Othello is indeed the ‘other’. The fact that we are introduced to Othello by Iago and Roderigo’s consistent slandering anticipates the introduction of his character and how Shakespeare constructs this to present a contrast in such stereotypes as the audience discovers that he is a man of a noble and virtuous nature.
‘What, how now, ho! From whence ariseth this?’
Iago 2.3
The beginnings of chaos, reflected in the settings of Cyprus. Yes, it is notable to say that this reflects the authoritative figure of Othello to ultimately present him as honourable, with the exclamative in its nature reflecting his status as a general yet to also embarks the beginnings of further chaos in the play.
‘Look to your house, your daughters, and your bags!’
Iago 1.1
By contrasting Desdemona with material items that build Brabantio’s reputation like his grand house and expensive items, Desdemona is denoted as a passive character who is there to ensure her father’s reputation’
‘When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows as I do now.’
Iago 2.3
Iago exemplifies his cleverness by using a metaphor to reveal his motivation. His use of metaphor and irony proves him to be intelligent, and that he believes himself to be smarter and more worthy of the characters he is hurting. There is contrasting imagery in this statement between forces of good and evil. Iago in his duplicitous nature reveals his façade
‘I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear’
Metaphor conveys Iago as critic Graham Bradshaw writes a ‘surrogate dramatist.’ Iago in his Machiavellian nature assumes the position of the director to ease the play into its tragic demise.
‘she’s framed as fruitful as the free elements’
Iago’s description of Desdemona constructed with both a simile and the fricative alliteration, adjoins itself with the given stereotypes associated with women to unravel Iago’s tragic villainy. The comparison to the free elements reveals Desdemona’s abundant, generous nature yet choosing to describe Desdemona as ‘framed’ reveals the patriarchal role women had to bear during the Jacobean audience. Is Shakespeare alluding to the treatment of women?
The adjective framed indicates that her abundant nature is devised in this way, is he alluding to her dishonesty
In tune with his Machiavellian nature, he disestablishes these traits, reinforced through the fricative alliteration to create a manner of aggression in his tone to reveal how he opts to use these qualities to bring about destruction. His statement reveals itself as a double entendre. What may appear good at first, eventually he uses this as a means of destruction.
She is as fruitful and giving as nature is
Fricative alliteration also highlights her good nature, Shakespeare builds up her role as the tragic victim
‘Men should be what they seem’
Iago 3.3
Iago says these words to Othello during a discussion of Cassio’s trustworthiness. Given Iago’s previous claims about his own deviousness, these words have an ironic ring. Iago’s words are doubly ironic, in fact, since he espouses the truism not just to cover up his own treachery, but also to cause Othello to doubt Cassio’s honesty. The kind of duplicity Iago demonstrates here points to his deep-seated cynicism about the world. It also serves as a warning to the audience to remain wary of appearances.
‘By Janus’
reference to roman mythology Janus the god of duality.
Foreshadowing his future actions
Is Shakespeare alluding to Iago’s duplicitous nature
Janus is also the god of passages, time, beginning and ends.
Does the god of Janus symbolise Iago’s machinations and foreshadow his position as surrogate dramatist?
Atypical at the time as Venice was typically Christian?
Is this another allusion that Iago is the opposite of a Christian
‘Thus do I ever make my fool my purse’
‘such a snipe’
Derogatory language
‘But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor’
abstract noun
What are his true motives?
Is this merely a game of entertainment?
Caesura minor sentence Powerful verb ‘hate’ in a short declarative statement
‘it is though abroad, that twixt my sheets, he has done my office’
‘ I know not if’t be true but I, for mere suspicion in that kind will do as if surety’
this is a passive structure
possessive language, a rather clinical way to refer to his language
Second quote, relative indifference, is this a convenient experience?
sense of self derived from his ability to manipulate others
‘To get his place and to plume up my will in double knavery. How? How? Let’s see’
Dramatic pauses
role of director/’surrogate dramatist
delighting and his quick wit
audience first glimpse at his malevolence
Luxuriates in his ability to construct chaos/a plan quickly
Questioning helps to draw the audience in, we become privy to his plan
In this plan we get this awareness of how our tragic hero will fall
‘The moor is of a free and open nature’
introduces Othello’s fatal flaw
