Iago’s revenge in Othello is one of the most well-known examples of revenge in literature. Iago is a cunning and manipulative character who takes advantage of Othello’s trust to wreak havoc on his life. While Othello is a tragic figure, Iago is one of the most villainous characters in all of Shakespeare’s works.
Iago’s revenge is motivated by his jealousy and resentment towards Othello. He believes that Othello has wronged him by passing him over for promotion and he also suspects that Othello has had an affair with his wife, Emilia. Iago plots to destroy Othello’s life by convincing him that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him. Iago’s plan succeeds and Othello ends up killing Desdemona. In the end, Iago’s revenge leads to Othello’s downfall and ruin.
While Iago’s revenge is motivated by jealousy and resentment, it also stems from a desire to prove his own worth. Iago feels that he is a better man than Othello and he wants to prove it to everyone. He is willing to destroy Othello’s life in order to do so. In the end, Iago’s revenge is both tragic and villainous. It destroys the lives of those involved and leaves its perpetrators empty and ruined.
Iago has a voracious desire for revenge. In his opinion, he should be the one in charge, not Othello the moor. Iago becomes angry as a result of this unfair situation, and he entraps Othello in a web of deceit. He accomplishes this by encouraging and planting images in Othello’s mind that lead to his murder. What is more significant, though, is that he provides Othello with the justification to kill innocent Desdemona. Iago is constantly manipulating people around him like a puppetmaster does strings on a doll. There are many instances throughout the play where Iago is left alone.
Othello, being the trusting man he is, does not see Iago’s malicious side. Othello believes that Iago is his honest and loyal friend. This gives Iago the opportunity to wreak havoc on Othello’s life without him even knowing it.
Iago’s thirst for revenge is unquenchable. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Even if it means ruining the lives of those around him. He is a very jealous person and will not stop until he gets what he wants. Othello should have been more suspicious of Iago from the beginning. But because he was so trusting, he allowed Iago to take advantage of him. Iago is a very dangerous person and Othello should have been more careful around him.
He takes advantage of these chances by informing the audience about his future plans. It would appear that he enjoys talking to himself about himself, which suggests that he has a lot of inner conflict but when the occasion arises, he discusses his actions with passion. He makes his intentions very clear in the first of these monologues, implying that Othello has had an affair with his wife by stating “I detest the moor, and it is rumoured abroad That between my sheets He’s performed my duties.”
This comment also suggests that Othello has cuckolded him, and Iago is not a man to take that lightly. It becomes evident that his plan for revenge will be calculated and premeditated.
He continues by stating his intention to use Othello’s lieutenant, Cassio, as a pawn in his game. He says “I follow him to serve my turn upon him”. This implies that Iago does not actually care for Cassio, he is simply using him as a means to an end. He knows that Othello values Cassio highly, and so by damaging his reputation, it will damage Othello too.
Iago’s next move is to plant the seed of doubt in Othello’s mind about his wife, Desdemona. He does this by telling a story about how he witnessed Cassio wiping his beard, which apparently had lipstick on it. Othello is of course immediately suspicious, and Iago knows that all he has to do is keep feeding the fire and Othello will eventually be consumed by it.
As Othello starts to unravel, Iago is there to stoke the flames even higher. He encourages Othello to spy on Desdemona and Cassio, telling him “If thou hast eyes to see, then see thy way: / If none, why thou art blind; O miserable son!” Othello is so consumed by jealousy and rage at this point that he doesn’t even question Iago’s motives, he is just a willing puppet in Iago’s diabolical scheme.
Eventually Othello snaps, and in a fit of jealous rage, he kills Desdemona. Of course, Iago has achieved his goal, and Othello is left a broken man. He realises too late that he has been duped, and that Iago is nothing but a sociopathic liar. In the end, Othello is left to ponder his tragic mistake, while Iago gets away scot-free.
While Othello may be one of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies, it is also a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing yourself to be consumed by jealousy and revenge. Iago is a master manipulator, and Othello is his unsuspecting victim. Othello’s tragic downfall is a warning to us all to be careful who we trust, and not to let our emotions control our actions.
The phrase “it’s possible” is used against him, with the ironic twist that he claims not to know it for a fact, but because he suspects it, he will act as though certain! This gives me the impression from the start that Iago is insane and extremely paranoid, going so far as to set up a cache of murders on the basis of adultery. Iago was also envious of Othello’s open and loving relationship with Desdemona. When they return from Cyprus, Othello embraces Desdemona in full view of everyone before kissing her. Iago treats his wife as an object and she knows it.
In Othello, Desdemona is the only one who treats Iago with genuine respect and kindness. This could be one of the motivations for Iago’s revenge. Iago’s first plot is to make Othello think that his wife, Desdemona, has been unfaithful. This will make Othello angry and upset, and more importantly, it will make him doubt Desdemona’s love for him. Iago achieves this by planting the handkerchief that Othello had given to Desdemona in Cassio’s room.
Othello sees this as concrete evidence of an affair and his rage builds. From here, Iago begins to feed Othello’s jealousy, telling him lies about what he has seen and making Othello believe that Desdemona is indeed cheating on him.
Iago’s second plot is to get Othello to remove Cassio from his position as lieutenant. Iago does this by making it seem like Cassio is drunk and disorderly, and then getting Othello to believe that Cassio has said bad things about him. This culminates in a fight between Othello and Cassio, which leads to Othello firing Cassio.
Iago’s final plot is to kill Othello, Desdemona, Emilia (Iago’s wife) and finally himself. He does this by convincing Othello that Desdemona is truly cheating on him, and then get Othello to kill her. Iago also kills Emilia when she confronts him about the handkerchief, and finally kills himself when all his plans have come to fruition.
In conclusion, Iago’s revenge is successful in that he achieves all his goals. However, it comes at a great cost, with many innocent people losing their lives. Iago is driven by jealousy and anger, and his actions show that he is a truly evil character.