Literature Essay on Iago Relationship With Othello

The inaugural scene of Othello presents a dialogue between Roderigo and Iago in which Othello is assigned the responsibility of the senior most agent. Additionally, Desdemona has settled on Othellos company, and as such, they run away leaving Roderigo devastated. Desdemona argues that that Iago failed to give him a warning in advance so that the matrimonial union that had been planned earlier may be dissolved. Initially, Iago had all the solid reasons to hate against the Moor, but later on, his perception is altered. The appointment of the lieutenant Cassio who was an attache to Othello came about because of by-passing Iago. His remarks He (in good time) must his [Othello's] Lieutenant be and I (bless the mark) his Moorship's Ancient (Shakespeare 34), certifies Cassios preference for military promotion. In essence, Iago was deemed as a hindrance between the dating of Othello and Desdemona, and thus he declares his hatred for their relationship. He also suggests the possibilities of joining forces with Roderigo to sabotage the union between Othello and his soulmate. From the above setting, a reader may deduce that one of the fundamental themes is based on a conflict between Iago and Othello.

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The unique aspect of this conflict may be drawn from the historical background of former friends where the ranks of both a general and a trusted officer prevailed at the time (Shakespeare 11). Throughout the play, there exist several instances of where the greatness of both characters may be embodied before the development of enemy lines between the two characters. Othello was accorded the title of the noble of Moor, which translated to the highest rank of military position for the ordinary man, which ultimately meant that he had the full backing of the state. On the other hand, Iago was once regarded as a loyal militant but has now turned into the enemy of the state by going against Othello. Accordingly, this transformation aids in the plot development and Shakespeare epitomizes these alterations in the play itself or the diction. Moreover, Iago is disappointed that he was not considered for a promotion within the military ranks and he throws a tantrum on the preference of Cassio citing that his appointment is founded on his integral involvement Desdemonas romance with Othello.

Indeed, there exists substantial evidence to refute claims that the drama captured in the play revolves around the intrigues of Iago. Moreover, assertions may be validated through the explanation of the play by incorporating the tragedy of the Moor in his new residence at Venice. Consequently, when the reader attempts to fathom the fall from grace of the Moorish general, one may deduce that the acculturation process in Venice begins to take a toll on him because Iago was plucked from the African or Hispanic roots and mandated with the responsibilities of a decorated general. However, in the end, he crumbles under his weight when Othello overlooks him in regards to a job promotion. On the other hand, Shakespeare paints the picture of a peaceable and admirable general who had earned respect in most of the previous regimes insofar as the imagery of Othello is concerned. Othello thus capitalizes on his high status and undermines the military values by selecting Cassio for an augmented position since he played a fundamental role in Desdemonas romance with Othello (Gronbeck-Tedesco, 2013). Initially, Othello is depicted as a remnant of Venice despite his background, and he had the full backing of the state and its citizens who virtually recognized him as the first soldier of Venice. Nonetheless, when he allows his personal contemplations to get the better of him, he digresses and disregards the military protocols that are considered to be sacred, Who, trimmed in forms and visages of duty, keep yet their hearts attending on themselves (Shakespeare 7).

The appointment of Cassio who had little proficiencies in the job description did not settle well with Iago who was professionally trained and had fought under Othellos banner. This development saddened Iago who felt that he rightfully deserved the promotion as he also began questioning the credibility of Othellos professionalism. Hence, he formed an opinion of resentment against him, which culminated in him being an arch-nemesis to his former general. In his vengeance schemes, Iago attempts to prove that Desdemona is fraudulent to be fabricating evidence o as to get even with Othello. Additionally, he has a backup plan where his motives are directed towards creating a feud between Othello and Cassio which he perceives as killing two birds with one stone, embodied in Iagos assertions that And nothing can, or shall content my soul till I am even'd with him, wife, for wife. Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor at least into a jealousy so strong that judgment cannot cure (Shakespeare 13). Iago also recruits Roderigo in his evil undertakings due to the domineering aspects of Iagos personality traits. After joining forces, they contact Brabantio who immediately sanctions a search for the eloping lovebirds. This decree implies that in as much as Othello had a high-ranking position, he was still accountable to the law, and Iago opted to pursue vehemently this loophole in his bid to ostracize his general. Iagos inferior position to his general allows him to feign friendship, which places him at a vantage point of destroying Othello. He appears to be faithful, yet his concealed mission is to create a sense of jealousy by disrupting the relations with Desdemona. Nevertheless, he is unaware of the cruel nature of Othello, which are later revealed, and as such abandons his operation and hastily ditches his compatriot Roderigo in a bid to avoid trouble with his general.

In essence, Iago argues that if Othello is capable of disregarding military regulations despite his senior position, he may no longer be considered as being trustworthy. As a result, the proximity of their former relationship is destroyed leading to the development of an abyss between them, which eclipse their relationship. Conventionally, Iago was poised for a promotion, but when Cassio was picked ahead of him, he lost his temperament and became an enemy of the state and himself as he aggressively pressed for vengeance against Othello. Naturally, Coleridges predicament presented a seemingly natural occurrence although the sudden labeling of Iago did not add up. Detractors have attempted to define this phenomenon through the scope of their lenses were more often than not, Iago is perceived to be the antagonist (Cefalu 270) because Iagos character employs a veneer of sophistication where his evil traits lie beneath the supposed friendship with Othello. Scholars concur that Iago possesses natural evil facets, which are only let loose when Othello betrays him meaning this change of attitude brings down the foundation of a once enviable friendship. Thus, it is recommended that a scrutiny be conducted in the opening stages of the play, which would ultimately lead to the discovery of Iagos evil traits, which are espoused with time.

Work Cited

Cefalu, Paul. "The burdens of mind reading in Shakespeare's Othello: A cognitive and psychoanalytic approach to Iago's theory of mind." Shakespeare Quarterly 64.3 (2013): 265-294.

Gronbeck-Tedesco, John. "Morality, Ethics and the Failure of Love in Shakespeares Othello." Othello: New Critical Essays (2013): 255-70.

Shakespeare, William. Othello: The Moor of Venice. EMC/Paradigm Publishing, 2005.