The question we are all thinking is “Does Iago cause the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona or is he just merely the catalyst?”
I am going to build up an answer in my points below then I am going to summarise all my points after.
Iago has tremendous hatred towards Othello here are some various reasons and quotes.
- Not giving him the promotion that he thought he rightly deserved.
(QUOTE) “In personal suit to make me his lieutenant”
- He is Racist.
(QUOTE) “An old Black ram is tupping your white ewe”
- He has suspicion that Othello has slept with his wife Emillia.
(QUOTE) “He has done my office”
- His quote to show he is planning revenge.
(QUOTE) “I will serve him to serve my turn upon him”
- His true hatred quote.
(QUOTE) “I hate him as I hate hells pains”
Iago uses racist terms towards Othello e.g.
(QUOTE) “The Moor”
(QUOTE) “The Devil”
He even steeps so low he doesn’t see him as a human being, he uses terms to name him e.g.
(QUOTE) “Black ram”
(QUOTE) “Barbary Horse”
He is hugely jelous of Othello’s loving and trustful marriage because his is just based on sex and to top this he suspects Othello has slept with Emillia this brings more hatred into the why he wanted to cause such a mess between Othello and Desdemona.
Iago is clever in a way. He puts everything sexual into its most crudest terms, e.g. (QUOTE) “I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the moor are now making the beast with 2 backs”
He has put sexual imagery into his head to make it worse.
Iago was probably the very trusted man of the society people probably told him things no-one would have ever known by doing this people could trust him a fair deal and would have got a very trustworthy reputation. He would have probably used this to secretly place his plans into the people’s heads and convinced them to do them. This obviously helps him with his plans.
He compared quite a lot of things to animals. (QUOTE) “I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the moor are now making the BEAST with 2 backs” This is called Beast Imagery.
Iago has a very low self-esteem because has just missed out on a promotion (QUOTE) “In personal suit to make me his lieutenant”
Also
Has had a suspicion of Othello his own boss sleeping with his wife.
(QUOTE) “He has done my office”
As well as Iago saying racial phrases other people have hatred for Othello like Roderigo he refers Othello as:
(QUOTE) “The Thick Lips”
Othello is made to feel like an outsider and he lives in a racial society.
He has a very successful military career, with being a general
And tell lots of his stories to Desdemona .
Desdemona is not a very confident person because she did not say anything when she was accused of having an affair this proves to b a very fatal weakness.
She shouldn’t have got involved in Cassio’s misfortunes because this is when Othello thinks things are going on with then she should have just told Cassio to speak to him direct instead of through another person.
