The character of Iago in the opening scenes of Shakespeares 'Othello'.

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The character of Iago in the opening scenes of Shakespeares 'Othello'

Shakespeare’s play Othello is one that encompasses a variety of characters. These characters have their own trademarks in terms of speech and outlook on life. One of these is the villain Iago. He is perhaps the most terrible villain of any of Shakespeare’s numerous plays. One of the main reasons is that he has no real motivations for his actions. At the same time, the language, imagery and dramatic techniques of the play give the reader an insight into Iago’s character, while attempting to ultimately shed light on Iago’s main motivation.

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At first glance Iago's character seems to be pure evil and from the language used by Iago in the first act, there is much that can be deduced about his character. Iago plays with language to gain a desired effect. He is able to take words out of their context to produce startling passages. Early on, Iago fills Brabantio with an immediacy through use of vivid, obscene proverbs such as “making the beast with two backs”. What this shows is Iago twisting objects to suit his whim, and also his confidence in the power of language. At the same ...

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