Iago, Devious Manipulator of Shakespeare's Term Paper

3.335). With this, it is obvious that Iago not only wishes to manipulate the minds and bodies of his fellow characters but also their assets and their "purses" with Roderigo as a walking bank account.

In Act Two, Iago's villainous nature is increased when Cassio, Othello's chief of staff, is seen by Iago holding the hand of Desdemona which sets into motion another scheme highlighted by the line "With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio" (2.1.163). Like Roderigo, Cassio submits to Iago's every whim while under the assumption that Iago is only attempting to assist him; but in reality, it is Cassio's downfall that attracts Iago. In addition, since Iago is a very intelligent man, he quickly realizes the advantages that come with trust which he considers as a means to further his goals. As a symbol of his true arrogance, Iago says of himself "I am an honest man" (2.3.245) which is quickly deemed to be a false statement when he has Cassio terminated as Othello's chief of staff.

This devious act is examined in detail by Gilchrist, for he declares that Iago cannot "feel congratulatory when Cassio is made lieutenant," a position which Iago greatly desired. Gilchrist then points out that Iago "fumes on this... For considerable space..." Thus, Iago is "full of ill-humor.And even when Iago sings his festive songs, he sings with the aim of getting Cassio drunk, getting him, literally and metaphorically, off his guard" ("Approximations," Internet).

Following this, another scheme erupts in Iago's mind via telling Cassio to beg Desdemona to assist him in his causes ("She holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested" (2.3.287). This act places Cassio in dire straits and leads to more chicanery with Cassio who is still under Iago's villainous spell. Iago then says "You advise me well" (2.3.292), meaning that Cassio is utterly ensnared in Iago's manipulations and devious state of mind.

In conclusion, through the entire play, the character of Iago alters little except in the method of his treachery which increases proportionally. As William Hazlitt explains it, Iago is "an extreme instance (of) diseased intellectual activity, with the most perfect indifference to moral good or evil, all due to his deviations and manipulative nature" (346).

Bibliography

Brook, Tucker. "The Romantic Iago." The Yale Review. Vol. VII. (1918). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 225-56.

Hazlitt, William. Characters of Shakespeare's Plays. London: C.H. Reynell, 1817.

Gilchrist, K.J. "Approximations: Iago as a Plautine Leno." Internet. West Virginia Shakespeare and Renaissance Association Selected Papers. Vol. 20. 1997. Accessed April 22, 2005. http://www.marshall.edu/engsr/SR1997.html.

Spencer, T.J.B., ed.….....