The Manipulative and Evil Nature of Iago Research Paper (Essay Sample)

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The Manipulative and Evil Nature of Iago
Many have referred to him as a devil in the human flesh. Some call him the perfect embodiment of evil. Others argue he is the master manipulator from hell. In the history of literary, scholars sum him up as the ultimate villain who personifies everything an evil character embodies. In the play, Shakespeare gives him the name Iago, which implies faithful to acquaintances. Hover, the play reveals to us just how opposite Iago is. He is completely unfaithful to his friends and uses them to carry out his evil plans. Iago may be deemed insane, but he is not. His manipulative nature reveals a cunning and witty individual who makes decisions by “the end justifies the means” (Resnik, 5). His actions are thus evil because he is cruel and enjoys seeing people undergo painful experiences. As much as the degree of madness in the play I debatable, the fact that he kills people makes him a devil incarnate. While others could refer to him as a psychopath, I call him the ultimate devil incarnate. He is the character the audience loves to hate (Resnik, 7).
Bad characters in the play are gross and evil. Iago has an astounding level of treachery that makes him a real villain in the play. Matter-of-factly, when he sets forth to do something, he moves from one evil action to another. He manipulates people because he knows the power of trust and uses it to his advantage to accomplish his evil schemes. He can deceive his friends that he is truly a kind person, an individual they could depend on. How wrong they were! Throughout the play, he crafts manipulative words to hide his true intentions and get closer to his friends who later end up as victims of deceit. He is a happy person with an honest persona, and the characters including Othello refer to him as a “friend.” As the play comes to an end, four victims lay by the side including Desdemona, Othello, Bianca, and Rodrigo (Resnik, 22). All these people are the victims of betrayal, deceit and utter manipulation. Iago’s character suits him as the villain in the play. His immoral depth is chilling and unfathomable. He over and again demonstrates what ambition can make a man do. The fact that he uses is the position to manipulate and cause pain to his friends cements his heinous nature.
In the play, two motivations push Iago to carry out his schemes. Firstly, rumor has it that Iago’s wife Emilia is cheating on him with his boss Othello. Secondly, Othello overlooks Iago and gives promotion to Cassio to be his lieutenant (Shakespeare, 25). The fact he does not get the position shocks Iago who has a lot of experience in the military as compared to Cassio who has no experience at all. The jealousy that filled Iago after he is not promoted is revealed in the play. To choose the best title to describe Iago between “madman, a devil incarnate or a rational person,” I would say he, not a sound human because his actions are too gross and painful to explain at times. He is not a madman because he makes conscious decisions that lack the conscience of a rational being. He was thoughtful, calculative, and manipulative and his end game was clear to him. His motives fit the description of evil actions a sane man makes (Shakespeare, 27).
In the play, Iago asks Cassio to have a drink with him. The motives were hidden as he had a plan in his mind that he passes to him with the motive to create a rift with Roderigo. He planned to paint Cassio as a hopeless drunk for Otello to promote him to the position Cassio holds. The decision was rational and well calculated with the intention of soiling the Cassio’s reputation. While this is the least evil in comparison to his other heinous actions, it does not paint him as a madman. Another evil plan Iago developed was to manipulate Roderigo to help him carry his deeds. As a master manipulator, he convinces Roderigo to join him and succeeds. The plan, however, fails because evil actions do not always prevail over good deeds (Shakespeare, 47).
In the play, Iago takes the name for the definite con-man and pretender. While many time in the play he is referred to as the honest man, he makes remarks to the gullible Roderigo that he is not who people think he is. In the revelations he makes to Roderigo, he reveals the kind of hate he has towards Moor. It is ironic considering that he openly tells Othello how much he loves him making him a hypocrite. Often in the book, he is portrayed as witty and intelligent and while on the battlefield he is a warrior although he is not a lieutenant to Othello. Further, in the play, he reveals a bitter and vindictive character. The fact that he is a cruel man yet can pass as a high caring individual is a feature of his character that cements his real personality. How he can keep his true feelings hidden makes him a master of deception. As a master manipulator, he cons people around him including his beloved wife (Isaksson, 23).
It is amazing how conscious and intelligent people such as Cassio and Othello fail to discover his cunning nature. None of the people that include Montano and Desdemona figure his deceptive nature and many of his victims including Roderigo fall for his schemes. To carry out his plans, Iago acquires jewelry and money to woo Desdemona (Isaksson 30). In the play, the critical period is when Iago manipulates Rodrigo to kill Cassio. The scheme was after Roderigo threatened to expose Iago to Desdemona. He uses flattery to manipulate Roderigo and promises him goodies if he succeeded to murder Cassio. Iago’s actions expose his evil plans. He is the master planner for the fall of Othello, the murder of Cassio, the killing of Desdemona (Isaksson, 28). To sum his evil nature, he is the murderer of Emilia and Roderigo. At the end of it all, he shows no remorse because these are just “sport” to him. His sadistic nature gives him the pleasure to watch others in pain and suffering. He thrives in chaotic situations where he sees people undergo tremendous suffering. After orchestrating Othello’s jealousy, he fakes unawareness when Othello refers...