Lago’s Power of Manipulation

Lago’s Power of Manipulation

William Shakespeare is one of the greatest and well known authors throughout history. He was a very good and intelligent writer. Shakespeare is known for all of his plays. The most popular plays that readers tend to read is his tragic plays such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and Macbeth. The most famous tragic play that Shakespeare wrote was Othello. In this tragic play Shakespeare introduces a villain like no other in his other plays, worse than Macbeth’s wife in the tragic play of Macbeth. The diabolical villain that Shakespeare introduces in Othello is named Iago. In the play Iago uses the power of manipulation to bring down Othello and other characters in the play.

Iago’s character in Othello is interesting; with great detail by Shakespeare he portrays Iago’s lust for power. Some readers may feel that Iago is very selfish and greedy; however, Iago is very intelligent in the way he plots things in the play. In Francis Stokes book Who’s Who in Shakespeare he describes Iago’s character as one of the supererogation’s of Shakespeare (pg162). Iago is known as one of Shakespeare’s greatest villains because of how he manipulates others in the play. Iago did not only have control over his actions; he also had control over other characters in the play. Thoughout the play Iago is somewhat like a puppeteer because of how he controls the characters in the play. According to Amanda Mabillard Iago has on conscience in the play and he also had no ability to perform good deeds.(Shakespeare online) When Mabillard says this she is right because throughout the play Iago only thinks of himself, not once does Iago do anything good. In William Turbull’s book Othello: A Critical Study he says “Iago desires to be the master of life, he thirst for power, he longs for riches to advance his projects, and he practices all evil to acquire them.”(pg171) When Turnbull says this it is very agreeable because in Othello Iago represents evil who...