Scott's+Iago+Paper


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Iago’s Motivation **

 Of all of Shakespeare’s characters, the one that has never failed to captivate the audience is the character Iago from Othello. His seeming lack of companion and masterful Machiavellian scheming, displays a mind set, foresight, and tactical genius rarely found in the same character of any play, of that or any other era. However, what makes this character special, what makes him stick out from the pack, are the numerous and seemingly unending motives for his actions. The permeation of motives leads on to the inevitable conclusion that they are all a smoke screen. That the plethora of motives are a mask for the fact that Iago has no motive for his crime. He simply destroyed lives for the sake of destruction. Shakespeare’s embodiment of pure evil. In Othello, nearly all of the characters have motives. For example, Rodrigo loves Desdemona and Othello is stricken by shock and betrayal. There is always a motivation for their actions; either greed, necessity, passion, or some form of mental factor. In the case of Iago’s conspiracy to kill Cassio and Desdemona, the reader’s dilemma is not a lack of motive. Rather it’s the plethora thereof. Throughout the play, Iago mentions at least three mutually exclusive motives. All of them would be an adequate explanation of the proceeding events. However, the presence of so many unrelated motives hits at something deeper. Are they legitimate reasons, or merely a facade to hide his true intentions? The first of Iago’s motives for these crimes is greed. For example, “Cassio's a proper man: let me see now: To get his place and to plume up my will” (Shakespeare, Iago, Act One ). On the surface, this seems like an regular vanilla instance of a person sacrificing others for advancement and enrichment. After all, we live to be advanced. We always look for a promotion, raise, or bonus. So under what logic would Iago, unlike all other human beings, not seek professional advancement? He wouldn’t. His logic and practical sense, shines through in his handling of Rodrigo. It is Rodrigo whom he convinces to pursue Desdemona by offering assistance in his pursuit; alleging that they both have a stake in the out come of Rodrigo’s lust. “So shall you have a shorter journey to your desires by the means I shall then have to prefer them; and the impediment most profitably removed, without the which there were no expectation of our prosperity”(Iago, Act Two).

He displays a purely rational sense to the matter: That he seeks advancement and that assisting Rodrigo furthers that goal. It’s a conclusion that any trail blazer or social ladder climber would understand and admire for it’s simplicity and deviousness. Now his second motive: power. Iago further stipulates a plans to force Cassio from his position in such a fashion as to ensure his eventual succession to his (Cassio’s) post. “With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio... indeed: if such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry” (Iago, Act Two).

Iago’s calm demeanor and seeming lack of emotion, shows great cunning and immense lack of compassion. Though, on the surface, this would seem to be a logical flow of events, Iago’s desire for wealth and power induces him to initiate a conspiracy to unseat Cassio in hopes of taking his place. Iago sees one prospect for his plan’s success is his friendship with Cassio’s superior, Othello. The third motive: admiration. Iago also stated that he wanted to attain Othello’s thanks, praise, and trust. For example, “Too Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me” (Iago, Act Two). To further that goal, he relies on the distinction as “honest Iago” to work to his advantage. With this distinction, people take Iago’s word as the gospel; it is unshakeable trust and confidence that could ought weigh any contradicting physical evidence. “My life upon her faith! Honest Iago” (Othello Act One). Here he uses this to great effect particularly with Othello. Mid way through the play, he relates a fictitious event when Cassio allegedly confessed to the affair in his sleep: One of this kind is Cassio: In sleep I heard him say 'Sweet Desdemona, Let us be wary, let us hide our loves;' And then, sir, would he gripe and wring my hand, Cry 'O sweet creature!' and then kiss me hard, As if he pluck'd up kisses by the roots That grew upon my lips: then laid his leg Over my thigh, and sigh'd, and kiss'd; and then Cried 'Cursed fate that gave thee to the Moor!' ( Iago, Act Three)

This lie was the figurative “straw theat broke the camels back” for Othello. From then on, he had tunnel vision. A common phenomenon where a person will only see evidence that supports an previously reached conclusion. So, when Othello sees that Cassio has the handkerchief that he had given to Desdemona, it could only support the conclusion that Iago had been right all along. That Cassio and Desdemona where having an affair. And that Iago had been the one to remove the ‘wool from over his eyes’. Once Othello was convinced of it, there could be only one out come. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in's hand. O perjured woman! thou dost stone my heart, And makest me call what I intend to do A murder, which I thought a sacrifice: I saw the handkerchief. ( Othello, Act Three)  The fact that Othello came to believe Iago’s story only served to endear Iago to Othello. Othello saw Iago as his truest friend; a person to be relied upon. Thereby, accomplishing his first and second goal of being the most likely person to take Cassio’s roll as the lieutenant. Basically his third goal accomplished the other two. However things are not what they seem. Some information has been left out. At the end of Scene One, Iago in a monolog, unravels the neatly woven plot shown above. During one monolog he hints at another, more scandalous and less verifiable, motive: revenge. More specifically, that Iago believes that Othello had an affair with his wife. “I hate the Moor: And it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets He has done my office: I know not if't be true; But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for suret” (Iago, Act One).

As stated he has been told that in a foreign country, some people believe that Othello had an affair with Iago’s wife, Emilia. Although, stated in old English the term “my office” literally translates as “a husbands sexual duty to his wife”. As phrased, this implies a tawdry relationship between Othello and Emilia. It unravels the previously stated theory that Iago was doing what he did for power, money, and admiration. It shows a inconsistency in Iago’s logic that leads to something more damming. That Iago is not just caught up in a lust for power, wealth, and fame. But that Iago is something more. That is Iago is //Shakespeare’s idea of pure evil//. The facts are as stated: Iago express several motives, Greed, Power, Fame, and Revenge. All of these are expressed definitively by Iago, at various point thought the book. The fact remains however that such an accumulation of motives, and the fact that some even contradict each other, raises an intrusting hypophysis. That Shakespeare intended for Iago to have no motive. That Iago ruined many lives just for the hell of it: the incarnation of evil. That, like a modern fairy tale, the over reaching plot of the play, was that Othello, a good man, was sent into murderous rage by the manipulation of a purely evil person. That person being Iago, who harbored most of the evil vices : greed, lust for power and fame, and a need for revenge. This final link completed the story. The fact that Iago has so many motives, means that he truly had none. They were merely a facade. Whether, for our benefit or his own is unknown, but the facts speak plainly. Iago was just pure evil.