“I hate the Moor” (1.3.385). In this scene, Iago is giving his first soliloquy explaining as to why he hates Othello. He says he despises Othello because he believes that Othello is sleeping with Emilia, and Othello has passed him over for the position of Lieutenant. In this essay I will propose that race is not the central concern of the play by comparing the original story and Othello , examining the double role Blackness serves in the play, and by presenting what I believe was the real motive for Iago’s plan of ruination.
Othello is an adaptation of the Italian writer Giraldi Cinthio 's Hecatommithi. Within both stories, there are major differences and similarities. Both stories start off as a tale of love that quickly turns into …show more content…
Marjorie Garber 's chapter on Othello, I cogitated that Iago’s plan for both Othello and Cassio stem from a social grievance. Iago is defined as the only true Venetian in play ; “In fact, in his own mind as the only true Venetian, since Othello is a Moor, and adventurer, and a stranger, and Cassio an upstart Florentine with fancy manner and a supercilious tone” (Dr. Marjorie Garber , 605) . Within the play, Iago describes Cassio as “ Mere prattle without practice/ Is all his soldiership - be he, sir had th’ election” (1.1.25-30) .Iago feels that Cassio does not deserve the position because he is younger than him, and has neither seen nor experienced any military service. Iago is jealous of Cassio for both his position in the army and his courtly ways; “ He hath a daily beauty in his life/ That makes me ugly” ( 5.1.19-20). Iago hates Othello because he believes he has slept with Emilia , and that has resulted him lusting over Desdemona as a form of retaliation. He also despises Othello for not choosing him to be Lieutenant. This jealously and hatred results in “ a social grievance against both these foreigners, who outrank him and command him in his home city and his home army” (Dr. Marjorie Garber , 605). I believe that Iago is trying to compensate for the injustice that has been performed against him. The act of being passed over is important to the plan because it did not motivate Iago to try to do better, but instead deepened his hate for Othello and served as the justification for him to destroy Othello’s life and marriage. The injustices that Iago believes has been performed against him support that claim that his plan was concocted from a social
Othello is an adaptation of the Italian writer Giraldi Cinthio 's Hecatommithi. Within both stories, there are major differences and similarities. Both stories start off as a tale of love that quickly turns into …show more content…
Marjorie Garber 's chapter on Othello, I cogitated that Iago’s plan for both Othello and Cassio stem from a social grievance. Iago is defined as the only true Venetian in play ; “In fact, in his own mind as the only true Venetian, since Othello is a Moor, and adventurer, and a stranger, and Cassio an upstart Florentine with fancy manner and a supercilious tone” (Dr. Marjorie Garber , 605) . Within the play, Iago describes Cassio as “ Mere prattle without practice/ Is all his soldiership - be he, sir had th’ election” (1.1.25-30) .Iago feels that Cassio does not deserve the position because he is younger than him, and has neither seen nor experienced any military service. Iago is jealous of Cassio for both his position in the army and his courtly ways; “ He hath a daily beauty in his life/ That makes me ugly” ( 5.1.19-20). Iago hates Othello because he believes he has slept with Emilia , and that has resulted him lusting over Desdemona as a form of retaliation. He also despises Othello for not choosing him to be Lieutenant. This jealously and hatred results in “ a social grievance against both these foreigners, who outrank him and command him in his home city and his home army” (Dr. Marjorie Garber , 605). I believe that Iago is trying to compensate for the injustice that has been performed against him. The act of being passed over is important to the plan because it did not motivate Iago to try to do better, but instead deepened his hate for Othello and served as the justification for him to destroy Othello’s life and marriage. The injustices that Iago believes has been performed against him support that claim that his plan was concocted from a social