Terrorist attacks, serial killers, the Holocaust. These horrific acts represent only a few of the atrocities that mankind has had to endure. Words like “bad” and “wrong” do not seem to capture the immense horror of these events, so people use the concept of evil. However, what does evil truly mean? What actions can be considered evil and what cannot? These philosophical questions that have been debated for centuries are relevant in describing the antagonist from the story Othello. During the story, Iago spends his entire time plotting to ruin his boss’s life. Actions like that usually constitute a villain and villains are naturally considered evil. However, according to the Stanford University Encyclopedia of Philosophy, evil results from intentionally
…show more content…
Throughout the novel, Iago manipulates people into believing his poisonous lies. For example, Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona might be cheating on him by mentioning that she has dark and ugly desires inside her and she might want to revert back to men with her skin color and status (Shakespeare III.iii.236-243). Iago knows that Desdemona remains loyal to her husband, but he lies to Othello in order to achieve revenge. Lying is considered morally wrong in many cultures, but what makes this action evil is the intent. The only reason why Iago lied to Othello was to wreck Othello’s marriage. In telling this lie, Iago succeeded in planting jealousy in Othello’s mind, causing him to doubt the loyalty of his wife. Since Iago’s intentions were immoral, this action would be considered evil. Another example would be when Iago convinces Roderigo to kill Cassio. He tells Roderigo that he needed to murder Cassio in order to seize the opportunity to win Desdemona’s love (Shakespeare IIII.ii.229-235). As previously stated, his intention causes the action to become evil. Iago wanted Cassio dead, so he lied to Roderigo and used him to murder Cassio. Iago’s villainous actions did not make him evil, his wicked intentions
Throughout the novel, Iago manipulates people into believing his poisonous lies. For example, Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona might be cheating on him by mentioning that she has dark and ugly desires inside her and she might want to revert back to men with her skin color and status (Shakespeare III.iii.236-243). Iago knows that Desdemona remains loyal to her husband, but he lies to Othello in order to achieve revenge. Lying is considered morally wrong in many cultures, but what makes this action evil is the intent. The only reason why Iago lied to Othello was to wreck Othello’s marriage. In telling this lie, Iago succeeded in planting jealousy in Othello’s mind, causing him to doubt the loyalty of his wife. Since Iago’s intentions were immoral, this action would be considered evil. Another example would be when Iago convinces Roderigo to kill Cassio. He tells Roderigo that he needed to murder Cassio in order to seize the opportunity to win Desdemona’s love (Shakespeare IIII.ii.229-235). As previously stated, his intention causes the action to become evil. Iago wanted Cassio dead, so he lied to Roderigo and used him to murder Cassio. Iago’s villainous actions did not make him evil, his wicked intentions