A Jealous Deception
A trait commonly shared by antagonists of stories is the green-tinged emotion jealousy. However, it is also a trait that can be found in characters that appear to be the protagonist, or “good guy” of the tale as well. These characters are the ones easily deceived and manipulated by the true villain, as they often want something the villain can appear to help them find. Othello, from Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice” and Edmund Pevensie from “Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” are both unfortunate receivers of this envious deception so cunningly presented to them by a villain with hidden motives.
Edmund and Othello are complex characters, both given advisors by the author that are less than trustworthy. However these advisors, Jadis, the White Witch, and Iago, are both seen by the main characters as reliable. In Edmund’s case, Jadis is so appealing because she presents him with a concept he’s longed for: To be king. Edmund is tired of always obeying his brother and wants freedom from his seemingly oppressive family. For Othello, Iago is his confident and his friend, who feeds him lies about those around him in order to appear more trustworthy and to ruin Othello’s mind. One of the biggest differences between their deceptions is Edmund knows the queen is cruel, but follows her anyway. He is forcing himself to push aside the truth, and therein lies how he differs from Othello, as “Willful ignorance is always intentional, while self-deception typically is not.” (Lynch, Kevin) In one particular scene in Narnia, Edmund is actively betraying his family, and the narrator promptly explains that “You mustn't think that even now Edmund was quite so bad that he actually wanted his brother and sisters to be turned into …show more content…
Let me see now:
To get his place and to plume up my will
In double knavery—How, how? Let's see.
After some time, to abuse Othello's ear
That he is too familiar with his
A trait commonly shared by antagonists of stories is the green-tinged emotion jealousy. However, it is also a trait that can be found in characters that appear to be the protagonist, or “good guy” of the tale as well. These characters are the ones easily deceived and manipulated by the true villain, as they often want something the villain can appear to help them find. Othello, from Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice” and Edmund Pevensie from “Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” are both unfortunate receivers of this envious deception so cunningly presented to them by a villain with hidden motives.
Edmund and Othello are complex characters, both given advisors by the author that are less than trustworthy. However these advisors, Jadis, the White Witch, and Iago, are both seen by the main characters as reliable. In Edmund’s case, Jadis is so appealing because she presents him with a concept he’s longed for: To be king. Edmund is tired of always obeying his brother and wants freedom from his seemingly oppressive family. For Othello, Iago is his confident and his friend, who feeds him lies about those around him in order to appear more trustworthy and to ruin Othello’s mind. One of the biggest differences between their deceptions is Edmund knows the queen is cruel, but follows her anyway. He is forcing himself to push aside the truth, and therein lies how he differs from Othello, as “Willful ignorance is always intentional, while self-deception typically is not.” (Lynch, Kevin) In one particular scene in Narnia, Edmund is actively betraying his family, and the narrator promptly explains that “You mustn't think that even now Edmund was quite so bad that he actually wanted his brother and sisters to be turned into …show more content…
Let me see now:
To get his place and to plume up my will
In double knavery—How, how? Let's see.
After some time, to abuse Othello's ear
That he is too familiar with his