Comparing Iago And Patterns In Shakespeare's Othello

In Shakespeare’s Othello, we have the characters Othello and Iago who seem so similar but yet so different. They both come from poor backgrounds, but are very ambitious and strive for better lives. As Camille Wells argue, Iago like Othello “values independence from constraints, and like Othello, he assumes that service rather than birth, rank, or faction should be rewarded and that a position of responsibility in the state constitutes reward” (Slights 380). Despite their similarities they are very different at the same time; Othello the great, the man who puts justice first, and Iago the selfish, jealous being who cares for no one but himself. Francis bacon defines ambition like a “choler: which is an humor that maketh men active, earnest, full of alacrity, and stirring, if it be not stopped. But if it be stopped, and cannot have his way, it becometh adust, and thereby malign and venomous” (Bacon 2). Bacon’s philosophy is true for Iago but not applicable to Othello. The tragedy in Othello doesn’t come from Othello’s inability to manage ambitious …show more content…
Berry’s philosophy is accurate as we see the different sides in both Othello and Iago. Iago the selfish psychopath who does not care about justice. His motivation is hate and his purpose is simply destruction and hurt. When his plot is revealed he doesn’t even bother to explain himself but shots down and decides not to say a word. On the other hand Othello’s great and triumphant personality, his motivation for justice and how he feels bad about his injustice towards his wife and Cassio is astonishing. His last actions show how brave and full of honor he is. His words, “Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate, / nor set down aught in malice. (5.1.18). Knowing he had done wrong he followed his principles and killed himself. The Moor died