De’Andre Williams
Mr. Fuller
12-10-14
Composition II
Othello Research Paper
One of William Shakespeare’s most known plays is Othello. It is a romantic play that explores a variety of different subjects such as sexism, jealousy, and racism. There are many characters in the play but “honest smooth talking” Iago was the most interesting character that stood out to me. In this play William Shakespeare has a unique way he uses the character, Iago making him out to be a honest man, but turns out to be the villain of the play. Iago simply manipulates everyone who comes in contact with him in his plot to destroy the reputation of Othello. From my understanding, the film version, and from critical responses Iago is perceived as a villain. At …show more content…
He did a great job portraying the character Iago and gave me a better view of how manipulative he was. In the film Kenneth Branagh’s facial expressions and the music that plays in the background helps let you know when Iago is up to his manipulative ways. A difference between the text and Oliver Parker’s 1995 version of Othello is in the first scene when Roderigo says “Thou toldst me thou didst hold him in they hate” to which Iago replies “Despise me if I do not” (Othello. 1.1.7-8). However, watching the film version doesn’t show that, it shows how Iago comes up with his plan to destroy Othello with chess pieces. The film shows Iago's direct and menacing soliloquies with the audience/camera such as when he winks to the camera shows how the meaning to destroy Othello is much more than just jealousy or racism, but …show more content…
According to Bella Mirabella Iago is the villain of the play Othello, but is casted after a group of itinerant entertainers in London called the mountebanks. While reading an article by Benjamin Beier he says that Shakespeare shows real power of sophistry and concealment in Iago whose words are persuasive. Iago had such a skilled speech in the play. In an article wrote by Ken Jacobsen saying “the fictitious ingenious villain Iago, was William Shakespeare’s most accomplished rhetorician.”. He also states that “when reading Iago’s speech that it invokes verbal warfare.” He says this because in Act I Scene III Iago persuades Roderigo of the certainty of victory against “an erring barbarian and “supersubtle Venetian” (358-59).
In conclusion, Iago is the perceived as the villain from my understanding, the 1995 Oliver Park film version of Othello, and from critical responses about Othello. He gains the trust of everyone he ever knew and then manipulates them even his wife, Emilia, just to see the downfall of Othello. Even though his intention is to ruin the reputation of Othello, Iago’s evil plan lead to the death of Desdemona, Cassio, his wife Emilia, and the suicide of
Mr. Fuller
12-10-14
Composition II
Othello Research Paper
One of William Shakespeare’s most known plays is Othello. It is a romantic play that explores a variety of different subjects such as sexism, jealousy, and racism. There are many characters in the play but “honest smooth talking” Iago was the most interesting character that stood out to me. In this play William Shakespeare has a unique way he uses the character, Iago making him out to be a honest man, but turns out to be the villain of the play. Iago simply manipulates everyone who comes in contact with him in his plot to destroy the reputation of Othello. From my understanding, the film version, and from critical responses Iago is perceived as a villain. At …show more content…
He did a great job portraying the character Iago and gave me a better view of how manipulative he was. In the film Kenneth Branagh’s facial expressions and the music that plays in the background helps let you know when Iago is up to his manipulative ways. A difference between the text and Oliver Parker’s 1995 version of Othello is in the first scene when Roderigo says “Thou toldst me thou didst hold him in they hate” to which Iago replies “Despise me if I do not” (Othello. 1.1.7-8). However, watching the film version doesn’t show that, it shows how Iago comes up with his plan to destroy Othello with chess pieces. The film shows Iago's direct and menacing soliloquies with the audience/camera such as when he winks to the camera shows how the meaning to destroy Othello is much more than just jealousy or racism, but …show more content…
According to Bella Mirabella Iago is the villain of the play Othello, but is casted after a group of itinerant entertainers in London called the mountebanks. While reading an article by Benjamin Beier he says that Shakespeare shows real power of sophistry and concealment in Iago whose words are persuasive. Iago had such a skilled speech in the play. In an article wrote by Ken Jacobsen saying “the fictitious ingenious villain Iago, was William Shakespeare’s most accomplished rhetorician.”. He also states that “when reading Iago’s speech that it invokes verbal warfare.” He says this because in Act I Scene III Iago persuades Roderigo of the certainty of victory against “an erring barbarian and “supersubtle Venetian” (358-59).
In conclusion, Iago is the perceived as the villain from my understanding, the 1995 Oliver Park film version of Othello, and from critical responses about Othello. He gains the trust of everyone he ever knew and then manipulates them even his wife, Emilia, just to see the downfall of Othello. Even though his intention is to ruin the reputation of Othello, Iago’s evil plan lead to the death of Desdemona, Cassio, his wife Emilia, and the suicide of