Othello Essay

Submitted By acecchinii
Words: 1234
Pages: 5
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Christina Cecchini
Ms. Difede
ENG 4Ua
17 July 2014
People Are Not Always What They Seem At least once in a person’s life, they are deceived by the way someone looks or appears to be. One’s appearance may mislead other people into thinking that what they see is reality. Manipulations of someone’s appearance can be a powerful tool that can control an individual. In the play Othello written by William Shakespeare, it demonstrates how appearances can be deceiving. The theme of appearance vs. reality is evident through the main antagonist, Iago. This is exemplified through his morals, thoughts and actions. Ultimately, Iago easily manipulates and destroys all the characters through his ability to trick them. Morals are what people believe to be the difference of what is right and what is wrong. One’s morals can expose who they really are and not who they appear to be. If a person believes that doing the wrong thing to get what they want is the only way, it shows that they have an evil and manipulative personality. Iago shows that he is amoral because he does not understand the difference between rights and wrongs; he allows himself to do what he likes and what benefits him the most. For Iago, morality is insignificant and unnecessary. Maybe Iago’s morals are not based on right and wrong, but on his own success. By having Cassio take his place as lieutenant, he feels as if he did not succeed but failed. Throughout they play, Iago shows that he believes that only way to get what he wants is to manipulate and kill people that jeopardize his plan. Iago believes that this is the best way of handling his situations. The reader can see Iago’s evil morals when he asks Roderigo, “Why, by making him uncapable of Othello’s place:/knocking out his brains” (4.2. 234-35). Iago wants Roderigo to kill Cassio. This shows that Iago is the villain by wanting to kill Cassio and feeling absolutely no guilt about it. Iago is the definition of evil, the creation of a devil. Othello says, “Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil/Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?” (5.2. 314-15). Othello even calls Iago half devil half human when he finds out that Iago is lying to him when he appears to be the most honest person Othello knows. Iago uses his corruptive personality to manipulate Roderigo into thing that he is doing the right thing to get Desdemona to love him. Iago easily manipulates Roderigo and eventually Roderigo gets in a situation where he is killing Cassio thinking this is the right thing to do. Roderigo ends up dying due to Iago tricking him. Iago is the deceiver with his appearances. People’s evil morals can sometimes influence other people into becoming something they do not appear to be. One’s thoughts and how they view the world and others can show who the person really is. How a person thinks will show how that person’s mind works. One’s thoughts all depends on their perception of everything. Thoughts can be manipulated due to appearance and perceptions. Iago exemplifies how a person’s thoughts are affected by how they view the world or others. Iago thinks that everything should revolve around him in a sense where it comes to a point of him manipulating people. Iago thinks of himself as a devil by saying, “When devils will the blackest sins put on/They do suggest at first with heavenly shows/As I do now” (2.3. 331-33). He refers to when devils are about to commit their biggest sin, they put on their most heavenly faces because he is committing his biggest sin by manipulating everyone with his appearances. He puts on the most heavenly face by staying loyal and honest to Othello. However, on the inside he does not have the heavenly face on; he has his devil face on. This shows that Iago is two faced by having to sides that he shows. His thoughts count for his heavenly face on the outside and his actions count for his devil face on the inside. Iago thinks that, “In following him, I follow but myself” (1.1. 60). Iago is saying that
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