Lago's motives and Othello's susceptibility in Shakespeare's Othello.

Abstract

Othello´s acclaimed bravery and courage cannot save him from his demise. This essay considers aspects that clarify the question of Othello's susceptibility and therefore Iago's motives. The Moor¿s and ensign¿s denouements respond to matters of jealousy, resentment, covetousness, begrudging, religious and racial background and Venice¿s jaundiced eyes, the couple¿s distrust and the parents¿ reluctance to accept a newcomer of a different race. Othello is a highly respected general who has excelled in battles against the enemies of Venice. Shakespeare portrays him as a sort of foreign mercenary, a black man of high status in Venice¿s glamorous society. He is often referred to as The Moor. His counterpart is Iago, a man of idle intelligence, splendidly devious, a psychopath who turns Othello into the target of his hatred. He seeks to exact revenge on Othello by persuading him of the perfidiousness of his wife. Othello is consumed by jealousy and deprived of all self-confidence until he ends his marriage in a fit of rage. In order to analyze Iago¿s motives, it is essential to follow the clues that Shakespeare leaves not only in the dialogues but also in Iago¿s soliloquies. The language also fulfills the task of preparing the spectators for the fatality that awaits for the characters. Iago's speech and soliloquies mark an order of events by gaining strength, power and momentum.