Iago makes this comment to Othello as a way of refuting Othello’s insistence that Desdemona is honest and would not lie to him. It is common to refer to an antagonist as a villain (the bad guy), against whom a Hero (the good guy) fights in order to save himself or others. When Christopher Plummer appeared at the Ahmanson Theatre in âA Word or Two,â his costar was a mountain of books. He separated his “evil-self” and gave him a separate identity, thus inventing his own antagonist who, as a result, brings his downfall. The presence of an antagonist alongside a protagonist is vital for the typical formula of a plot. Research databases are key resources for every college or university library. The antagonist opposes the protagonist in his endeavors, and thus the conflict ensues. Being convinced that Mayella may have been guilty of committing a crime, Ewell is bent on making sure that someone else gets the punishment. In literature, an antagonist is a character, or a group of characters, which stands in opposition to the Protagonist, which is the main character. Iago stands as one of the most notorious villains of all time, having spent all of his time plotting against Othello, the protagonist, and his wife Desdemona. It’s a sin and I’m not about to have it on my head. If you need professional help with completing any kind of homework, Online Essay Help is ⦠All Rights Reserved. Here Iago explains how Roderigo can help him. He points out that Desdemona demonstrably has the capacity to lie and keep secrets since she hid her courtship with Othello from her disapproving father. The quote shows Iago’s desire to control every aspect of how his plan will unfold, and also his sinister sense of poetic justice. Iago says this line to Roderigo at the start of the play as he explains that he secretly hates Othello and is plotting against him. Iago, from William Shakespeare's Othello, is the absolute definition of a Manipulative Bastard and the inspiration for many other entries on this list. This inner conflict is a major theme of many literary works, such as Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, and A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce. Get your assignment help services from professionals. Although everyone, including Othello, believes that Iago is a loyal and devoted friend, Iago understands the strategic advantage that false friendship gives him. He argues that since Desdemona has committed her crimes in bed, by sleeping with other men, she should also die in bed. This quote is one of the few moments where Iago explains his possible motivation for being obsessed with destroying Othello. Iago encourages Roderigo to believe that by participating in Iago’s plot, he might have the chance to have an affair with Desdemona. Shakespeareâs Hamlet is often seen as a text that looks forward, anticipating some of the psychological dilemmas of modern existence in its depiction of the young princeâs morbid self-consciousness. A review of theoretical, research, and analysis of the validation of literature on the effect constructs on GN provides a variety of insights into this psychological condition affecting humans shows taxonomic and phenotypic inconsistencies as are discussed in the following. As a trusted confidante, he is able to sway Othello’s opinion and manipulate him much more effectively. Research on Emotions in Organizations, 1, 211â240. The protagonist struggles against the antagonist, taking the plot to a climax. Jekyll creates Hyde by a series of scientific experiments in order to prove his statement: He means that a human soul is a mixture of evil and good. However, Iago only mentions this motivation very briefly, and it does not seem to fully explain the depth of his hatred toward Othello. Hardly a thumb-sucking political analysis goes by without allusion to one of the 37 canonical plays, ... perhaps only Iago, who does not deny it. Cheap essay writing sercice. But not this man, Mr. Finch.”. The tragedy, however, is that she has not: Desdemona is innocent, she loves Othello and is faithful to him. Here Iago orchestrates even the way in which Desdemona will be killed. Shakespeare was using a traditional Christian theatre character called a Vice, who was always scheming and bragging to the audience. - Contact Us - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions, Definition and Examples of Literary Terms. Coplan A (2004) Empathic engagement with narrative fictions. Although everyone, including Othello, believes that Iago is a loyal and devoted friend, Iago understands the strategic advantage that false friendship gives him. Copyright © 2021 Literary Devices. He was delighted to be in such excellent company. Well-known as a respectable Victorian gentleman, Jekyll could never have fulfilled his evil desires. 5. You may have reached this page because the site or link you have tried to access no longer exists. (The magazine had published one of Poeâs earliest stories, âThe Visionaryâ, twelve⦠Consider the âmotiveless malignityâ of Iago, perhaps Shakespeareâs finest villain, who offers a number of potential motives for wanting to destroy the lives of Othello and Desdemona, and in doing so reveals that he very probably doesnât have a real motive â other than wishing to cause trouble for the hell of it.. Othello kills Desdemona in the belief, induced by Iago, that she has been unfaithful to him. Example #2: Othello (By William Shakespeare) Another example of an antagonist is the character of Iago in Shakespeareâs Othello.Iago stands as one of the most notorious villains of all time, having spent all of his time plotting against Othello, the protagonist, and his wife Desdemona.Through his evil schemes, Iago convinces Othello that his wife has been cheating ⦠The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 62: 141â152. Another example of an antagonist is the character of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello. Conflict is a basic element of any plot. Critics including Coleridge, Marx and Freud have found in the play the key to their own understanding of their world, and directors throughout the 20th century have ⦠A classical example of an antagonist is that of King Creon in Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone. The thing that separates Iago from other antagonists is that we do not really know why he wants to destroy Othello. Through his evil designs, Creon tries to hamper her in this attempt by announcing that her brother was a traitor, and decreeing that “he must be left to the elements.” This protagonist-antagonist conflict becomes the theme of this tragedy.