Because Iago shows elements of planning his manipulations and of acting out on them so cleverly, I believe that Shakespeare has presented Iago as both an opportunist and a strategist. He does this by cleverly collecting and storing important information from other characters until the time is best to use it to trick people into following his plan. It is evident that Iago collects this information by behaving duplicitously so that he gains others' trust.
The definition of a 'strategist' is to plan action against people and the audience are made aware from the start that Iago wishes to bring Othello and Cassio down to his level (either in the social hierarchy or the occupational ladder) by manipulating them both. An exmaple of how Iago has pulled Othello down to his social level would be when Othello says that he is 'bound' to Iago forever, like a slave is bound to their master forever. It is no secret that he strategizes how to do this when he reveals his plans to the audience in his dramatic soliloquies. For example in Act 2 Scene 1 he seems to have finalised his plans to portray Desdemona commiting infidelity when he says 'I put the Moor
At least into a jealousy so strong/that judgement cannot cure'. Throughout the play, Iago's soliloquies support the idea that he is a strategist because he plots what his next move will be.
If Iago is a strategist then it should be argued that he is an opportunist in order to peruse his strategies.This is portrayed through how Iago uses information that he has gathered all at once in order to persuade Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful. Firstly, Iago uses the power of suggestion by saying 'O beware, my lord, of jelousy', to give Othello the impression that whatever Desdemona has done would lead him to be jealous. Cleverly Shakespeare has set up the foundation that the problem lies within Desdemona's loyalty. Although Othello states that he will not be driven mad, iago succeeds in doing so by listing why Desdemona commiting infedility could be true. The list begins with Iago mentioning where Desdemona is from 'In Venice they do let God see the pranks they dare not show their husbands', this links to the idea that when Othello was written, venetian women slept around so who's to say that Desdemona would not do the same? Iago then goes on to use evidence of how Desdemona had deceieved her father when marrying Othello so she has experience to do the same again. Continuing his powers of persuasion, Iago carries on planting seeds of doubt to ensure that Othello is uncertain with Desdemona by highlighting their obvious differences: 'clime, complexion, and degree', in other words using Othello's otherness for more manipulation. This proves that Iago takes advantage of his opportunity to bring Othello down by picking on every ounce of truth that could prove he is correct. He even returns after he has 'left' to ask Othello to keep Cassio and Desdemona distanced, feeding into his plan as he has already told Cassio to ask Desdemona for help in order to get his position back as lieutenant.
In conclusion, Iago seems to be a combination of a strategist and an opportunist because he gains important information from certain characters throughout the play and only uses his knowledge of this information when the time is right for it to be the most persuasive.
Excellent AO1 (expression).
ReplyDeleteVenetian women stereotypically slept around - try not to acknowledge that you are aware it was a generalisation.
A few more short quotations from the text could have been used here.
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ReplyDeleteI made a mistake in my comment above, apologies. I meant 'try to acknowledge that you are aware it was a generalisation.'
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