WITH CLOSE REFERENCE TO THE TEXT, EXPLORE THE CHARACTER OF IAGO, HOW HE IS PRESENTED TO THE AUDIENCE, HOW WE ARE GIVEN AN INSIGHT INTO HIS PERSONALITY AND MOTIVATIONS.

In the play ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare, we are introduced to the character of Iago at a very early stage. From the outset, we see that he is the main protagonist in the play and that he engineers situations to his advantage. In some respects, however, the audience may feel sorry for Iago, as he has been denied the post of lieutenant. This refusal, nonetheless, is the basis of all the underlying schemes and manipulations from Iago in the play.
Generally, Iago is seen as a determined character. At the beginning of the play we see him as a malevolent and bitter person. He is manipulative in his ways, and twists many situations for his own benefit. All his actions have malicious intent and this makes him very disruptive. However, he is a very intelligent and ambitious person, but it is evident from the start that he uses this in the wrong way.
In the very first scene of the play, we see Iago’s deceitful character in action. He has just been denied the post of lieutenant by Ot...