In Othello, Iago's goal in destroying Othello is to become his own master, but to do that he needs to serve until his time comes. When Iago talks to Roderigo he tells him that he doesn't really follow Othello. He says "In following him, I follow but myself" and "I am not what I am" These quotes tell us how he wants to serve himself, but he has to work under Othello until he can rise up. Iago desperately wants to be a master and have people working for him, so he must get rid of Othello.
Throughout Shakespeare's Othello, Iago is convincing himself that he hates Othello. While talking to Roderigo about Desdemona, Iago give the metaphor of, “Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners. So that if we will plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs or distract us with many, either to have it sterile with idleness or manured with industry,” (1.3.361-367.) In the metaphor that Iago gives to Roderigo throughout the play, Iago is planting his brain with nettles. This can be seen throughout the play when Iago convinces himself that Othello is a bad person and through this corrupting of other characters (Roderigo and Brabantio). Through this “plant nettles” in his mind, he is serving as the antagonist, where he is trying to make Othello’s life miserable.
In Act 2 Scene 1, Iago characterizes himself as a passionate misogynist by explaining to Desdemona how even the perfect woman is only good for sex. "She that was ever fair and never proud, Had tongue at will and yet was never loud,...To suckle fools and chronicle small beer" (1.2.163-175). Iago bluntly tells Desdemona that even if a woman was beautiful but didn't brag and had wit but wasn't a chatterbox, she would still only be good for sex. Because of these profane claims, Iago shows that he is a passionate misogynist.
In Othello, Iago's goal in destroying Othello is to become his own master, but to do that he needs to serve until his time comes. When Iago talks to Roderigo he tells him that he doesn't really follow Othello. He says "In following him, I follow but myself" and "I am not what I am" These quotes tell us how he wants to serve himself, but he has to work under Othello until he can rise up. Iago desperately wants to be a master and have people working for him, so he must get rid of Othello.
ReplyDeleteThroughout Shakespeare's Othello, Iago is convincing himself that he hates Othello. While talking to Roderigo about Desdemona, Iago give the metaphor of, “Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners. So that if we will plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs or distract us with many, either to have it sterile with idleness or manured with industry,” (1.3.361-367.) In the metaphor that Iago gives to Roderigo throughout the play, Iago is planting his brain with nettles. This can be seen throughout the play when Iago convinces himself that Othello is a bad person and through this corrupting of other characters (Roderigo and Brabantio). Through this “plant nettles” in his mind, he is serving as the antagonist, where he is trying to make Othello’s life miserable.
ReplyDeleteIn Act 2 Scene 1, Iago characterizes himself as a passionate misogynist by explaining to Desdemona how even the perfect woman is only good for sex. "She that was ever fair and never proud, Had tongue at will and yet was never loud,...To suckle fools and chronicle small beer" (1.2.163-175). Iago bluntly tells Desdemona that even if a woman was beautiful but didn't brag and had wit but wasn't a chatterbox, she would still only be good for sex. Because of these profane claims, Iago shows that he is a passionate misogynist.
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