Sunday, October 13, 2013

What motives are suggested for Iago's behavior and why are we to question the statements that reveal those possible motives?

There are a number of reasons given for Iago's motives in the play and a number that the audience may infer from the play. Iago tells us that he feels aggrieved that Othello chose Cassio to be his Lieutenant instead of him, despite the fact that Iago had served Othello faithfully for many years. There is the petty rivalry between Iago and Cassio as a "Florentine" from Florence rather than a true Venetian; and between the experienced Iago and the "bookish" Cassio "that never set a squadron in the field". It is a conflict between the new and old world, experience and theory, the feudal and modern worlds.

In addition to this, Iago's language is overtly racist about Othello and crude about his relations with Desdemona ("an old black ram is topping your white ewe") that we may infer that his animosity is motivated by either racism or sexual jealousy.

Finally, his hatred may also be unmotivated and undirected, merely just a part of his character that lights on any pretext to cause trouble and difficulty for others.

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