Villains Comparison in Othello. Literary Essay Sample.

Each and every play must have a villain who is there to ensure that the base of the plot is formed. When there is no villain in a play, it will neither be successful nor interesting. Due to such reasons, Shakespeare uses different kinds of villains in Othello. In a play, villains are people who do bad things. They are characters that perform things which are morally wrong in accordance to the perception of the audience. In Shakespeare's plays the villains are almost all sociopathic. Iago, in Othello, is strange yet interesting. However, if properly described, we would say that Iago is a moral villain. In the play, this character is portrayed as one who has completely lost his conscience. Such a character may be described today as a psychopath. From the words he utters and the actions he performs, he is manipulative. He does the manipulative activities for his own purpose. In a different sense, this character can be described as a serial killer. At the time when Emilia tells him about her plot, Iago kills her. Critical debates exclusively concerning precise definitions of the villain meaning of tragedy exist. This term is therefore associated with all kinds of catastrophe and disasters. However, the drama in literature means a dangerous kind of show. In history, poets like Aristotle stated tragedy to be equated to an imitation that results from serious action. Via such mimesis, a tragic hero always makes his way into arousing terror, subsequent fear, and even pity. By looking into the fatal theory of Aristotle, it is notable that the tragic hero is always noble and of high social status. In the play of ''Othello'' by William Shakespeare's, there is a man who gets manipulated into committing murder. He kills his wife then commits suicide. We will, therefore, compare the criminal behavior and the villain characters in the play then compare them to world villains as history records. One such character in the play is Iago.

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Othello and Iago Comparison

The two characters, Othello and Iago, have different personalities. However, they are alike due to their fallibility. Iago has the desire to revenge to an extreme extent that he acts. However, Othello loves her wife, Desdemona to the extent that he would never allow anyone take her or else he would kill her instead. All in all, despite their differences, Iago and Othello have represented extremity of human emotion. They have this particular trait all through Act 1. Later, Iago is viewed as the representative of basal humane elements. He uses vulgar language, sexual and animal images to ensure that Brabantio is taunted. In an instance where he uses the agricultural term for mating beasts, Iago seems to have reduced love making to the basics of an action. Othello, however, uses tender words when describing his affection. He confesses by saying: "I love Desdemona the gentle," which is a term that explains his feelings. Othello is more sensitive as compared to Iago. Another contrast includes the fact that Iago only motivates himself through his self-interest. Iago needs success and personal gains, nothing more. However, it seems like his grudge against Othello is due to him promoting Cassio above himself. He is bitter about Cassio and hates his skills in mathematics. There is another grudge which entailed his suspicion concerning Othello. Iago hears a rumor saying that Othello made love to his wife. This story solicits revenge. On the contrary, Iago knows his wife would not betray him, and it, therefore, seems like this is another excuse for attacking Othello.

Comparison of Doctor Faustus and Othello

It is possible to identify points of comparison between the two works which are "Doctor Faustus" and "Othello" by Christopher Marlowe and William respectively. The comparison can be made regarding the themes that are found in the two plays as well as a thoroughly informative comparison and analysis regarding characters. Moreover, there are many repeating types of character and themes that tie in with and blend with these particular characters. All the more notably, even a cursory investigation of these purposes of comparison in "Doctor Faustus" and "Othello" uncovers strong associations between the subjects and nearness of the themes of villains. Villains are seen as abhorrence characters who appear to live with the aim of destroying other people's lives) and also the steady presence of wrongdoing or sin. Truth be told, crime as an idea or theme in both "Othello" and "Doctor Faustus" does an important task of commenting on the characters that are possessed by villains who are evil in their ways and thus the above two structures that are found in the literature pieces "Othello" and "Doctor Faustus"play each other off therefore making these two plays fundamentally the same as and ready for a comparison more exhaustive than one may at first expect could be conceivable with such unique plots.

Iago versus Moriarty

Iago is the antagonist in Othello by William Shakespeare. He has evil motives towards Othello. The motives can well be described as obsessive. The described behavior is similar to the BBC television rendition Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty who is the antagonist. Moriarty and Iago's nature of obsession influences the lives of Othello and Sherlock. Such control provides an argumentative manner of comparison of the two. Othello, by William, portrays Iago as an evil character. When compared to Moriarty a similarity of intention is obtained. To ensure that his plan is executed, Iago conforms to different personas. He first pretends to be a trusted friend. Then he plays to be the wingman in Roderigo's case. In this case, the audience confirms Iago's identity when he tricks Roderigo. He makes Roderigo sell all the property that he has. Such an incident happens because Roderigo claims that he is on the brinks of drowning because he loves Othello's wife, Desdemona. After realizing how vulnerable Roderigo had become, Iago tricks him into selling everything just to follow Othello and Desdemona. Iago tells Roderigo that if he follows the instructions he is giving him, he will have an opportunity of making love to Desdemona. He then informs Roderigo ensure that he drowns puppies that are blind and also kittens instead of drowning himself. The audience will first perceive Iago as a true friend to Roderigo by trying to help him genuinely him. On the contrary, after the conversation clears, Iago confirms his plan of making Roderigo become his fool. In consideration of Iago's case against other characters like Othello, Moriarty also happens to be involved in a similar saga he tricks other characters into performing deceit and thereby ruining their lives. On the contrary, Moriarty does not use vulgar language to express his dislike to certain social matters.

Elizabethan Villain against Iago

The seven original sins were an original piece of Elizabethan writing, and if not exemplified straightforwardly (as on account of Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus") they, at any rate, included the more large structure of the plot. In Shakespeare's Othello, the focal activity of the play depends on the control and carrying on of the seven original sins by Iago, whose actions decide the last grievous result. One researcher sets Othello echoes "something of the structure of an ethical quality play, with Othello, got amongst Desdemona and Iago, the great heavenly attendant and the shrewd holy messenger." While the thought regarding this game existing as a bona fide profound quality play can be discussed, the reality remains that the seven deadly sins all capacity diversely inside the content and the fight amongst great and wickedness is confounded because of the uncertain balance that both the peruser and the characters end up treading upon. A significant part of the bending of reality and ensuing disclosure and activity rotating around the seven savage sins happens subsequently of the manipulative endeavors of Iago and it is helpful to both analyze how this happens lastly, how these components of Othello can be set into the bigger setting of Shakespearian and Elizabethan writing when all is said in done. It ought to be always remembered that the Congregation and sin were in the front line of the general population's cognizance for the duration of the season of Shakespeare and Marlow, along these lines taking out the seven dangerous sins as a central concern would be unseemly

The Wicked Witch of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz against Iago

She happens to be covering, and that is a nature of hers, which is quite similar in a way to Iago's character. While the wicked witch wishes to possess Dorothy's silver slippers, Iago wants to revenge. There is another character, the Wizard, who believes that the magic that the Witch has is stronger than his and would, therefore, kill him if in any case, he should go near her. Unlike Iago's hidden motives and plans, the witch has open projects that are widely recognized due to her voluble nature. Dorothy, who is the protagonist, is faced with a challenge of destroying the witch who desires to own her possession. On the contrary, the main antagonist in Othello, Iago, uses other characters to help him achieve his queer objectives. The Witch tries several methods of destroying Dorothy. She uses wolves, bees, winged monkeys and crows but is still faced with a challenge of killing Dorothy. She also tries several ways of making Dorothy let go her slippers. However, Dorothy is adamant and decides to throw a bucket of pure water at the Witch which eventually kills her. In comparison, we realize that both the witch and Iago are persistent characters. They would go heights of mischievous activities just to ensure that they achieve their desires. On the contrary, unlike the witch, Iago is much wittier and doesn't need extra superstitious powers to achieve whatever he wants.

Pap Finn from the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn versus Iago

It is no doubt the reason as to why the main character in Huck Fin has no taste for religion. While the Bible will want him to honor his parents to have a longer life, his father is responsible for Huck's mysteries. His father always beat him. Huck's father, Pap Fin, may be the only character that Fin actually hates. Pap kidnaps the protagonist and forces him to live with him. Fin tries to report the incident to the local judge but the jury rules for his father, Pap. By comparing the characteristics of Pap and Iago, we realize two different extremists. Pap is a sociopathic alcoholic who does not reason whereas Iago is a sociopathic drunkard who does a lot of planning and reasoning. This is portrayed when Iago plans to make Michael Cassio get drunk and then coaxing Roderigo to utter offensive words to make Cassio overreacts and look foolish. However, Iago is faced with a challenge since Cassio doesn't drink alcohol. Both Pap and Iago have people they are looking after like family. However, they do not take full responsibility of these individuals but rather view them as part of their large plans of achieving their objectives. However, unlike Iago, Pap is less of a scheme but rather an alcoholic. He does nothing incredibly villains except beating Fin for the better. In our case, Iago is the extremely villain and the worse between the two characters.

In consideration of other villains in the literature world, it is quite clear that Othello's Iago is among the greatest villain characters ever created. The audience first confirms Iago's identity when he tricks Roderigo. He makes Roderigo selling all the property that he has. Such case happens because Roderigo claims that he is on the brinks of drowning because he loves Othello's wife, Desdemona. As a result of such, Iago tricks Roderigo into selling everything just to follow Othello and Desdemona. Iago tells Roderigo that if he follows the instructions he is giving him, he will have an opportunity of making love to Desdemona. He then informs Roderigo ensure that he drowns puppies that are blind and also kittens instead of drowning himself. The audience will first perceive Iago as a true friend to Roderigo by trying to help him genuinely him. On the contrary, after the conversation clears, Iago confirms his plan of making Roderigo become his fool.

In a different occasion, the criminal behavior of Iago is portrayed when he happens to double-cross Michael Cassio. His plan was to make Michael Cassio get drunk and then Roderigo utters an offensive word to him to make Cassio overreacts and look foolish. The problem that comes to be is that Cassio doesn't drink alcohol. When Iago gives Cassio alcohol, he claims not to be interested at that time. He says he has poor and unhappy brains that would not sustain drinking. In actual sense, Cassio is not the alcohol type and wishes that people would not focus on drinking for the purpose of having fun. Iago needs success and personal gains, nothing more. However, it seems like his grudge against Othello is due to him promoting Cassio above himself. He is bitter about Cassio and hates his skills in mathematics. There is another grudge which entailed his suspicion concerning Othello. Iago hears a rumor saying that Othello made love to his wife. This story solicits revenge. On the contrary, Iago knows his wife would not betray him, and it, therefore, seems like this is another excuse for attacking Othello.