Mr. Luks

AP Eng. Lit and Comp

17 October 2004

Othell-Oh No!

Many classify Othello as Shakespeare's "jealousy play." Though jealously figures prominently as a force which drives Othello to murder, the other factors contributing to the deaths of Othello, Desdemona, Roderigo and Emilia cannot be ignored. Iago is depicted as the arch-villain of the play, orchestrating the unraveling of Othello's trust for Desdemona and persuading characters to act unwisely. Using the power of suggestion, a shrewd perception of the other characters' faults and downright dishonesty, Iago manipulates the willingness of others to pursue their own self-interest and maintain their pride, despite what rational thought might protest. Ironically, though he is portrayed as the only intrinsically evil character among many innocent, benevolent ones, he is the only one who is generally trusted throughout the play until his machinations are revealed at the play's conclusion. In addition, one must...