In this essay, I am going to discuss the portrayal of Iago to be a cruel and calculated villain in Othello, and how the audience's perception of him as an evil scheming character differs from the rest of the characters' view of him as "honest" until the end.Also, I'll be looking at Elizabethan society and how attitudes have changed, how Othello is still relevant today, Shakespeare's language and stagecraft.When Shakespeare wrote Othello in 1604 he set it in Venice, because Venice was a Christian civilisation and therefore symbolised stability and order, which is contrasted with Cyprus, which symbolised chaos and disorder.Both of these countries were then used for different parts of the plot, which is effective by clearly stating the different characteristics in Iago, showing him to be two faced and skilful in manipulating.Cyprus was were most of Iago's plans took place, "If consequence do but approve my dream, my boat sails freely with wing and stream"- this was the part where Iago had put his plan to shame Cassio into action and hoped it would run smoothly, however, this also brings up his plot for revenge against Othello.In Venice, Iago is more discrete, "For when my outward action doth demonstrate the native act and figure of my heart in compliment extern, 'tis not long after but I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at: I am not what I am"- here Iago is referring to himself in saying that if he shows how he is feeling and what he is scheming on the outside so that everyone can see then he will be punished for his crimes, therefore he must appear to be something he isn't: he must appear honest.
During Shakespeare's time people were more racist and cared a lot about background and culture which is reflected throughout the play , "you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have coursers for cousins, and jennets for germans", - here Iago is expressing to Brabantio that he is letting a North African (Othello) horse breed with his daughter so that his relatives will be horses rather than humans, whereas today, our attitudes towards people and the world have changed by being more accepting and open-minded.Othello is still relevant to modern audiences as it brings up issues that still exist such as in Othello the thinking that a civilised society is better than a supposedly barbaric foreign culture- that not many people know anything about. "I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets He's done my office. I know not if be true But I, for mere suspicion in that kind Will do as if for surety", - Iago refers to Othello as a moor, which is another word in saying that Othello is North African, and during the sixteenth and early seventeenth century the moors where considered as deadly as the Turks which comes into the part of this that Iago thinks that Othello has slept with his wife Emilia, this suggests and reflects society in what they believed in at the time it was written,- that it was perfectly natural to think of Othello as barbaric.This issue is similar to when America tries to impose western culture on countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
In Elizabethan England it would have been controversial that African Othello was portrayed as a noble character and Venetian Iago portrayed as a villain due to both the characters backgrounds, Iago a Venetian, and therefore Christian being a villain and Othello, African, which was seen as a barbaric country, representing nobility. In that time period it was ridiculous.
