He is often regarded with the traditional contemporary hostility reserved for the stereotypical "black"- he is a moor and therefore ugly, sexually promiscuous and depraved, cruel and dangerous and a practitioner of witchcraft who is closely allied with evil and the devil. ... He is also referred to and associated with the devil and evil. ... The theme of appearance versus reality is evident. The conflict between good and evil draws in on almost all the characters. ... The traditional imagery of white (good) and black (evil) is reversed in Othello. ...

• Word Count: 1432
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

One of Shakespeare's most villainous characters is disliked mainly because he is extremely good at being bad. Iago, from Othello, the Moor of Venice, appears to epitomize the phrase "pure evil," and at first his actions seem to originate from this simple cause. ... To split apart the couple, Iago hatches a plan to convince Othello that his wife has had an affair with Cassio, who is Othello's lieutenant. ... Today, we use this theory to describe many human behaviors, especially when discussing the causes of good and evil in our society. The most common conclusion of our society is ...

• Word Count: 1501
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

I hate the Moor The main difference between Claudius and Iago, which makes Iago far more evil than Claudius, is simply Claudius's guilt. ... He is clever in the way he presents his evil, through verbal trickery, to the courtiers and everyone around him in such a way that he seems good and generous. ... Claudius continues to conceal his foul deed cleverly and it is this discrepancy between the honorable man the other character sees versus the hideous villain the audience sees that helps turn Claudius into the hated scoundrel that he was. ... Implanting the suspicion of Desdemona'...

• Word Count: 1814
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School