Sir William Shakespeare has written some of the greatest tragedies in English literature. Two particular examples are Macbeth and Othello. Shakespeare's shortest and bloodiest tragedy, Macbeth tells the story of a brave Scottish general (Macbeth) who receives a prophecy from a trio of sinister witches that one day he will become king of Scotland. Macbeth becomes infested with ambition brought on by other characters, which leads to his eventual downfall. Othello tells the story of a Moorish general is deceived by his ensign into believing his wife is unfaithful. To Cinthio's story Shakespeare added supporting characters such as the rich young dupe Roderigo and the outraged and grief-stricken Brabanzio, Desdemona's father. Shakespeare compressed the action into the space of a few days and set it against the backdrop of military conflict. And, most memorably, he turned the ensign, a minor villain, into the arch-villain Iago. Both of these plays are well known, and two particular characters that are worth comparison are Macbeth and Iago. Both of these characters share similarities and have contrasting attributes, but one thing that remains the same between these two villains in their ambition.
Macbeth is introduced to us in the first act, without a visual appearance, but by a Captain, who witnessed Macbeth bravery. The immediate impression of Macbeth after the first scene is that he is a brave solider, but once he has his confrontation with the three witches, his physical courage is joined by a consuming ambition and a tendency to self-doubt "the prediction that he will be king brings him joy, but it also creates inner turmoil. These three attributes "bravery, ambition, and self-doubt "struggle for mastery of Macbeth throughout the play. Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the terrible effects that ambition and guilt can have on a man who lacks strength of character. We may classify Macbeth as irrevocably evil, but his weak character separates him from Shakespeare's great villains.
Macbeth vs Othello Iago, a duplited villioned charecter of Shakespeare, in the play called Othello. ... (Iago,1,3,396) This quotation clearifes how devil is Iago and how sly he is, because of his plans. ... Moreover the proofs continous by Iago's asides. ... However I think that in the play Macbeth the Lady Macbeth's characteristics is more similar to the Iago's. ... Therefore, Macbeth is less guilty. ...
But once Lady Macbeth toys at the idea of Macbeth's manliness and bravery, Macbeth comes up with a plan to achieve the other prophecies the witches told him. ... As a result, Othello's jelousy of Iago brings him to his downfall. ... This incident manifests that Iago has taken over Othello because that is exactly what Iago wanted to happen: make the two lovers unhappy. ... He is easily persuaded by Iago to kill his bride in the bed. ... Then he learns that she was truly innocent and that he has been duped by Iago. ...
There are many examples of this situation in Shakespearean plays; in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Claudius commits his evil acts because of his greed for the throne; in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is so moved by her greed for wealth and power that she forces her husband to commit murder, and in Othello, Moor of Venice, Iago rips apart the lives of innocent people because of his greed for power and attention. ... Because of his self-indulgence Iago conspires to break apart the marriage of Othello and Desdemona because it appears that Iago is attracted to Desdemona, despite the fact that he's ...
Othello's judgment was easily manipulated by the talks of Iago can be also applied to Macbeth, the relationship being shared between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth was another tragedy; Lady Macbeth was continuously on Macbeth's back to commit all these random acts of murder, to replace King Duncan's position as king, this shows how Macbeth was similar to Othello since his inability to judge the character of others and because of Macbeth's inability to judge Lady Macbeth's character caused his downfall. ... Iago sets up a treacherous trap and they fall into it. ... "Not to...
Unlike Shakespeare's great villains, such as Iago in Othello and Richard III in Richard III, Macbeth is never comfortable in his role as a criminal. ... Macbeth enters, attired as king. ... Macbeth and Lady Macbeth ask Banquo to attend the feast they will host that night. ... The witches also declare that Macbeth will be king one day. ... Macbeth fixates on the details of the prophecy. ...
Experiencing not even an iota of empathy or guilt Iago becomes the perfect villain, for it is the feeling for another that leads one to experience guilt and Iago feels for no one. Manipulation of others is not questioned by Iago to be right or wrong. To Iago love is merely "a lust of the blood and a permission of the will" and self-love, the mother of all vices, is the only love that Iago respects. ... The inability to posses a conscience aids Iago in his malevolent schemes. ... Describing the beauty of love between two human beings and comparing it to two animals, makes the act seem harsh and...
In "Macbeth," Macbeth says, "It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood." ... Othello and Desdemona's reasons for marriage were highly irregular and therefore weak and unable to endure Iago's evil schemes. ... Othello told Iago, "My demerits may speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune as this that I have reached." ... Iago's insatiable and sadistic appetite for others" suffering was very abnormal and thus everything around him was destroyed before he faced his own demise. ... Contrasting Iago, who had no consciousness of good, Macbeth began with doubt in his ambitious pl...
The play begins with Othello promoting Cassio as lieutenant instead of Iago. Iago furious with Othello's decision begins to plot against both men to get his due. In the meantime Iago is planning, Othello falls in love with the beautiful Desdemona. ... Upon arrival, Iago has a very deceitful plan in hand. ... He orders Iago to kill Cassio while he confronts Desdemona himself. ...
Iago When Shakespeare attempted to create the ultimate villain (and I must say he was stunningly successful), Iago was the result. ... This view on life has many hidden insights into the character of Iago. ... These quotes also show what a highly motivated person Iago is. ... When he compares Desdemona to food, Iago is insulting three different things: the reasons for Othello's marriage, women in general (comparing them to food, used only for a man's pleasure), and the entire Moorish race, saying that they are barbarians, who do not know how to treat women. Whe...