AO2/5 merging

Massai asserts that Iago’s evil scheme is a ‘pursuit of personal justice’ due to the ‘legal system which has failed him’. This can be seen to be true at the start of the play at the beginning of the play as Iago vehemently defends his right to the position of officer, saying, ‘I know my price and am worth no worse a place.’ This bold declarative implies Iago’s determined nature, seeking to further his position himself as the system hasn’t helped him. Although, Shakespeare’s use of mercantile diction reflects his commercial outlook on personal issues, foreshadowing the ruthless manner in which he will go on to manipulate others, indicating that his scheming goes beyond furthering his own position, but rather actively enjoying the downfall of others.

McEvoy’s suggestion that ‘the audience becomes implicit in Iago’s intentions’ can be seen to be valid due to Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony: Iago tells Othello ‘I lack inquity’, having previously told the audience ‘I am not what I am’, this antithesis juxtaposes the ideas of appearance and reality, a key aspect of Iago’s manipulation. The audience’s comprehension of this increases the feelings of pathos for all the victims of Iago as their downfalls can be foreseen, but the audience still must watch them unravel gradually.

Phillips posits that Othello’s love for Desdemona is ‘the love of possession’, that she is ‘a prize, a spoil of war’. This pessimistic view of Othello’s feelings towards his wife is sadly confirmed later in the play, despite the previous illusion of an egalitarian relationship, when he plots to kill her, saying ‘I will kill thee, and love thee after.’ Shakespeare’s morbid use of juxtaposition highlights the debased views Othello holds regarding his relationship. The nexus of love and violence is disturbing and suggests that Othello’s fantasy involves complete possession of his wife, by rendering her utterly passive, even if that means killing her, only then will he love her completely.