Analysing Iago’s soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 3 of ‘Othello’
I can analyse how Iago is presented in his Act 2, Scene 3 soliloquy.
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Printable resources
From Oak National Academy under the Open Government Licence. Some files include third-party material; see the credits at the foot of the page.
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What you'll learn
- Iago’s third soliloquy reveals his exploitative machinations.
- References to God and Hell develop the diabolical presentation of Iago.
- Iago describes poisoning Othello's ear; he knows the effect his manipulation will have.
- Iago takes pleasure in corrupting goodness: he talks of tarnishing Desdemona’s virtue and calls Cassio an "honest fool".
- Iago uses imagery to show the control he has over the characters and tries to manipulate the audience too.
Common mix-up
“Iago is similar to many other Shakespeare villains.”
Iago stands out because of his diabolical nature.
Keywords
See all the words in the word bank
- Machinations
- A plot or a scheme.
- Diabolical
- Characteristic of the devil.
- Incarnation
- A person who embodies a spirit or quality in the flesh.
- Exploitative
- Treating others unfairly to gain benefit.
- Antithesis
- A person or thing that is the direct opposite of something else.
Try the first question
How is disorder created in Act 2 Scene 1 of 'Othello' through setting?
- The play moves from Venice to Cyprus and there is a volcanic eruption.
- The play moves from Venice to Cyprus and there is a storm.
- The play moves from Cyprus to Venice and there is a flood.
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