Who is more responsible for the tragedy Othello or Iago?

Though Iago is mostly responsible for the tragic happenings in the lives of most of the leading characters in Othello, he proves himself as an ambidextrous manipulator. As a villain Iago has almost supernatural ability to manipulate the other characters of the play.

Who is most to blame for the tragedy of Othello?

Iago has been to blame for the downfall of Othello because he is the one that created the jealousy within Othello. Iago started this because he was jealous of Othello because he was not made lieutenant, and Cassio was. Iago has been selfish and takes it upon himself to get revenge against Othello.

Is Iago responsible for Othello's downfall?

Iago is primarily responsible for Othello's downfall because he carefully plans and executes a malevolent scheme to make Othello jealous, which influences the esteemed general to misinterpret his wife's behavior and eventually kill Desdemona before committing suicide.

How does Iago contribute to the tragedy?

The effects of Iago's manipulation on Othello is depicted by the metaphor when he claims 'the moor already changes with my poison' which embodies the vitriolic nature of Iago's words as manifested in their influence on his actions, thus significantly contributing to the tragic events in the play.

Who is responsible for the deaths at the end of Othello?

Specifically, we learned that by the end of Othello, there are four dead bodies: Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo, and Othello himself. Iago murdered two of these people with his own hand, but his influence is at the bottom of them all.

The Tragedy of Othello: Is Iago the only one to blame?

Who is responsible for Desdemona's death Othello or Iago?

Shakespeare's “Othello” is a tragedy written about a black lieutenant and his terrific outcome. Being manipulated by the villain Iago, drives him to kill his own wife. Othello is responsible for Desdemona's death because he allowed Iago to manipulate him, he didn't trust Desdemona and strangled her while she slept.

Is Iago responsible for Desdemona's death?

However, one character, Iago, manipulated all of them. Othello was driven to his decision to murder his wife at no fault of his own. Instead it is Iago's ability to persuade the other characters and manipulate them by using their weaknesses that makes him responsible for Desdemona's death.

How is Othello a tragedy?

Othello is a tragedy because it tells the story of a noble, principled hero who makes a tragic error of judgment, leading to a devastating climax in which most of the characters end up either dead or seriously wounded.

What is Iago's tragic flaw?

Iago's evil nature is immediately evident – he is a liar and a cheat who delights in inflicting pain and suffering on others. He is also (in no particular order) selfish, disloyal, jealous, vengeful, paranoid, cynical, over-confident and unrepentant.

How is Iago a tragic villain in Othello?

Iago is the tragic villain of the play. His actions throughout cause destruction and tragedy. He manipulates Othello into believing that Desdemona is unfaithful and through this action it leads to the death of Othello, Desdemona, Roderigo and even his wife Emilia.

How is Othello a tragic hero?

Othello is a tragic hero because he is noble, he suffers from a fatal tragic flaw and he goes through a tragic downfall. All these traits that Othello exhibits lead him to be known as one of the most well-known tragic heroes in all of literature.

Why is Othello's fault?

The Betrayed King and Gullible General

The King was cheated on by his wife and as a result he killed his wife and many wives after that. Othello believed that his wife cheated on him and as a result he kills his wife as shown by Othello when he says “Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men” (5.2. 6).

Is Iago a tragic hero?

Tragedy can expose humans fallibility and weaknesses. Traditionally, a tragic hero is established into three parts: hamartia, a hero's tragic flaw; peripeteia, the change in the hero's fortune; and catharsis, a hero's tragic ending.

What causes iagos downfall?

In a fit of jealous rage, Othello smothers Desdemona to death. Emilia, Iago's wife, then speaks the truth of Iago's plan to Othello and Othello lashes out in his anger by wounding Iago. He then kills himself out of grief for the loss of Desdemona and of guilt.

What is the main tragedy in Othello?

Othello is also a domestic tragedy: the tragedy of marriage. Othello and Desdemona have a passionate love which could be seen as a threat to the rules established by patriarchal order: their intense, emotionally charged and equal marriage challenges ideas about class, race and the conformity of women.

Is Othello considered a tragedy?

William Shakespeare's play Othello, the Moor of Venice concerns the downfall of Othello who was a Moorish General and can be considered a tragedy. The main character who is the hero in the drama faces trouble at the end of the play when he kills his wife suspecting her of being unfaithful.

How is Othello not a tragedy?

If the tragic hero does not die, the play is not a tragedy: his death is undeniable, but brings to the audience a sense of catharsis, culminating the tragic elements of the play.

Who holds most responsible for Desdemona's death?

Emilia is unwittingly responsible for Desdemona's death because she is naïve about her husband's actions; she is silent about the handkerchief and lacks courage to prove to Othello that Desdemona's is innocent. Desdemona's death is caused because Emilia is naive and has poor judgment of Iago.

Who is to blame for the sin of Desdemona's murder?

Once more the young wife proclaims her innocence and insists that no one but herself is to blame. Indeed, she jeopardizes her very soul by deliberately lying in order to protect Othello, her husband, to whom she asks to be commended. At first, Othello denies having any part in his wife's death.

Who really killed Desdemona in Othello?

Othello triumphantly admits to Emilia that he killed Desdemona, and when she asks him why, Othello tells her that Iago opened his eyes to Desdemona's falsehood.

Is Desdemona responsible for her tragedy?

In Othello, Desdemona is somewhat responsible for her death because she naively allows Iago to use her as a pawn and makes her situation worse by constantly appealing on Cassio's behalf. She also misplaces her handkerchief and refrains from having a discussion about Othello's change of heart.

How far Desdemona is responsible for tragedy in Othello?

It can be argued that the duality of Desdemona lends to the tragedy of Othello. Her compliant and assertive nature is exploited by Iago in order to coerce Othello into believing that his wife is unfaithful; one is able to understand why Iago is able to achieve this in Act III, Scene III.

Why does Desdemona take the blame for her death?

She never put two and two together..... she just rolled along and acted like the innocent she was. She didn't see the treachery that surrounded her.... her innocence and love for her husband renedered her blind. Thus, in the end, she blamed herself.

How is Iago the hero of Othello?

Iago has every right to be the hero of Othello. He has achieved greatness in his feats, had an important presence throughout the play by enhancing the plot and characters and is the most intriguing character and one the greatest villains in literature.

Who is the hero of Othello?

Iago as the Hero of Shakespeare's Othello

He is boisterous, egotistical, sometimes witty, and all too eager to seek revenge. In William Shakespeare Othello, Iago is the well-liked, trusted, and brave ensign of the great Venetian general Othello, or so it appears.