‘Iago does not understand love’
In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Iago’s attitudes to love in this extract and
elsewhere in the play.
Through Shakespeare’s presentation of love in ‘Othello’ he demonstrates a typical view of love
through the antagonist of Iago which would have resonated with many men in a Jacobean audience
when the tragedy was written. Iago is a very complicated character which Shakespeare uses to
encapsulate views of love deemed controversial, at the time, which had rarely been addressed
particularly the intense manipulation and abuse of power in regards to love. It is evident Iago has a
limited understanding of love through his actions however he portrays his ideas surrounding love
through his ability to manipulate others into conforming with his warped views.
Through Shakespeare’s characterisation of Iago, the antagonist is presented as perhaps naïve to the
concept of love or ignorant towards the possibility of ‘true love’ which is an idea that would have
been internalised in a significant majority of men in the sixteenth century. As Iago is lecturing
Roderigo about love and in his eyes the ridiculousness of it he mocks ‘whereof I take this, that you
call love, to be a sect or scion’ demonstrating his total lack of interest in love and its insignificance. It
is clear he believes love is just a small, unimportant part of a much bigger thing, lust. According to
Iago lust is overriding emotion that drives men and women and love is a cutting or an offshoot. This
is very patronising as Roderigo is very conflicted about how to declare his love for Desdemona whilst
the man he looks up to and relies on advice from is demanding how unimportant it is. Then Iago’s
reinforces his ideas by ridiculing the idea of love and suggests “Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind
puppies” which evidently displays Iago’s cold and chilling nature but also his ignorance towards the
feelings of others which could explain his beliefs towards love. Iago also demonstrates his very
negative views towards women in relationships as he would rather drown himself for the ‘love a
guinea-hen’ and change his ‘humanity with a baboon’. These are very extreme images therefore
displaying the intensity and extremity of his ideas concerning love but also women. Critic Kiernan
Ryan also suggested that ‘Iago differs from his fellow Venetians only in the ferocity with which he
espouses their values and the deadly extremes to which he resorts to vindicate them’ which I agree
with because Iago’s views are not totally absurd and different from all Venetian men but his ideas
are just heightened and the lengths he is willing to go to are much further. Furthermore it is clear
that race is a factor in Iago’s attitudes towards love as he is un able to put race aside in order to see
to love that Othello and Desdemona had and instead perceived their relationship as ‘a black ram is
tupping your white ewe’. This graphic image demonstrates Iago’s hostility towards Othello because
of the colour of his skin which could explain his attitudes towards love or perhaps it could just reflect
societal views towards race in the sixteenth century.
However, Iago’s use of love to manipulate others demonstrates he has some level of understanding
of the implications of love and the jealousy and obsessive nature it can cause. In Iago’s first soliloquy
the audience gains a true understanding of Iago’s true attitudes towards love as he ‘hate the Moor,
and it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets he’s done my office’ which highlights Iago’s paranoia
about Othello’s supposed relationship with Emilia and for a moment the audience could infer that
Iago cares about his relationship but instead he wants to get revenge just because of ‘mere suspicion
in that kind’ so will ‘do as if for surety’. This then emphasises that Iago is only genuinely concerned
In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Iago’s attitudes to love in this extract and
elsewhere in the play.
Through Shakespeare’s presentation of love in ‘Othello’ he demonstrates a typical view of love
through the antagonist of Iago which would have resonated with many men in a Jacobean audience
when the tragedy was written. Iago is a very complicated character which Shakespeare uses to
encapsulate views of love deemed controversial, at the time, which had rarely been addressed
particularly the intense manipulation and abuse of power in regards to love. It is evident Iago has a
limited understanding of love through his actions however he portrays his ideas surrounding love
through his ability to manipulate others into conforming with his warped views.
Through Shakespeare’s characterisation of Iago, the antagonist is presented as perhaps naïve to the
concept of love or ignorant towards the possibility of ‘true love’ which is an idea that would have
been internalised in a significant majority of men in the sixteenth century. As Iago is lecturing
Roderigo about love and in his eyes the ridiculousness of it he mocks ‘whereof I take this, that you
call love, to be a sect or scion’ demonstrating his total lack of interest in love and its insignificance. It
is clear he believes love is just a small, unimportant part of a much bigger thing, lust. According to
Iago lust is overriding emotion that drives men and women and love is a cutting or an offshoot. This
is very patronising as Roderigo is very conflicted about how to declare his love for Desdemona whilst
the man he looks up to and relies on advice from is demanding how unimportant it is. Then Iago’s
reinforces his ideas by ridiculing the idea of love and suggests “Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind
puppies” which evidently displays Iago’s cold and chilling nature but also his ignorance towards the
feelings of others which could explain his beliefs towards love. Iago also demonstrates his very
negative views towards women in relationships as he would rather drown himself for the ‘love a
guinea-hen’ and change his ‘humanity with a baboon’. These are very extreme images therefore
displaying the intensity and extremity of his ideas concerning love but also women. Critic Kiernan
Ryan also suggested that ‘Iago differs from his fellow Venetians only in the ferocity with which he
espouses their values and the deadly extremes to which he resorts to vindicate them’ which I agree
with because Iago’s views are not totally absurd and different from all Venetian men but his ideas
are just heightened and the lengths he is willing to go to are much further. Furthermore it is clear
that race is a factor in Iago’s attitudes towards love as he is un able to put race aside in order to see
to love that Othello and Desdemona had and instead perceived their relationship as ‘a black ram is
tupping your white ewe’. This graphic image demonstrates Iago’s hostility towards Othello because
of the colour of his skin which could explain his attitudes towards love or perhaps it could just reflect
societal views towards race in the sixteenth century.
However, Iago’s use of love to manipulate others demonstrates he has some level of understanding
of the implications of love and the jealousy and obsessive nature it can cause. In Iago’s first soliloquy
the audience gains a true understanding of Iago’s true attitudes towards love as he ‘hate the Moor,
and it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets he’s done my office’ which highlights Iago’s paranoia
about Othello’s supposed relationship with Emilia and for a moment the audience could infer that
Iago cares about his relationship but instead he wants to get revenge just because of ‘mere suspicion
in that kind’ so will ‘do as if for surety’. This then emphasises that Iago is only genuinely concerned
