Iagos Last Words – Othello
Soliloquy
I have experienced numerous injustices from the hand of Othello. These acts have led to substantial devastation to me life. When I evaluate my existence, questioning my motives and my conscience concerning the hate I feel for Othello, I believe that Moor deserves the tragedy that will befall him in the end. This is so for one cannot be faulted for seeking to destroy the devil plaguing his existence. This means I cannot be wrong for my desires, to perpetrate the downfall of the Barbary horse (Potter 68). The reasons for my actions can be justified by the many injustices, which Moor has orchestrated causing me suffering and grief. When considering these incidences, I have the same feeling of hate for Othello if I met him in another lifetime.
Moor’s motives concerning my affairs have been ill motivated. I cannot shake off the lingering suspicion that his last has reached the very door of my bedroom. My dear wife Emilia, whom I have loved and lived with for so long, has become a target for the philandering moor. Is he not interested in the vast supply of beautiful maidens in the land that he has to share my marriage? It is evident that Othello has no respect for the sacred boundaries, which sanctify marriage. My heart is distraught every time I see the lovely face of Emilia since it is a constant reminder of the cuckolding betrayal (Potter 73). Is a man robbed of his dignity warranted of vengeance?
The reasons, for the hate, I harbor for Moor are not limited to his philandering habits. Moor also robbed me of my merit for a position at the squadron (Shakespeare 83). Am I not experienced in matters of war? Am I not a seasoned soldier who has participated in numerous campaign victories? I understand the pain and devastation of war. I am well versed with strategies to lead a squadron in battle. Despite this, the Moor overlooked all my qualifications and conspired to offer the position to the Florentine Cassio (Bradley 95). I have confessed this disappointment to Rodriguez. Is Moor not content with having an affair with my wife but also wants to ruin me. Are this not grounds for a man to hate another? It is only just i seek my revenge or being denied his rights. I detest the mere sight of Moor for influencing the appointment of Cassio into my coveted position. I hate Moor because he has no honor and dignity to let destiny prevail. Was he not my friend? His betrayals make my blood boil with rage, and my hatred for him grows with every living breath I take. Can I be considered evil when I see what is rightfully mine from the influence of the devil? I have suffered, and I will derive pleasure from the downfall of Moor.
The old black ram is also guilty of conspiring to ruin Desdemona’s life. Is he not old enough to be her father? His courtship with the beautiful Desdemona is detrimental since he will die and leave her a widow early in her life. Why should the moor ruin this beautiful flower despite being unworthy of her love? Should he not live her for the young? However, this will not last because Desdemona will soon discover her error since the old goat will be unable to match her youthful desires (Shakespeare 76). It is impossible for Desdemona to love Moor for a long period and their love is only a momentary endeavor. She must leave old Moor for youthful companionships and pleasures (Bradley 92). I believe the beauty of Desdemona should be bestowed by a worthy individual like me. I have harbored passions for the beautiful Desdemona for a while now. Were it, not for Moor, she would be mine to love. It enrages me that Moor has wooed this beautiful flower into his arms. I may be married, but I harbor an immense love for Desdemona. These feelings spur hatred for Moor since he appears to be the impediment for my happiness.
It appears that moor was destined to be an antagonist in my existence. He is liable for my unhappiness in all aspects of my existence. He has infiltrated not only my home, but has interfered with my feelings and plans my ruin by ensuring I do not prosper. I have to take precautions to ensure that my interests prevail from the onslaught of Othello. It is no secret that my hate for Othello has grown significantly. I should plot my revenge for all the injustices I have suffered from the actions of Moor. I will exploit the trusting nature of Othello to plot his downfall. Othello is trusting and has an open nature to men. This can be poisoned to wreck his existence. If I accomplish this, I will achieve my revenge on Othello, which will be justice for all I have endured due to his existence. Othello is a gullible fool and is unworthy of happiness. I will make him believe that he is being cuckolded, in order to make him experience the pain he has caused me, with his affair with my wife. I will spur the jealousy, which will spell tragedy for his relationship with Desdemona. I have to vindicate myself from the evil has plagued my life by eliminating Othello.
Rationale
The soliloquy attempts to portray the reasons which Iago hated Othello. The soliloquy explores the motivations of Iago to plot the downfall of Othello. This soliloquy is similar to the original works since it highlights the reasons, which cultivated the hatred for Othello in the play. It is evident that the hate of Iago was due to jealousy and envy for the success of Othello in romance and his military career. The soliloquy highlights these reasons with the passion Iago portrayed in the original works. The soliloquy shows the conceiving of the plot to destroy Othello by exploiting his trusting nature. The soliloquy is also similar to the Shakespearian style since it portrays the characters thoughts to the audience. The speech gives the audience a view of the intentions of the character explaining the events, which are observed in the play. For instance, the soliloquies explain why Iago plots evil for Othello despite the audience witnessing no overt reasons for the acts (Hirsh 49). The language is also in first person depicting a monologue a characteristic, which is similar with the Shakespearean style. The rationale for the choice of Iago’s soliloquy is that the evil acts of the character in the play Othello are not clear for the audience until they explore the soliloquy. Therefore, this piece is instrumental in portraying the motivations of the character to participate in evil hence demystifying his motives in the play.
Works Cited
Bradley, Andrew C. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth. Teddington (G.B.: Echo Library, 2006. Print.
Hirsh, James E. Shakespeare and the History of Soliloquies. Madison, N.J: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2003. Print.
Potter, Lois. Othello. Manchester [u.a.: Manchester Univ. Press, 2002. Print.
Shakespeare, William, and Julie Hankey. Othello. Cambridge [u.a.: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2005. Print.
