In this play, the true protagonist is Iago. Though the play is named after Othello, it focuses around Iago's plots to get the job he wants and get back at Othello for "sleeping with his wife." As the play progresses, the audience sees more about Iago than any other character. Iago's ability to convince Othello that Desdemona is cheating while still staying on good terms with him shows that he is a very persuasive man. The audience also sees, through his interactions with other characters, that he is a very jealous man. He speaks very lowly of his wife, even to her face, showing that he has no respect for women. So, though he is the protagonist, the audience may feel apathy towards him due to his hateful personality.
Placing a deceitful man as the protagonist allows many other characters to act as foils. Each of the other characters in the play show no major signs of lying. This further emphasizes the acts of Iago. It creates a protagonist who is hated, but can also be rooted for, because he is the protagonist. It allows the audience to choose which side they are on.
No comments:
Post a Comment