Othello: Iago – manipulative, racist, arrogant, presumptuousThe play Othello by William Shakespeare portrays Iago as a manipulative, racist, arrogant and presumptuous character. Concerning the trait of manipulation, Iago makes Brabantio believe that Othello has forcibly married Desdemona. Concerning the trait of racism, Iago calls Othello a black animal. Regarding the trait of arrogance, Iago states that Michael Cassio cannot fight a battle. Regarding the trait of presumption, Iago believes that he deserves the position of Othello's immediate assistant. This essay analyzes Othello to illustrate that Iago is a manipulative, racist, arrogant and presumptuous character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay To illustrate that he is manipulative, Iago speaks in a way that makes Brabantio believe that Othello has forcibly married Desdemona. In this regard, Iago loudly advises Brabantio to be on the lookout for thieves and Desdemona (Shakespeare 79-80). Iago then declares that Desdemona, Brabantio's daughter, was stolen (Ibid. 87) by Othello. Based on Iago's inciting statements, Brabantio believes that Othello forcibly married Desdemona. From this analysis, it is clear that Iago is manipulative; he causes Brabantio to adopt the opinion that Othello forcibly married Desdemona. Iago is also racist; based on Othello's black skin color, Iago refers to Othello as a black animal. To this end, Iago calls Othello a black ram (Ibid. 88). This terminology implies that Othello is less than human due to his black skin color. Therefore, Iago is racist because he views Othello as inferior because of the color of his skin. Thinking about this question, a reader would validly conclude that Iago considers himself superior to Othello. Since Iago's point of view is influenced by Othello's black skin color, a reader would realize that Iago is racist. Additionally, Iago is arrogant; without providing any valid justification, he argues that Cassio is unfit for war. In this regard, Iago argues that since Cassio studied mathematics, he cannot perform well in battle (Ibid. 23). Interestingly, Iago does not provide specific reasons to prove that Cassio is an incompetent soldier. Given this state of affairs, a reader can validly conclude that Iago considers himself better than Cassio in terms of combat ability. Considering that Iago has no evidence to support his point of view, he is arrogant. Furthermore, Iago is presumptuous; he believes that he should serve as Othello's second-in-command (Ibid. 33-34). This view shows that Iago believes he has certain leadership qualities that he does not actually have. Iago does not possess these leadership qualities because he was overlooked when Othello was selecting the individual to serve as second in command. If he possessed these leadership qualities, Iago would be appointed to this position. From this discussion, it is clear that Iago exhibits a trait of presumption; he thinks too highly of himself.Keep in mind: this is just a sample.Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayIn conclusion, Shakespeare's Othello highlights Iago's following traits: manipulative, racist, arrogance and presumption. Given that Iago is a male character, it would be enriching to discover why Shakespeare chose to portray Iago as a character with negative traits. This line of questioning would lead an investigator to analyze Othello using the lenses of biographical or historical criticism. Biographical criticism would involve investigating whether Shakespeare lived..