"But, Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed which I have greater reason to believe now than ever- I mean purpose, courage, and valor- this night show it. If thou the next night following enjoy not Desdemona, take me from this world with treachery and devise engines for my life." IV. ii. 207-211
This blog addresses the question of protagonists, antagonists, and foil characters. First of all, unlike most stories, the protagonist is the bad guy. While the audience still probably hates Iago, his point of view in telling the story makes him the protagonist. I, on the other hand, hate him, so I would consider him an antagonist. One could also argue both positions for Othello. Basically, I think if you respect clever evil, Iago is your protagonist, and if you value truth and justice, Othello is your man.
There are a few foil characters in this play. The first is referenced in the quote above. This back-and-forth between Iago and Roderigo shows that opposites attrack in a repetitive but somehow humorous fashion. Several times we see Iago calm Roderigo down in an effort to use him to kill Cassio, supply jewelry, or maybe just for a good laugh. This shows Iago's personality: clever, manipulative, evil. On the other hand, Roderigo shows his true colors by constantly returning to Iago: dim-witted, malleable, and good (by default). The only reason I didn't hate Roderigo was because he was too stupid to be evil. He just followed what Iago said. Another pair of foil characters are Desdemona and Emilia. For example, in the conversation about the perfect woman, Emilia is portrayed as timid, quiet, and complacent, especially in the presence of her husband Iago. Desdemona is, however, more confident and outspoken, and plays along with Iago's criticism. Until the end, when Emilia spills the truth, she is shown as a weak character whereas Desdemona was truly innocent throughout. It's such a tragedy she died...along with half the cast.
This blog addresses the question of protagonists, antagonists, and foil characters. First of all, unlike most stories, the protagonist is the bad guy. While the audience still probably hates Iago, his point of view in telling the story makes him the protagonist. I, on the other hand, hate him, so I would consider him an antagonist. One could also argue both positions for Othello. Basically, I think if you respect clever evil, Iago is your protagonist, and if you value truth and justice, Othello is your man.
There are a few foil characters in this play. The first is referenced in the quote above. This back-and-forth between Iago and Roderigo shows that opposites attrack in a repetitive but somehow humorous fashion. Several times we see Iago calm Roderigo down in an effort to use him to kill Cassio, supply jewelry, or maybe just for a good laugh. This shows Iago's personality: clever, manipulative, evil. On the other hand, Roderigo shows his true colors by constantly returning to Iago: dim-witted, malleable, and good (by default). The only reason I didn't hate Roderigo was because he was too stupid to be evil. He just followed what Iago said. Another pair of foil characters are Desdemona and Emilia. For example, in the conversation about the perfect woman, Emilia is portrayed as timid, quiet, and complacent, especially in the presence of her husband Iago. Desdemona is, however, more confident and outspoken, and plays along with Iago's criticism. Until the end, when Emilia spills the truth, she is shown as a weak character whereas Desdemona was truly innocent throughout. It's such a tragedy she died...along with half the cast.
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