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A comparison of the methods Employed by Iago in the play; Othello and those used by Edmund in Lear in pursuit of power
Introduction
Lust for power, wealth and prestige makes people commit acts that are so inhuman. Led by the craving for recognition and esteem, people have betrayed their masters as they try to overthrow them to gain power. The following discussion will focus on two separate plays that demonstrate the last for power and the cruel means that people use to gain it. It will be comparing methods used by Iago in the play; Othello and those used by Edmund in the play; Lear to gain power.
Discussion
Iago happens to be a soldier who has been in the service for many years working for Othello. He also happens to be one of the most trusted people by Othello that whatever he says is believed to be true. As it always is, many of such individuals who have gained total trust of their masters tend to be the ones to turn against them.
He has a close friend who is also a colleague with whom he has served as a soldier named Cassio. Iago is not happy about the promotion that is given to him since he perceives it to be unfair and that it is he who deserved it. He however does not let Cassio to know the condition of his heart but it is apparent that he is planning to employ the use of some evil tactics to see to it that he has gained that glory which he feels he deserves and has been denied.
From the time of Cassio’s promotion through to the rest of the play, Iago is not a happy man and he is looking for every opportunity in order to ruin Cassio’s reputation and end up making Othello despise his credibility and make him Lieutenant instead. He plans to use his friend Rodelligo to help him in achieving his evil and cruel plans saying that after everything is okay he will be sharing with him the benefits that will come as a result. “Appetites promoted by cleverness, with the strongest and the shrewdest winning out.” The quote demonstrates the greediness in Iago to acquire the power. His behavior has also been compared to that of animals,’ Iago’s is explicitly reductive. For him “the herd” is no metaphor, and the view he expounds.’
‘If I can fasten but one cup upon him… with that which he has drunk already,’ (3.3.87) this was the first technique that Iago plotted in order to gain power thereby humiliating and making Cassio make fool of himself by getting himself extremely intoxicated. Iago pushes him to drinking even though he was already drunk. He knew that by getting him intoxicated he would lose his judgment and the control of himself and behavior. They were in their master’s court and any kind of misconduct arising was therefore going to be treated with very harsh punishment. This plot is a well calculated one as the venue of drinking is a place where misconduct must be punished.
After that, there erupts commotion between Cassio already drunk and Roderigo who is a friend of Iago’s. A fight ensues and the latter is severely injured in the process. Immediately Othello steps in seeking an explanation of what was going on. He was so furious when he learnt that his own respected man and the one he had just promoted was responsible for all that kind of mess. This event partly accomplishes Iago’s plans as the misconduct he expected takes place and Othello whom he targeted with the misconduct also happens to be timely in finding out what has taken place.
When Iago is called to explain what had ensued, he pretends to be protecting Cassio by telling Othello that his act as a result of drinking. He is however demoted as the Lieutenant which is a big blow for but great success for Iago.
He appears sarcastic when he comes to console him, ‘what, are you hurt Lieutenant?’ he pretends to care about the pain that Cassio is going through for losing his position. He however promises to tell him that he will be reinstated soon if only they convince Desdemona the wife of Othello to speak on his behalf.
This was however another opportunity that Iago was planning to utilize in order to finish him completely so that he would be left alone in the master’s court and maybe be awarded the highest position that he was lusting for.
The meetings between Cassio and Desmodema were used by Iago as another weapon to betray them. He went behind their back to report to Othello that the two were having an affair an accusation that made him so shocked since it had never occurred to him that his wife was capable of doing such an act. Iago was planning to ruin Othello by giving ill information to make him change his attitude about Cassio.
Othello is now a very worried man and he is so much disturbed. He trusts Iago so much but he tells him that such delicate allegations needed enough proof. He says that Cassio has been wooing Desmodema and that the two have been seen in private a number of days. In the real sense, he knew that the reason of their meeting had nothing to do with intimacy but an attempt to plead with her to see whether he could be reinstated.
Since he could not produce tangible evidence in his accusations, Iago plans to look for one so that he could convince him that actually the whole thing has been taking place. He reports that he overheard Cassio in a dream saying that he had made love to Desmodema. This makes Othello so sick that he develops an excruciating headache and his perception of his wife drastically changes. He becomes cold to her but does not explain the reason for that.
Desmedema drops her handkerchief accidentally outside their court and this is what will bring to climax the evil plans of Iago. It was a precious gift that her husband had bought for her and she was expected to keep and value it for the rest of her life as long as it was there. This was a happy moment for Iago who took the handkerchief and placed it in Cassio’s room so that it will appear that he had been given by Desmodema as a gift because of the tight relationship that the two were having.
Othello learns that the handkerchief is missing and seeks to know where it is. Already he had received the news that she had already given it to Cassio. Unfortunately, he appears carrying the handkerchief which he innocently planned to give to Desmodema. When Othello saw this, he was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the two were having an affair.
Othello plans the murder of the two people. He tells his Iago to help him in killing Cassio while he would strangle his wife in bed. However, Iago is not ready to do this unless he is assured that there will be a reward for committing such a crime. His master assures him that after he does that, he would be made the lieutenant as a replacement for Cassio.
The plan does not however go as planned. Othello killed his wife but Iago did not succeed in killing Cassio, he just injures him in the leg. Fortunately, Iago’s wife steps in to explain to Othello that all that was happening was not the truth but propelled by the evil plans of Iago. He is therefore arrested and does not gain the power that he was seeking for.
Edmund’s story compares with that of Iago in the sense that he was also fighting to gain power from his father and brother. He happened to be the illegitimate son of Gloucester. His younger younger brother Edger was the real son and therefore he had the right to inherit from his father.
At the beginning of the play Edmund is very disturbed. This is because he nfeels himself being seen as inferior to his brother because he was a bastard ‘Lag of a brother? Why bastard? Wherefore base?’ (1.2.54). As it is indicated in Medieval England, “The bend . . . or baton sinister . . . were used as thestandard mark of illegitimacy.” He does not understand why he should be mistreated and to be discriminated just because he was not the real son. He does not see the base whatsoever for him to be denied the inheritance and bearing in mind that he was older than Edger. His evil plan is being driven by anger and as William Blake put it ‘Edmund had no reason to trust things would work out right if left to themselves and he had anger as an additional motivatingfactor.’ He was not justified to do what he was planning to just because of anger.
These thoughts are the, one’s that prompted him to plan to kill his father and brother in order to become the Earl himself getting all the inheritance and power. Just like Iago he plans on how to execute his evil plan but unlike him, he is fighting his own family.
He begins by faking an attack by Edgar. This instance infuriates Gloucester who was a peaceful man. He decides to give Edgar one of the most painful punishments in his life of being denied the right to inheritance. He must have reasoned that the reason why he was attacking Edmund is for him to gain all that belonged to his father. This also created a wide chasm between the two brothers.
The fact that Edgar was to be denied the inheritance was good news to Edmund who now knew that he stood a better chance of acquiring them.
The next thing was that Edmund decided to trick his father with a forged letter that claimed that Edger was planning to usurp him and take control of his father’s estate. He is so disturbed by the news and the relationship between the two deteriorates further. Finally he plans for the murder of their dad for is fortunately saved by Edger his real son.
Just like Iago, Edmund does not succeed in his plan of gaining power and wealth from his father and instead he faces the punishment.
Conclusion
Lust for power, wealth and prestige can make people do acts that are so inhuman. Led by the craving for recognition and esteem, people may betray their masters as they try to overthrow them to gain power.
References
William Shakespeare: Othello
King Lear: Edmund
