Almost every tragedy has a villain, to provide the conflict that catapults the plot to its bitter end. William Shakespeare was a master at providing audiences with in-depth insight into the human psyche through the actions and words of his heroes, and even more so his villains. Perhaps the two most infamous villains in all of Shakespearean literature are the characters Iago in Othello and Claudius in Hamlet. Both major characters in their respective plays, Claudius and Iago are driven by immoral ambitions. However, unlike many "villains" in literature, these two characters are much more complex than we first see, and Shakespeare manages to give us a unique three-dimensional view of their wicked minds. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay First of all, when reading Hamlet and Othello, Iago and Claudius are both portrayed as intelligent and conniving when they are speaking a monologue or thinking to themselves. , but give a friendly impression to the other characters around them. For example, in Othello, after convincing Roderigo that everything will work out and promising to help him conquer Desdemona, Iago delivers his first soliloquy by saying: “So I always make my fool my wallet; with such a snipeBut for my sport and my profit. I hate the Moor... The main difference between Claudius and Iago, which makes Iago much more evil than Claudius, is simply Claudius' guilt. Both men are capable of committing terrible acts, such as Claudius's murder and adultery and Iago's manipulation of everyone around him. They are also both capable of presenting an outward display of poise and grace, but Claudius feels guilty for the wrongdoings he has committed while Iago does not feel the slightest remorse for his actions. In fact, he is constantly trying to convince the audience that he is righteous and simply seeking revenge on those who wronged him - Cassio for being promoted above him and Othello for promoting Cassio. His bitter jealousy first appears when Iago describes Othello's promotion of Cassio to Roderigo: “Certainly,” he says, “I have already chosen my officer. And what is it? In truth, a great arithmetic, a certain Michael Cassio, a Florentine, (a boy almost damned by a beautiful wife) who has never put a squadron in the field, nor the division of a battle knows more than a old maid… Knowing that his argument is quite weak, considering the damage it causes, Iago also adds that he suspects Othello of having slept with his wife, Emilia, which is obviously false. A far more complex character than he first appears, there is more to Iago than meets the eye - making him a man who is not simply pure evil, but rather a true villain in every respect of the word. One of the most fascinating qualities of Iago's character is that although he is driven by his motivation to seek revenge, the rationalization he uses to validate the damage he causes is completely unconvincing and the The way he deceives those who perceive him as a friend is hypocritical. Claude is just as hypocritical. He established a very happy court of admirers and, as Phyllis Rackin observes, Hamlet's black clothes, like his bitter sorrow, associate him with the cold night of the opening scene, as opposed to the false brightness and warmth of Claudius's court. friendly and openly praises Hamlet, but inside he is looking for ways to rid his kingdom of the prince. He demonstrates these ideasin his brief conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: I don't like him and I'm not safe with us letting his madness spread. So prepare yourself. Your commission will be immediately dispatched, and it will accompany you to England. He is clever in the way he presents his evil, through verbal trickery, to the courtiers and everyone around him, in such a way that it appears good and generous. As Charles Norton Coe says in Demi-Devils: The Characters of Shakespeare's Villians, it is the measure of his uncle's success that Hamlet, the only person to react normally to an abnormal situation, is himself made to seem abnormal. Bad people are selfish. characters who seek to achieve their goals at the expense of everyone around them, perpetuating the main theme which is the blurring between what is real and what appears to be real. A scoundrel of this type is generally motivated by goals of personal fulfillment. By manipulating those around them, both villains are able to present an outward impression of integrity and honor. One such example is when Iago describes Cassio's fight with Roderigo to his commander, Othello. Although he intends to hurt Cassio, he makes it seem like he is simply doing the right thing by saying, "I'd rather have my tongue cut out than offend Michael Cassio." However, I convince myself to tell the truth. By negatively describing Cassio's actions to Othello, Iago is able to make Cassio look bad in the eyes of his commander while still presenting himself as a respectable man doing what he feels is appropriate in a situation like this. Iago seeks to avenge the wrong he believes was done to him by Cassio and Othello and wants to hurt them both just to harm their lives. In contrast, Claudius, who is also driven by a need for personal fulfillment, does not specifically seek to harm anyone. As literary critic Morris White notes, his government functions smoothly. He shows great tact towards his courtiers, genuine concern for his wife, and even kindness, at least initially, towards Hamlet...and therefore cannot be considered completely evil. He simply has one goal in mind, which is to become king, and will stop at nothing until he achieves it. In this way, he is seen as a less malicious character than Iago. Unlike Iago, Claudius has integrity and acts somewhat rationally when it comes to managing his own actions. Furthermore, the two men seem to have planned their course of action in detail, but the truth is that they only planned the beginning of their action. their campaigns and acted opportunistically throughout the rest of the play. They were able to manipulate other characters' plans of action to ensure that they acted in a way that was advantageous to themselves. Claudius is determined to take his brother's throne and hatches a plan to assassinate the old king by pouring poison in his ear while hatching a plan to assassinate the old king. he sleeps. Once this act of murder is accomplished, he takes back his brother's throne and, in a highly tactical move, marries Gertrude in order to secure his rights to the throne. He doesn't expect Hamlet to be such a complication to his plan and idea, so having him sent to England and killed later is an impulsive decision. Claudius continues to cleverly hide his dastardly act and it is this gap between the honorable man that the other character sees and the hideous villain that the audience sees that helps to make Claudius the hated scoundrel that he was. As DA Traversi stated, beneath Claudius' impressive ability to assume, on the surface and in the public eye, the suitably judicious and authoritarian mask, which.