SHAKSPER 2001: Re: Iago's Evil

From: Hardy M. Cook (editor@ws.bowiestate.edu)
Date: 12/22/01 

The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 12.2877  Saturday, 22 December 2001

[1]     From:   Janie Cheaney <jbcheaney@alltel.net>
        Date:   Thursday, 20 Dec 2001 10:57:00 -0600
        Subj:   Re: SHK 12.2869 Re: Iago's Evil


[2]     From:   Don Bloom <dbloom@asms.net>
        Date:   Friday, 21 Dec 2001 10:53:17 -0600
        Subj:   Re: SHK 12.2869 Re: Iago's Evil


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Janie Cheaney <jbcheaney@alltel.net>
Date:           Thursday, 20 Dec 2001 10:57:00 -0600
Subject: 12.2869 Re: Iago's Evil
Comment:        Re: SHK 12.2869 Re: Iago's Evil

> From John Velz:

> Someone else commented recently that we are drawn to evil.  The point
> was made when Tony Sher played Richard III with magnetic glee in his own
> evil.  The big house at Stratford was almost entirely empty at interval,
> but I returned to my seat after merely stretching my legs.  There were
> four women sitting together perhaps five rows ahead of me.  When there
> was a break in their conversation I hissed out sotto voce "I just LOVE
> evil!!!"  They were scared silly for just a moment and then they looked
> around at harmless me and laughed and laughed.  I joined in their
> laughter.

Of course we are drawn to evil.  Several respondents have commented that
Iago is the most interesting (if not compelling) person in the play. I
had confirmation of this recently when my sister told me about teaching
“Othello” at a local correction facility.  Her class, all teenage boys
serving time for felony charges, were blown away by Iago.  They thought
he was COOL.  I can understand why, but I think our fascination with
such characters reflects negatively on us.

Since my specialty is young adult literature, I can think of an
immediate correlation with Robert Cormier’s “The Chocolate War.”
Anybody who’s read the book or its sequel will probably never be able to
forget Achie Costello, one of the most purely evil characters I’ve run
across in all literature, not just YA.  Archie is much like Iago in that
he delights in manipulation.  Also like Iago, no root causes are given
for why he’s like this: we only know what we know.  It seems to me that
evil in its essence is the inordinate use of power, shown in everyday
life by seeking out the weaknesses of other people and pulling their
strings.  It’s deeply ugly, not attractive at all, yet both Cormier and
Shakespeare make us admire it, revealing the capacity for evil that’s
latent in us.

Evil may be interesting on the surface, but real goodness (not poesy
self-righteousness) is more profoundly mysterious.  I remember Saul
Bellow saying something like this, in “Henderson the Rain King”; wish I
could remember the context.

jbc

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Don Bloom <dbloom@asms.net>
Date:           Friday, 21 Dec 2001 10:53:17 -0600
Subject: 12.2869 Re: Iago's Evil
Comment:        Re: SHK 12.2869 Re: Iago's Evil

Jim Slager writes,

> I've heard it said that Shakespeare has only two truly evil characters:
> Iago and Richard III.  Have you ever considered the parallels between
> RIII and Hitler (both took power over a strong nation after their side
> suffered defeat only to eventually suffer death in an even greater
> defeat) and Iago and Bin-Laden (neither wish recognized power for
> themselves but work undercover to inflict great damage on a hated enemy:
> Othello and US).

I don’t wish to be excessively nit-picky, but I just don’t see the
parallel of R III and Hitler, especially as regards taking power “after
their side suffered a defeat.” Hitler was one of those charismatic
figures (with paranoid and megalomaniac tendencies) that turn up
periodically. Bin-Laden appears to be one of them, too. Richard was a
younger son with a known capacity for courage and intense family loyalty
and no special personality quirks. Shakespeare, of course, attributes a
lot of un-historical qualities to him (following the Tudor myth), and
these have a few features in common with the historical Hitler. But the
tenor is quite different. The Hitler / Bin Laden types have a Great
Cause in hand, think of themselves as Great, even Holy, Men, and
consider themselves to be doing Great Good for others, the world, and
(if believers) God. Shakespeare’s Richard is doing it all for himself,
and having a whale of time in the process.

Cheers,
don

_______________________________________________________________
S H A K S P E R: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List
Hardy M. Cook, editor@ws.bowiestate.edu
The S H A K S P E R Webpage <http://ws.bowiestate.edu>

DISCLAIMER: Although SHAKSPER is a moderated discussion list, the
opinions expressed on it are the sole property of the poster, and the
editor assumes no responsibility for them.


about SHAKSPER | current postings | submitted papers | browse SHAKSPER | search SHAKSPER
  
Copyright © 2002, Hardy M. Cook, design by Eric Luhrs. All rights reserved.