Comparing Othello and Canterbury Tales Essay - 1160 Words

Comparing Othello and Canterbury Tales The use of manipulation and misleading for personal gain has proved to be successful for many people throughout history. Famous poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, and famous play writer, William Shakespeare, illustrate characters who possess these manipulating qualities in their personalities. Geoffrey Chaucer’s Pardoner, from The Canterbury Tales, and William Shakespeare’s Iago, from Othello, are good examples deceiving characters. These literary figures manipulating techniques are very effective on the other characters in Chaucer’s and Shakespeare’s works. Iago’s main motivation for his manipulation is his hatred of the main character, Othello. Iagos reasons for his hatred of†¦show more content†¦Othello must feel that same horrible jealousy that Iago feels. Iago has a very effective way with words. When Desdemona, Iago, and Iagos wife, Emilia, arrive in Cyprus, Cassio welcomes Emilia with a kiss, then says to Iago, â€Å"Let it not gall your patience, good Iago, That I extend my manners. ‘Tis my breeding That gives me this bold show of courtesy† (2.1.97-99). Cassio is making a big point of what a charmer he is, but Iago shoots him down by saying, â€Å"Sir, would she give you so much of her lips as of her tongue she oft bestows on me, you would have enough† (2.1.100-102). Hes saying that if Emilia kissed Cassio as much as she nags Iago, Cassio would have more than enough kissing. This apparently casual devaluation of Emilia and her kisses is a deception; a little later we learn that Iago is intensely jealous and suspects Cassio of having an affair with Emilia. Also, Iago convinces Cassio that the best way to get his job back is to appeal to Desdemona, then sends him off. Alone on stage, Iago asks us why we think hes a villain, since his advice to Cassio is free and honest, and after all he is called â€Å"honest Iago.† Answering his own question, he comments, â€Å"When devils will the blackest sins put on, They do suggest at first with heavenly shows, as I do now.† (2.3.351-353). Iago knows that he is a devilish hypocrite, but he seems to beShow MoreRelated Contradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Essay3897 Words   |  16 PagesContradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales There is no question that contradictory values make up a major component of The Canterbury Tales. Fate vs. Fortuna, knowledge vs. experience and love vs. hate all embody Chaucers famous work. These contrasting themes are an integral part of the complexity and sophistication of the book, as they provide for an ironic dichotomy to the creative plot development and undermine the superficial assumptions that might be made. The combination of completelyRead MoreStudy Guide Literary Terms7657 Words   |  31 Pagesthe pursuit of justice is no virtue. Barry Goldwater *Brutus: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar 14. Anecdote A very short tale told by a character in a literary work. In Chaucers Canterbury Tales, The Millers Tale and The Carpenters Tale are examples a short account of a particular incident or event of an interesting or amusing nature, often biographical 15. antagonist- A person or force which opposes the protagonist