Othello And Much Ado About Nothing Essay

, Research Paper

The two villains in ?Much Ado About Nothing? and ?Othello? share much in

common, despite their numerous differences. It is evident that Shakespeare

framed the second piece of literature to be similar to the first. Although

shorter, the plot of ?Othello? is definitely more complex. The villains play

a major part in the novels, and are very much alike in their line of thinking.

The comedy, ?Much Ado About Nothing? depicts the story of a group of

high-ranking soldiers who travel through a town called Messina. They had been to

the town before, and this time Claudio confesses his love for the governor?s

daughter, Hero. Because Leonato is so fond of Claudio, the wedding is set to be

a few days away. This gives Don John, Claudio?s bastard brother, a chance to

show his true hatred for Claudio. He comes up with a scheme to make Claudio

think that Hero is cheating by dressing Margaret in her clothing and perching

her near the window with another man. When Claudio sees this, he says that he

will humiliate Hero instead of marrying her. The next day Claudio does exactly

as he had said, degrading Hero in front of all her family and friends. Because

she did not cheat on him, she did not expect that kind of reaction. She is so

dejected that she faints, and everyone assumes she is dead. Eventually Borrachio

is overheard talking about Don John?s plan, and Don John is arrested. Later

Claudio learns that Hero is not actually dead, and they are finally married. ?Othello??s

Iago is very much similar to Don John. He wants to get revenge on Othello for

not being chosen as lieutenant and also suspects that Othello has slept with

Emilia. Somehow Iago manages to manipulate Othello into thinking that Desdemona

cheated on him. When he demands that she show him the handkerchief he had given

her, and she does not, he is convinced that she is being unfaithful. This is

when he decides that he must kill her. Later in the novel Othello suffocates

Desdemona out of jealousy. The villains of both novels contain an unusually

large number of similarities. Both Don John and Iago are determined to break up

the key relationships of the two novels. Iago tricks Othello for revenge, Don

John out of sheer hatred for Claudio. The bastard brother goes through a period

where he acts very pleasant toward Claudio, and Iago seems to be the ally of

Othello throughout the entire piece. Both Don John and Othello used unsuspecting

women to break up the main characters. Don John used Margaret and Iago used

Emilia. Finally, both villains are strong egotists. Don John shows it in the way

that he does not interact with the other characters. Iago believes that Othello

is much too trusting, and respects no one but himself. Although Shakespeare

meant to create these two evil characters alike, there are a few differences

between them. Don John set up Claudio using other people to convince him. I go

used his manipulative speaking and wits, along with Othello?s gullible nature

to convince him. Don John and Iago caused the two main characters to take

different methods of revenge on their women. Othello killed Desdemona in a

jealous rage, whereas Claudio merely humiliated Hero. Iago seeks revenge on

Othello for two reasons: he suspects Othello slept with Emilia, and he also

despises Othello for choosing Cassio as lieutenant instead of him. One final and

resounding difference between Don John and Iago has to do with the past of each

character. Shakespeare portrays Iago as an intelligent and sometimes caring

character until Othello supposedly wrongs him. On the other hand, Don John has

more of an evil aura about him, and shows his hatred for Claudio right from the

start. Overall, the characters of Don John and Iago are very similar, although

the latter is much more intelligent and complex. These two men are what draw the

reader?s attention to the novel, and share so much in common that the two

seemingly unrelated works are read in tandem constantly.

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