The term “antagonist” comes from the Greek word antagonistēs, which means “opponent,” “competitor,” or “rival.”. Iago, from William Shakespeare's Othello, is the absolute definition of a Manipulative Bastard and the inspiration for many other entries on this list. - Contact Us - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions, Definition and Examples of Literary Terms. Generally, an antagonist appears as a foil to the main character, embodying qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of the main character. She's also a YouTube star.â¦â Later, the conflict is resolved with the defeat of the antagonist; or, as in tragedies, with the downfall of the protagonist. All Rights Reserved. Through his evil schemes, Iago convinces Othello that his wife has been cheating on him, and even convinces him to kill his own wife despite her being faithful to him. In other words, every man’s antagonist exists within himself. Professional academic writers. He knows that Roderigo lusts after Desdemona and is angry to learn that she is married Othello. Databases for Academic Institutions. (Obviously it was a coveted role.) The antagonist opposes the protagonist in his endeavors, and thus the conflict ensues. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 62: 141â152. If you need professional help with completing any kind of homework, Online Essay Help is ⦠Our global writing staff includes experienced ENL & ESL academic writers in a variety of disciplines. It was first published in 1846 in a womenâs magazine named Godeyâs Ladyâs Book, a hugely popular magazine in the US in the mid-nineteenth century. It is common to refer to an antagonist as a villain (the bad guy), against whom a Hero (the good guy) fights in order to save himself or others. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The quote also reinforces the fact that Iago has complete control over Othello at this point, since Othello immediately agrees to the gruesome plan. Coplan A (2004) Empathic engagement with narrative fictions. Ewell keeps on following Atticus, Judge Taylor, and Helen Robinson – even after the case is finished – and goes to the extent that he almost kills the Finch kids. Iago stands as one of the most notorious villains of all time, having spent all of his time plotting against Othello, the protagonist, and his wife Desdemona. The quote shows that from the moment the action begins, Iago is already looking for ways to bring about Othello’s downfall. Iago encourages Roderigo to believe that by participating in Iago’s plot, he might have the chance to have an affair with Desdemona. Poulson C, Duncan J, Massie M (2005) âI am not what I amâ â Destructive emotions in an organizational hierarchy: the case of Othello and Iago. Research on Emotions in Organizations, 1, 211â240. As a trusted confidante, he is able to sway Othello’s opinion and manipulate him much more effectively. Hardly a thumb-sucking political analysis goes by without allusion to one of the 37 canonical plays, ... perhaps only Iago, who does not deny it. Research databases are key resources for every college or university library. Being convinced that Mayella may have been guilty of committing a crime, Ewell is bent on making sure that someone else gets the punishment. Consider the behaviour of Othello in Shakespeareâs play of the same name. This quote shows Iago’s skill at psychological manipulation: he subtly plants a seed of doubt in Othello’s mind, using the couple’s own love as a weapon to increase the distrust between them. Bob Ewell is a malicious antagonist in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird. He points out that Desdemona demonstrably has the capacity to lie and keep secrets since she hid her courtship with Othello from her disapproving father. Get your assignment help services from professionals. Consider the âmotiveless malignityâ of Iago, perhaps Shakespeareâs finest villain, who offers a number of potential motives for wanting to destroy the lives of Othello and Desdemona, and in doing so reveals that he very probably doesnât have a real motive â other than wishing to cause trouble for the hell of it.. In defense of Boo over the killing of Bob Ewell, Heck Tate said: “To my way of thinkin’, Mr Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great favour an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight – to me, that’s a sin. (The magazine had published one of Poeâs earliest stories, âThe Visionaryâ, twelve⦠Antigone, the protagonist, struggles against King Creon, the antagonist, in her effort to give her brother a respectable burial. Shakespeare was using a traditional Christian theatre character called a Vice, who was always scheming and bragging to the audience. In some cases, an antagonist may exist within the protagonist that causes an inner conflict or a moral conflict inside his mind. Iago makes this comment to Othello as a way of refuting Othello’s insistence that Desdemona is honest and would not lie to him. Shakespeareâs Hamlet is often seen as a text that looks forward, anticipating some of the psychological dilemmas of modern existence in its depiction of the young princeâs morbid self-consciousness. Copyright © 2021 Literary Devices. 534 Likes, 9 Comments - University of Rochester (@urochester) on Instagram: âRochester graduate Emma Chang â20 is a classically trained musician. Here Iago orchestrates even the way in which Desdemona will be killed. Although everyone, including Othello, believes that Iago is a loyal and devoted friend, Iago understands the strategic advantage that false friendship gives him. The presence of an antagonist alongside a protagonist is vital for the typical formula of a plot. The tragedy, however, is that she has not: Desdemona is innocent, she loves Othello and is faithful to him. Another example of an antagonist is the character of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello. A commentary on a classic Poe story âThe Cask of Amontilladoâ is one of Poeâs shorter classic tales. Conflict is a basic element of any plot. This quote is one of the few moments where Iago explains his possible motivation for being obsessed with destroying Othello. Through his evil designs, Creon tries to hamper her in this attempt by announcing that her brother was a traitor, and decreeing that “he must be left to the elements.” This protagonist-antagonist conflict becomes the theme of this tragedy. Although everyone, including Othello, believes that Iago is a loyal and devoted friend, Iago understands the strategic advantage that false friendship gives him. Here Iago explains how Roderigo can help him. Here, the function of the antagonist is to obstruct the main character’s progress, through evil plots and actions. We apologize for the inconvenience, but you may be able to find it instead through your library resources. In his novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the theme of doppelganger in which Hyde is not only an evil double of the honorable Dr. Jekyll, but his antagonist. It’s a sin and I’m not about to have it on my head. Othello kills Desdemona in the belief, induced by Iago, that she has been unfaithful to him. In literature, an antagonist is a character, or a group of characters, which stands in opposition to the Protagonist, which is the main character. Iago says this line to Roderigo at the start of the play as he explains that he secretly hates Othello and is plotting against him. He claims that there are rumors Othello has had an affair with Emilia, which would be a plausible reason for wanting to destroy Othello’s trust in his own wife. When Christopher Plummer appeared at the Ahmanson Theatre in âA Word or Two,â his costar was a mountain of books. Iago says this line to Roderigo at the start of the play as he explains that he secretly hates Othello and is plotting against him. The protagonist struggles against the antagonist, taking the plot to a climax. However, Iago only mentions this motivation very briefly, and it does not seem to fully explain the depth of his hatred toward Othello. A classical example of an antagonist is that of King Creon in Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone. The quote shows Iago’s desire to control every aspect of how his plan will unfold, and also his sinister sense of poetic justice. A review of theoretical, research, and analysis of the validation of literature on the effect constructs on GN provides a variety of insights into this psychological condition affecting humans shows taxonomic and phenotypic inconsistencies as are discussed in the following. But not this man, Mr. Finch.”. Cheap essay writing sercice. 5. Example #2: Othello (By William Shakespeare) Another example of an antagonist is the character of Iago in Shakespeareâs Othello.Iago stands as one of the most notorious villains of all time, having spent all of his time plotting against Othello, the protagonist, and his wife Desdemona.Through his evil schemes, Iago convinces Othello that his wife has been cheating ⦠He was delighted to be in such excellent company. Hyde is the manifestation of the evil that existed in the honorable Dr. Jekyll. You may have reached this page because the site or link you have tried to access no longer exists. Whether completing a dissertation or working on a freshman-level humanities project, students will benefit from the depth and breadth of scholarly, full-text content within our databases as well as ease of access and search functionality. He separated his “evil-self” and gave him a separate identity, thus inventing his own antagonist who, as a result, brings his downfall. Jekyll creates Hyde by a series of scientific experiments in order to prove his statement: He means that a human soul is a mixture of evil and good. This lets us find the ⦠The thing that separates Iago from other antagonists is that we do not really know why he wants to destroy Othello. If it was any other man, it’d be different. This inner conflict is a major theme of many literary works, such as Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, and A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce. Critics including Coleridge, Marx and Freud have found in the play the key to their own understanding of their world, and directors throughout the 20th century have ⦠He argues that since Desdemona has committed her crimes in bed, by sleeping with other men, she should also die in bed. Well-known as a respectable Victorian gentleman, Jekyll could never have fulfilled his evil desires.