Character of Roderigo in Othello

In those opening lines, Roderigo's friendship with Iago and his trust of the other man are apparent. He makes reference to how close the two have been in his opening lines:

Tush, never tell me! I take it much unkindly That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this (I.i.1-3).

This is also where Iago expresses his hatred of Othello and gives a reason--Othello has passed him over for promotion:

. . . Three great ones of the city,

In personal suit to make me his lieutenant, Offcapp'd to him; and, by the faith of man, I know my price, I am worth no worse a place. But he, as loving his own pride

. . .
ly to ourselves: 'Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners (I.iii.361-363). There are no lengths to which he would not go in being his own gardener, in nurturing his own ambitions. He sees himself as the master of his own fate, but he does so in a way that denies the validity of all moral precepts which might control how one goes about achieving that fate: Come, be a man! Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind puppies (I.iii.378-379). It is also evident that Iago is a good judge of character and that he sees the weak point in others, as he shows now with Roderigo as he makes use of the latter's love for Desdemona and his belief in the power of money. Roderigo would like to believe that Othello and Desdemona are a temporary alliance and not a deep-felt love, so that is what Iago tells him: These Moors are changeable in their wills. . . The food that to him now is as luscious as locusts shall be to him shortly as bitter as coloquintida (I.iii.389-392). Iago repeats again and again, in different ways, that Roderigo should fill his purse with money, as if this would be the way to succeed with Desdemona. We see in these passages that Roderigo is suscepti
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Approximate Word count = 2789
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)

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