This research paper compares the character of Iago in William Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello" and in Ann-Marie MacDonald's 1988 comedy "Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)." To better understand the similarities and differences in both plays, a brief description of each needs to be given. There is no doubt that "Othello" is a tragedy of intrigue in spite of the fact that it contains many of the elements of Shakespearean comedies -- the central theme of love, the conflicts between men and women, and the handkerchief, of course, may be seen as a comedic prop.
During the course of Shakespeare's play, Iago commits a series of wicked and deceitful acts that culminate in violence. Iago is an ensign to the general Othello, a black Moor who is serving under the Venetian Senate. He becomes jealous when Cassio is promoted to lieutenant instead of him. He also develops an unreasonable suspicion that Othello has had an affair with his wife, Emilia. For these reasons, Iago decides to seek revenge by ruining Othello's happy marriage to Desdemona. He manipulates the fool Roderigo, who has been jilted by Desdemona, into aiding him. Iago's sense of inflated superiority is shown when he calls Roderigo "this poor trash of Venice" (II.i.291), a phrase that reduces Roderigo to an inferior thing to be manipulated at will.
Iago further manipulates Othello into believing that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. In this way, he tricks Othello into murdering his own wife. During the course of the play, Iago kills both Roderigo and Emilia in order to prevent them from telling the truth about his deceit. He also succeeds in getting Othello to murder Desdemona, thereby destroying the Moor.
In MacDonald's play the central character is Constance Ledbelly, an associate professor whose research involves trying to decipher an arcane text that she believes may have been the source for Shakespeare's "Othello" and "Romeo and Juliet." Const...