TARTUFFE AND IAGO
Shortcuts are dangerous! But for villains like Tartuffe and Iago this saying is nothing but a mere sentence. A villain is usually the character who detests the protagonist and thus tries to cause the downfall of him or her. Iago is the villain of Othello whilst Tartuffe is the villain of the story, Tartuffe. Villains have a lot in common and this can be seen from the ways both Shakespeare and Moliere portray their characters. But like most villains, their greedy quest for power and wealth leads to their downfall.
Tartuffe and Iago are classified as villains because of their participation in causing the downfall of the heroes. Most villains find the weak points of the protagonists and use it against them. Tartuffe takes advantage of Orgon because of his irresponsible nature and how vulnerable he was. Orgon cares for Tartuffe more than he does for his wife and household and these statements clearly points that out: “You don’t know of whom you speak”. “There has been no loftier soul since time began. “He is a man who… a man who… an excellent man”. This statement shows how much Orgon cherishes Tartuffe. Iago on the other hand sorts for the downfall of Othello because he fells betrayed due to the fact that Othello chose Michael Cassio as his lieutenant instead of him. In a conversation with Roderigo Iago said, “I follow him to serve my turn upon him. “In following him, I follow but myself”. Iago is only following Othello because he wants to become a general and to become a general; he has to eliminate Othello and Michael Cassio. With this notion of getting what they want in mind, the villains will stop at nothing than to cause the downfall of the protagonist at all cost.
To carry out their plans without being caught, villains try to gain the trust of the people around them, especially the protagonist and to achieve this they hide their true characters. Tartuffe disguises himself as a holy and noble person and thus has gained the attention and trust of Orgon and his mother (Madame Pernelle). Cleante on the other hand see’s through Tartuffe’s character and in an interrogation with him made this comment, “Were you commanded, Sir, to indulge the whim of poor Orgon and to encourage in suddenly transferring to your name a large state to which you have no claim”. Iago’s case is no different than that of Tartuffe. He also appears as an honest and trustworthy man. He is trusted by every single person around him. Othello said “Your honesty has no end, oh honest Iago” and Cassio said “Truly you are the most honest person I’ve ever known”. These quotes show the intensity of the trust the people have for Iago. Due to the intensity of trust the people have for Iago, it is no surprise that Othello bought his lie about Desdemona cheating on him with Cassio. With these disguises, the villains are able to convince almost everybody and therefore are not suspected at all to be the cause of the downfall of the protagonist till the very end when the cat is finally let out of the bag. That is when their true characters are revealed which leaves everyone in a state of great shock.
One of the greatest strengths that villains possess is their ability to manipulate the people around them. They take advantage of the trust the people have for them and manipulate them. Tartuffe is able to convince Orgon and his mother to allow him to stay in their house and later talks Orgon into giving him his daughter to marry as well as his entire wealth. This statement from Madame Pernelle “whatever he reproves deserves reproof”, he’s out to save your souls and all of you” shows that she trusted Tartuffe with all her heart and this statement by Orgon “Oh, had you seen Tartuffe as I first knew him, your heart, like mine, would have surrendered to him” shows how deeply manipulated he had been. Madame Pernelle and Orgon are deeply influenced by the nobility of Tartuffe. They trust him so much that they would not even listen to what others would say about him. Iago on the other hand is also able to manipulate everybody around him; which includes Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio, Roderigo and even Othello. He convinces Roderigo to help him execute his plans claiming he would talk to Desdemona into falling for him. He also manipulated and convinced Othello to believe that his wife, Desdemona was cheating on him with his former Lieutenant, Michael Cassio. It was hard not to believe Iago because they thought know him to be a very honest person and also because he gives Othello vital evidences to prove everything thing he was saying. Othello, “Henceforth, thou art my Lieutenant”. This statement shows the extent to which Othello began to trust Iago. Othello ends up making Iago his Lieutenant and later killing his own wife. Without the trust of the people and also the manipulating them, the villains would not have even got close to bringing down the protagonist.
There is a saying that what goes around comes around. Even though most villains succeed in causing the downfall of the heroes, they end up falling from grace to grass themselves. Tartuffe, after almost amassing the entire wealth of Orgon got arrested by special orders from the King of France. Meanwhile Iago is also arrested, after killing Roderigo and causing the deaths of Othello and Desdemona. These villains suffered their tragic fate because they sort for easy ways of achieving their goals, but life can never be cheated and one who tries to cheat life ends up cheating nobody but himself.
