Othello 5

'Othello is a study into the potency of evil' Discuss this view of the play, paying careful attention to Iago's motives and destructive achievements (you should concerntrate on Act III Scene III though you will have to relate it to other parts of the play). Potent in its literal sense means powerful. This essay therefore is based on a statement saying that the play is a study into the power of evil. Evil is conveyed …

…his evil. The play shows how someone you would not expect to be evil, may in fact be. There is very much a moral implication within the play, and evil manages to do great damage throughout the play to almost everyone who is acquainted with Iago. The story takes place in only a matter of days really, and this shows how fast evil can work. Othello truly is a 'study in the potency of evil'.