Roderigo

            If there is one character in Shakespeare’s Othello that I felt sorry for, it was the character Roderigo. Through the entire play Roderigo appeared as no more than a pawn in Iago’s game. Iago used Roderigo’s affection for Desdemona to manipulate him. I thought it was so sad that this poor guy wanted to win the heart of Desdemona so bad that he would turn to a guy like Iago, who clearly used people for his own gain throughout the entire play. Roderigo appeared as sort of a pathetic, lovesick guy who couldn’t pursue Desdemona for himself but hired someone else to do it for him. It kind of shined a light onto Roderigo character’s because I feel sorry for him but at the same time I am thinking is he the type of character that is made up to believe that everything can be bought with his money. I feel sorry for Roderigo but also I questioned his character a lot because I asked myself a lot while reading the play, “Does he really think he can just buy Desdemona affection?”

            I am at odds about the character of Roderigo because I don’t know if he is just naïve or just not all that bright because of Iago’s manipulation of him. He appeared to believe whatever Iago told him. Even when he tried to end his pursuit of Desdemona, Iago persuaded him to keep trying to win over Desdemona. He appeared to be foolish because of this in the play because he doesn’t really question Iago intentions. He continued his pursuit of Desdemona but without questioning, “Is Iago simply helping because of the money?” At least by the end of the play, Roderigo appeared to have a little doubt about Iago’s intention because he had written letters explaining the truth about Iago’s plot. It revealed that Roderigo wasn’t as naïve or dimwitted as I might have thought because he was smart enough to write down everything that had gone on with Iago. I often wonder that maybe Roderigo’s feelings for Desdemona were genuinely strong to the point where he didn’t want to give up pursuit of her because he did after all risked his life getting into fights and was willing to murder in his pursuit of her. It made me think that Roderigo was just this poor guy who got caught up in an evil plot by Iago because of his love for Desdemona.