Mordred, the principal villain in Le Morte Darthur was King Arthur’s nephew and illegitimate son, who betrayed him and contributed to the demise of his Camelot reign. The story concerns rivalry, retribution, and jealousy, and the book generally supports and promotes the chivalry and honor ideals, although these principles are frequently contrasted with the demeanor of numerous knights who exhibit poor adherence to them. Othello, on the other hand, is a drama about betrayal, love, murder, and deception, with Iago, among Shakespeare’s main villains, duping a Venetian army commander into thinking his new bride is unfaithful to him. Iago goes insane, and numerous men die as a result of his falsehoods and deception. A major villain appears in both Motre Darthur’s and Othello’s tales. Mordred is in Motre Darthur, while Iago is in Othello. Jealousy and betrayal are present in both stories.
Both Le Motre Darthur and Othello’s antagonists are driven by jealousy, which leads to killing in the end. Jealousy is a major subject in Othello. From the story’s outset, the protagonists are bursting with jealousy. Roderigo portrays envy towards Othello, whereas Iago shows envy towards Cassio. Iago’s influence is powerful enough to continue the jealousy and raises Othello’s misgivings about Desdemona. Iago’s evil and rage ruin Othello’s happiness and Desdemona’s relationship. The mistrust grows, culminating in the assassinations of Emilia, Roderigo, and Desdemona, as well as Othello’s death. Iago must also deal with the tragedy in his own life. In truth, Iago’s evilness inspires Roderigo’s jealousy and Othello’s misgivings of his own innocent wife, Desdemona. In the drama, Iago posits, “O sir, content you./I follow him to serve my turn upon him./We cannot all be masters, nor all masters/Cannot be truly followed.” (Shakespeare 112). The scenario in the play comes to a sad conclusion owing to this. Hence, this aspect demonstrates how jealousy emerges and grows damaging the characters’ lives. Similarly, envy and treachery drive the Round Table to collapse in Le Morte d’Arthur. In the book, Lancelot’s romance with Guinevere provides a chance for Arthur’s court’s envious knights. “This is no wisdom nor no stability, but feebleness of nature and great disworship, whoever useth this,” Malory says, referring to the fellowship’s role in Arthur’s court’s downfall (Malory 444). Mordred capitalizes on Arthur’s fascination with Lancelot and Guinevere, his queen, and seizes Arthur’s throne while Gawain and Arthur are hunting Lancelot. Jealousy, hatred, and treachery undoubtedly contributed to the Round Table’s collapse.
In each of their respective literature, Mordred and Iago represent evil-mindedness. The Orkeney brothers (Mordred and Aggravain) in Le Motre Darthur become split between those wanting to disclose Lancelot and Guinevere’s adultery and those that do not (Gareth, Gaherys, and Gawain). The advice is significant because of its wicked motives. Mordred and Aggravain desire Lancelot’s exposure not for the kingdom’s benefit, but to the disadvantage of Lancelot. Moreover, this nefarious advice is being given in Arthur’s living quarters. If only Arthur’s influence was substantially diminished could a plan against his spouse and favored knight be carried out without his awareness in his private abode. Gawain declines to be a part of Aggravain and Mordred’s scheme, disputing them rationally and reiterating the ‘counsel’ word thrice. “Brothir, sir Aggravayne, I pray you and charge you, meve no such maters no more afore me, for wyte you well, I woll nat be of youre counceyle,” she says at one point (Malory 448). These words demonstrate that she is uninterested in their devious schemes. Iago, on the other hand, establishes himself as evil-minded from the beginning of the play Othello. Iago is displeased by Cassio’s elevation to military lieutenant and his proximity to Othello, the army’s general. He is disgruntled and believes he is being unfairly treated. He then begins to concoct a scheme to assassinate Cassio. Simultaneously, Roderigo is used as a tool in his diabolical scheme. Roderigo is in full sorrow after failing to win Desdemona’s hand in marriage. Roderigo is saddened when Othello surreptitiously marries Desdemona without Brobantio, Desdemona’s father, knowing. Despite Roderigo facing Desdemona’s rejection, he has feelings for her. He is envious of the romance between Desdemona and Othello. “Call up her father; Rouse him, make a! er him, poison his delight, Do; with like timorous accent and dire yell,” Iago says, encouraging Roderigo to disturb their bond by noting it to Brobantio at night (Shakespeare 9). Iago wants to end Desdemona’s and Othello’s relationship. As a result, he believes that alerting Brobantio is the best option. Iago is using Roderigo for this assignment. Thus, in both Le Motre Darthur and Othello, the protagonists reflect their wicked natures in this way.
Both Othello and Le Motre Dathur have a strong betrayal element. The betrayal theme has an impact on several of the individuals in Othello. Both Rodrigo and Othello suffer a terrible betrayal at Iago’s sinister hands. Iago’s betrayal of General Othello occurs through his attempts to destroy his connection with Desdemona via a series of deceitful activities intended to exact vengeance on Othello for failing to promote him to Lieutenant. Rodrigo faces Iago’s betrayal by using his great passion for Desdemona against him, and by manipulating and eventually betraying Rodrigo’s intransigence. Just as a rumor circulated of Iago’s cuckoldry owing to his wife’s supposed adultery, he weaves a fresh web of deception. “If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself pleasure, me a sport,” Iago says (Shakespeare 17). This figure dupes Othello into trusting him over Desdemona which ends up being Othello’s worst blunder. The other characters make the error of putting their faith in Iago leading to their demise. In Le Morte D’Arthur, there is also a great deal of betrayal. The betrayal topic encompasses not just knights betraying their monarchs and spouses betraying their spouses, but also household betrayal. As far as Mordred’s betrayal is concerned, it was extremely terrible. He deceived not just his father, but he also perished at his father’s hands as a result of it. In the end, there was betrayal in both Lancelot’s, Gwenyvere’s, and Arthur’s relationships, as well as Trystrames’, King Mark’s, and Isoud’s. The narrator notes, “Lo thus was the olde custom and usayges of thys londe, and men say that we of thys londe have nat yet loste that custom.” (Malory 495). The narrator faults “usayges” and “custom” for the people’s rejection of Arthur in preference for Mordred in this quotation. Evidently, in both texts, betrayal has disastrous consequences.
To summarize, both Motre Darthur’s and Othello’s stories have main villains. Iago is in Othello, whereas Mordred is in Le Motre Darthur. Both stories contain elements of jealousy and betrayal. For their own benefit, the two characters damage the lives of others, but this takes a toll on their own lives as well. Altogether, the texts allow viewers to gain a new perspective on the persons around them and to explore and experience the world in new ways as reflected in the characters’ actions, as well as the consequences of permitting such evil to the detriment of self and others.
Works Cited
Malory, Thomas. Le Morte D’Arthur: Volume 2. Penguin UK, 2004.
Shakespeare, William. Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. Vol. 31. B. Tauchnitz, 1868.