A friendship is not always what it is made out to be. Sometimes, the perceived level of security a friendship gives is false. This ‘false friendship’ is portrayed explicitly in William Shakespeare’s “Othello.” Superficially, Roderigo and Iago are friends. In reality, Iago is using Roderigo to seek revenge on Othello and they are in fact, not friends. Iago’s jealousy of power and love consumes him into using his apparent friend for his own personal gain. In these relationships, there is always a stronger person who uses a weaker person’s need for a friend, to achieve their desired goals. It is evident just by looking at the amount of lines Iago has, that he is much stronger, where Roderigo only listens, and follows the shepherd.By Act II, Scene iii, it is evident that Roderigo is inferior to Iago because he latches onto Iago, who has a much stronger character. It is also evident that their friendship is false. He does not realize that he is being used for Iago’s personal gain. Roderigo admits he is weaker than everyone and that he has lost all patience and motivation to go on: “not like a hound that hunts…almost spent” (II, iii, 363-5). Iago immediately turns Roderigo around by saying he is poor because he has no “patience” (II, iii, 370). Roderigo feels as if he is being used but Iago always talks him into seeing a just cause for his actions: “And thou by that small hurt…first will first be ripe” (II, iii, 375-7). Iago is using Roderigo’s love for Desdemona to keep him motivated. He uses food imagery to say that soon Roderigo’s hunger for love will be fulfilled soon, and he only needs to take hold of patience. He says that now that Cassio is out of the way, Roderigo has a straight line to get to Desdemona. But what Iago really wants is for Cassio to be removed of his rank and Iago can take his place and gain powe...
