Iago

Iago’s plan at the end of Act One is to somehow persuade Othello that Cassio is sleeping with his wife. He explains that Cassio is easy to be jealous of, that he has an appearance and a personality that women would be drawn to, and that he is a man Othello would quickly believe had captured his wife’s affections. Because Cassio is attractive and because he holds the position Iago himself wants, convincing Othello that Cassio has cuckolded him will serve the double purpose of humiliating and disgracing Othello while freeing up the lieutenant’s position for Iago to fill.

There is much evidence to suggest that Iago will indeed succeed in his endeavor. The first piece of evidence is his wit, evidenced with his quick rhymes displayed for Desdemona and Emilia at a whim (pages 59-61). He also watches Cassio “court” Desdemona and Emilia both by kissing their hands and appearing to dote on them. Though he is only being courteous and deferent because of his high breeding, it could be interpreted by Othello that Cassio is being lecherous in his behavior. Another advantage Iago possesses is the purse and allegiance of Roderigo, both knowing and unknowing pawn in Iago’s schemes. By playing each man against the other, Iago is convincing each that they can trust him and that they cannot trust anyone else. In doing so, he is exploiting the weaknesses of those around him with great skill, and the particular faults in and situations of these men seem to be designed to give Iago a successful outcome to his plan. Iago seems to have much playing in his favor, though his wit would suggest that even without these advantages he could engineer Othello and Cassio’s downfalls.

Vader's Bastard vs. Hygelac's Nephew

While there are many differences between the two men Luke Skywalker and Beowulf, there are underlying ties that bridge star systems and eons to link the two heroes inextricably. But the differences are pretty important too. Beowulf is far superior physically to Luke, and would probably dwarf him considerably, after outweighing him by several hundred pounds of muscle. Beowulf is renowned as having immense strength, and proves this in the fight with Grendel, whereas Luke is a shrimp, to put it bluntly, and uses skill more than brute force to accomplish his goals.

The upbringings of the two heroes differ greatly as well. Luke is raised as a farmhand, with limited means of improving his heroic capabilities. He can practice flying ships, and does, but his skills in combat have no means of improvement or even testing until he receives the light saber from Obi-wan. Beowulf, by contrast, has a heroic upbringing, or at least a means of accentuating his skills is implied by the height of said skills in his combat with Grendel. Beowulf is a born hero, descended from heroes, while Luke is a reluctant hero born (seemingly) from simple farm folk.

Beowulf is also ready to fight all the time, every time. He never shies from a fight and is even willing to fight Grendel with a great handicap, completely without weapons or shield. He also seeks out challenge, volunteering to fight Grendel without being asked. Luke is the opposite, a reluctant farm boy who only joins the struggle against the empire with much prodding. Beowulf seeks out danger, while Luke must be pressed to enter it.

However, despite these differences, Luke and Beowulf share many qualities. They are heroes with great skill, with a sword and shield or a light saber and spaceship. They are asked to perform great feats, and they perform them, saving many lives in the process. They stand, often unaided, against great foes, and their skill and fate's gentle hand guide them to victory time and time again. These threads of heroism tie their lives together despite the great differences in setting and character between the two stories.

Wiglaf

Wiglaf is a very compelling character in the story of Beowulf because he represents at the same time a man less than Beowulf, a man equal in stature and bravery to Beowulf, and a man with qualities that transcend Beowulf, or at least the character described in the epic.

We meet Wiglaf when he joins the fight against the dragon to defend Beowulf. We first see him as a man less than Beowulf, a thane of the great king who is subordinate and therefore presumably less skilled or less influential than Beowulf. He remains the only thane to back Beowulf in the fight, and yet he is still the subordinate of the King and so is seen as a lesser man.

During the fight, Wiglaf holds his own and is able to strike the dragon and dull its fiery breath’s potency. Here we see Wiglaf as Beowulf’s equal, a man brave in combat and equally skilled with the blade. While Beowulf strikes the killing blow, it is clear that the battle would have been lost without the assistance of Wiglaf and the two men seem to share in the burden and honor of slaying the beast.

After the fight we see Wiglaf as a man that transcends, or at least breaks apart from, the hero that is Beowulf. Wiglaf is respectful and diligent towards his dying king, following orders to the end and attempting to save Beowulf from the poison that consumes him. He fetches treasure for Beowulf, showing his ability to be both a messenger and slayer of dragons, a dual role that Beowulf would never be capable of. Wiglaf also assures that Beowulf’s final demands are met after his death, showing his utmost respect for tradition and for the king that just recently ruled over him. The multiple roles Wiglaf is allowed to and is capable of playing show that he has heroic qualities that are at the very least different from those displayed in the protagonist Beowulf.