Rodrigo

Rodrigo is a character that Christopher Moore takes Shakespeare's play, '*Othello*'. He is Venetian soldier and is under command by Iago, not only during war but also in the plot to ruin Othello and Desdemona. Rodrigo's role in the plot to destroy Othello and Desdemona makes him one of the auxiliary antagonists in the novel.

## Overview

Iago uses Rodrigo as a tool in his elaborate plan to destroy Othello. Rodrigo has ill intentions toward Othello because he feels that he stole Desdemona away from him. Rodrigo sees Iago as a good friend for trying to help bring Desdemona and Rodrigo together, while getting rid of Othello. Iago is able to easily manipulate Rodrigo from the trust he gains.

## Characterization

Rodrigo is a very manipulable character. We see this in both *The Serpent of Venice* and in *Othello*. Willing to do anything that Iago plans for him to do. Even with Rodrigo being an antagonist, the audience is given a personality quite different than that. Other than being head over heels in love with a woman that he will do anything for, Rodrigo is a honest and kind character. In the character introductions of *Othello* Rodrigo is described as "a gulled gentleman", implying that he is nice at heart but can be easily tricked. He never mistreats anyone else and does not know the extent of Iago plan.

## Relationships

Desdemona- Rodrigo is madly in love with Desdemona but she does not really know who he is.

Iago- Rodrigo is a soldier under command of Iago and used as a tool in Iago's plan

Cassio- Rodrigo is to get in an altercation with Cassio to set the plan in motion

Nerissa- Nerissa is the person who tells Rodrigo of Othello and Desdemona's marriage

## Role in Serpent of Venice and Othello

Rodrigo, or Roderigo, has similar roles in both the novel and the play. That role is to create a wedge between Othello and Micheal Cassio, who is Othello's next in command. This wedge that is to be created by getting Cassio drunk then Rodrigo would start a fight with him. If this happens Othello would have no choice other than to demote Cassio. Which will in turn make Cassio go to Desdemona to persuade her to tell Othello that it was a mistake. Iago tells Othello that the reason for Cassio being around Othello's wife so much was that he was trying to Desdemona from him.

### Serpent of Venice

In *The Serpent of Venice*, Rodrigo first introduced when he tells Iago of the news that Brabantio has been killed. After that we don't hear a lot from him until he is approach by Iago to be apart of his plan and in return Rodrigo would get the love of Desdemona. Rodrigo's role was to get into a fight with a drunk Cassio. On the night that the encounter takes place, Iago makes Cassio drink with him then tells him that a woman, Binaca, wants to have his company for the night. On Cassio's drunken journey over to Bianca's house he is met by Rodrigo who starts a fight. As soon as the fight is about to escalate, the serpent,Viv, comes from the top of a building and decapitates Rodrigo. Leaving his headless body lying by the canal, Iago who had been following Cassio and witnessed the whole event was left speechless. Cassio continued to yell at Rodrigo's body because of his drunk state of mind.

### Othello

In *Othello*, Rodrigo's role is very similar. He his still to get into a fight with Cassio, only Rodrigo is not killed in the attack but instead is wounded by Iago. Iago wounds Rodrigo because he needed more evidence that Cassio acted maliciously toward Rodrigo so Othello would see more severity in the situation.

## References

1. Moore, Christopher. *The Serpent of Venice: A Novel*. New York: Harper Collins, 2014. Print.
2. Shakespeare, William, and Edward Pechter. Othello: Authoritative Text, Sources and Contexts,

Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. Print.