<p>Sample Thesis Statements: 1. Othello and Iago are two sides of the same coin. Although Othello is a Moor and Iago is not, they are both military men, who are held in high esteem by others. They both kill their wives, whom they suspect have been unfaithful. Both are driven by jealousy. The big difference is that Iago enjoys exacting revenge, while Othello struggles with it, and tries to justify it as his duty. 2. Iago is the villain of the play, and you can tell this because he enjoys hurting others. 3. Othello and Iago are similar in many ways, but there are some important differences that make Iago the villain and Othello the hero. 4. In this paper, I will argue that most critics are incorrect in their claim that Iago has no real motive. I will refute their arguments by quoting the play and showing how Iago is motivated by jealousy. Moreover, I will show that it is necessary to understand Iago as motivated by jealousy in order to see him as what he really is, a character foil for Othello. They are two men who commit very similar crimes, but we sympathize with Othello while hating Iago because they have different attitudes towards their crimes. 5. Iago is very similar to Othello in many respects, but unlike Othello, he enjoys manipulating people and making them suffer. 6. Jealousy is the heart of this play. By the time the play begins, jealousy has twisted Iago just as badly as it will eventually warp and corrupt Othello. Apparently once a good and honest soldier, Iago allows jealousy to lead him down a dark path from which he does not or cannot turn back. 7. Many critics argue that Iago has no motive, but this is not the case. Iago is clearly driven by jealousy. 8. Some critics argue that Iago has no real motive, but it is obvious from the play itself that Iago is motivated by jealousy. This paper will argue that jealousy is really the central theme of the tragedy, and that Iago is presented not only as the villain, but as the preview of what Othello could become. 9. Both Othello and Iago were highly respected soldiers at one point, but jealousy warps their sense of right and wrong, and they end up disgraced. While both men plot revenge and commit murder, what makes Iago the villain and Othello the tragic hero is that Iago actually enjoys punishing those he thinks have offended him. [The best of the bunch. This is a strong thesis that is also somewhat risky. If you can pull this off and prove the claim, the paper will score much higher than a less ambitious paper that argues something “safer” and easier to prove.]</p><p>Thesis Expectations:</p><p> Must be an arguable statement about which reasonable readers of the play could disagree.  Must be a clear statement of your entire argument, not just a part of it.  Should be 1-2 sentences long, and should appear at the end or near the end of the introduction.  Should NOT include the first or second person (I, we, us, you, etc.)  Should NOT contain evidence, quotations, or specific examples. This is a statement of argument —that is it. Evidence and specific examples should be saved for the body of the paper. </p>