오셀로와 이야고 : 추리소설 작가 아가서 크리스티의 눈을 통하여

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Agatha Christie, a famous mystery writer suggests that X and Iago, the secret murderers have the common pattern of act. X and Iago destroy the people by playing a role of 'gentle-natured loving friends', who understand all and are considerate of other people's feelings. By taking advantage of the positive value of 'honesty', they cause the negative one of 'chaos' and 'hate'. Nevertheless, no one believes that they are hateful plotters ensnaring the victims they have chosen. Their pattern of act reminds us that though a cause itself has the name of great value, its effect depends on the will of the doer.
According to Agatha Christie's opinion, the theory of catalysis explains the characteristics of a Iago. This theory perhaps may tell us the whole of Othello. A man who carries the function of catalyst in life remains as he is, while other people around him are changed. Iago remains honest and unchanged almost till the end, though he has been centering on the process of negative change in the relationship between Othello and Desdemona. X, another Iago, would have kept on living as the gentle-natured loving man and always two persons among his friends should have proved to be a murderee and a murderer. The people around Iago or X always change toward negative direction.
This theory proves to us not that without Iago Othello would have not murdered Desdemona but that Iago can intrude into some fatal breaches between Othello and Desdemona that cannot be curable. Some necessary elements between Othello and Desdemona causing the breach lie hidden in the subconscious world of desire. Those elements leading to ruin cannot work without Iago. Othello and Desdemona, however, have in themselves the weakness causing alienation and breach so strong that they are likely to meet a Iago for a Iago is a man of talent to alienate a person from others. In other words, it must be an inevitable consequence that Othello should meet Iago and fall to self-destruction by murdering or destroying his innocent wife, Desdemona, for he has the potential quality of destruction. Therefore Othello is not just a victim of Iago. The essential qualities of Othello and Iago are on the same board, though in the pattern of their action, the one react passively and the other actively. The sense of inferiority of Iago and Othello causes the sadistic violence and destruction and finally self-destruction.