House Of Quality

The House of Quality by John R. Hauser and Don Clausing Harvard Business Review Reprint 88307 Design is a team effort, but how do marketing and engineering talk to each other? Digital Equipment, Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, and ITT are getting started with it. Ford and General Motors use it - at Ford alone there are more than 50 applications. The "house of quality," the basic design tool of the management approach known as quality function deployment (QFD), originated in 1972 at Mitsubishi''s Kobe shipyard site. Toyota and its suppliers then developed it in numerous ways.

The house of quality has been used successfully by Japanese manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, clothing, integrated circuits, synthetic rubber, construction equipment, and agricultural engines. Japanese designers use it for services like swimming schools and retail outlets and even for planning apartment layouts. A set of planning and communication routines, quality function deployment focuses and coordinates skills within an organization, first to design, then to manufacture and market goods that cusHARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW May-June 1988 tomers want to purchase and will continue to purchase.

The foundation of the house f quality is the belief that products should be designed to reflect customers'' desires and tastes - so marketing people, design engineers, and manufacturing staff must work closely together from the time a product is first conceived. The house of quality is a kind of conceptual map that provides the means for interfunctional planning and communications. People with different John R. Hauser, at the Harvard Business School as a Marvin Bower Sloan School of Management. He is the author, with Glen L. Urban, of Design & Marketing of New Products (Prentice-Hall, 1980).

Don Clausing is Bernard M. Gordon Adjunct Professor of Engineering Innovation and Practice at MIT. Previously he worked for Xerox Corporation. He introduced QFD to Ford and its supplier companies in 1984. Copyright 1988 by the Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. HOUSE OF QUALITY What''s So Hard About Design David Garvin points out that there are many dimensions to what a consumer means by quality and that it is a major challenge to design products that satisfy all of these at once. l Strategic quality management means more than avoiding repairs for consumers.

It means that companies learn from customer experience and econcile what they want with what engineers can reasonably build. Before the industrial revolution, producers were close to their customers. Marketing, engineering, and manufacturing were integrated - in the same individual. If a knight wanted armor, he talked directly to the armorer, who translated the knight''s desires into a product. The two might discuss the material - plate rather than chain armor - and details like fluted surfaces for greater bending strength. Then the armorer would design the production process.

For strength - who knows why? - he cooled the steel plates in the urine of a black goat. As for a production plan, he arose with the cock''s crow to light the forge fire so that it would be hot enough by midday. Todays fiefdoms are mainly inside corporations. Marketing people have their domain, engineers theirs. Customer surveys will find their way onto designers'' desks, and R&D plans reach manufacturing engineers. But usually, managerial functions remain disconnected, producing a costly and demor- alizing environment in which product quality and the quality of the production process itself suffer.

Top executives are learning that the use of interfunctional teams benefits design. But f top management could get marketing, designing, and manufacturing executives to sit down together, what should these people talk about? How could they get their meeting off the ground? This is where the house of quality comes in. Consider the location of an emergency brake lever in one American sporty car. Placing it on the guaranteed that women in skirts could not get in and out gracefully. Even if EXHIBIT II Japanese automaker with QFD made fewer changes than U. S. company without QFD U. S. ompany Design changes problems and responsibilities can thrash out design priorities while referring to patterns of evidence on the house''s grid. Japanese company of total Japanese changes complete 20-24 Months 14_17 1-3 +3 Months Job #1 Months EXHIBIT I Startup and preproduction costs at Toyota Auto Body before and after QFD January 1977 pre QED April 1984 post QED (39% of pre QFD costs) Preproduction costs Startup costs Source for Exhibits I and II: Lawrence P. Sullivan, "Quality Function Deployment," Reprinted by permission. the system were to last a lifetime, would it satisfy customers?

In contrast, Toyota improved its rust prevention record from one of the worst in the world to one of the best by coordinating design and production decisions to focus on this customer oncern. Using the house of quality, designers broke down "body durability'' into 53 items covering everything from climate to modes of operation. They obtained customer evaluations and ran experiments on nearly every detail of production, from pump operation to temperature control and coating composition. Decisions on sheet metal details, coating materials, and baking temperatures were all focused on those aspects of rust prevention most important to customers. . David A. Garvin, "Competing on the Eight Dimensions of Quality," HBR November- December 1987, p. 101 . 4 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Today, with marketing techEXHlBlT Ill iques so much more sophisticated than ever before, compacustomer attributes and bundles of CAS nies can measure, track, and for a car door compare customers'' perceptions PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY of products with remarkable acEasy to close from outside curacy; all companies have opStays open on a hill Easy to open from outside EASY TO OPEN portunities to compete on qualiAND CLOSE DOOR Doesnt kick back ty.

And costs certainly Justify an Easy to close from inside emphasis on quality design. By Easy to open from inside looking first at customer needs, Doesnt leak in rain then designing across corporate No road noise and use Doesnt leak in car wash functions, manufacturers can relSOLATlON No wind noise duce prelaunch time and afterDoesnt drip water or snow when open Doesnt rattle launch tinkering. Exhibit I compares startup and Soft, comfortable ARM REST In right position preproduction costs at Toyota Auto Body 1977, before QFD, Material wont fade INTERIOR TRIM Attractive (nonplastic look) to those costs in 1984, when QFD was well under way.

House of CLEAN Good appearance Easy to clean No grease from door quality meetings early on reduced costs by more than 60%. Uniform gaps between matching panels Exhibit II reinforces this evidence by comparing the number f design changes at a Japanese auto manufacturer noise. " Some Japanese companies simply place using QFD with changes at a U. S. automaker. The their products in public areas and encourage potenJapanese design was essentially frozen before the tial customers to examine them, while design team first car came off the assembly line, while the U. S. embers listen and note what people say. Usually, however, more formal market research is called for, company was still revamping months later. via focus groups, in-depth qualitative interviews, and other techniques. Building the House CAS are often grouped into bundles of attributes hat represent an overall customer concern, like There is nothing mysterious about the house of "open-close" or "isolation. " The Toyota rustquality. There is nothing particularly difficult prevention study used eight levels of bundles to get from the total car down to the car body.

Usually the used to its conventions. Eventually one''s eye can project team groups CAS by consensus, but some bounce knowingly around the house as it would over a road-map or a navigation chart. We have seen companies are experimenting with state-of-the-art research techniques that derive groupings directly some applications that started with more than 100 rom customers'' responses (and thus avoid argucustomer requirements and more than 130 engiments in team meetings). neering considerations.

A fraction of one subchart, CAS are generally reproduced in the customers'' in this case for the door of an automobile, illusown words. Experienced users of the house of qualitrates the house''s basic concept well. We''ve reproty try to preserve customers'' phrases and even duced this subchart portion in the illustration clichés - knowing that they will be translated si"House of Quality," and we''ll discuss each section multaneously by product planners, design engistep-by-step. eers, manufacturing engineers, and salespeople. Of course, this raises the problem of interpretation: What do customers want?

The house of quality What does a customer really mean by "quiet" or begins with the customer, whose requirements are "easy''? Still, designers'' words and inferences may called customer attributes (CAs) - phrases cuscorrespond even less to customers'' actual views tomers use to describe products and product charand can therefore mislead teams into tackling probacteristics (see Exhibit Ill). We''ve listed a few here; lems customers consider unimportant. a typical application would have 30 to 100 CAs. A Not all customers are end users, by the way.

CAS car door is "easy to close" or "stays open on a hill"; can include the demands of regulators ("safe in a "doesn''t leak in rain" or allows "no (or little) road HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW 5 EXHIBIT Relative-importance weights of customer attributes BUNDLES RELATIVE IMPORTANCE AND CLOSE DOOR Easy to close from outside Stays open on a hill 7 ISOLATION Doesn''t leak in rain 3 2 A complete list totals 100% side collision"), the needs of retailers ("easy to display''), the requirements of vendors ("satisfy assembly and service organizations"), and so forth. Are all preferences qually important?

Imagine a good door, one that is easy to close and has power windows that operate quickly. There is a problem, however. Rapid operation calls for a bigger motor, which makes the door heavier and, possibly, harder to close. Sometimes a creative solution can be found that satisfies all needs. Usually, however, designers have to trade off one benefit against another. To bring the customer''s voice to such deliberations, house of quality measures the relative importance to the customer of all CAs. Weightings are based on team members'' direct experience with customers or on surveys.

Some innovative usinesses are using statistical techniques that allow customers to state their preferences with respect to existing and hypothetical products. Other companies use "revealed preference techniques," which Judge consumer tastes by their actions as well as by their words - an approach that is more expensive and difficult to perform but yields more accurate answers. (Consumers say that avoiding sugar in cereals is important, but do their actions reflect their claims? ) Weightings are displayed in the house next to list totaling 100% (see Exhibit ''V).

Will delivering perceived needs yield a competitive advantage? Companies that want o match or exceed their competition must first know where they stand relative to it. So on the right side of the house, opposite the CAs, we list customer evaluations of competitive cars matched to "our own" (see Exhibit V). Ideally, these evaluations are based on scientific surveys of customers. If various customer segments 6 evaluate products differently - luxury vs. economy car buyers, for example - product-planning team members get assessments for each segment.

Comparison with the competition, of course, can identify opportunities for improvement. Take our car door, for example. With respect to "stays open on hill," every car is weak, so we could gain an advantage here. But if we looked at "no road noise" for the same automobiles, we would see that we already have an advantage, which is important to maintain. Marketing professionals will recognize the righthand side of Exhibit V as a "perceptual map. " Perceptual maps based on bundles of CAS are often used to identify strategic positioning of a product or product line.

This section of the house of quality provides a natural link from product concept to a company''s strategic vision. How can we change the product? The marketing domain tells us what to do, the engineering domain ells us how to do it. Now we need to describe the product in the language of the engineer. Along the top of the house of quality, the design team lists those engineering characteristics (ECs) that are likely to affect one or more of the customer attributes (see Exhibit VI). The negative sign on "energy to close door" means engineers hope to reduce the energy required.

If a standard engineering characteristic affects no CA, it may be redundant to the EC list on the house, or the team may have missed a customer attribute. A CA unaffected by any EC, on the other hand, presents opportunities to expand a ar''s physical properties. Any EC may affect more than one CA. The resistance of the door seal affects three of the four customer attributes shown in Exhibit VI - and others shown later. Engineering characteristics should describe the product in measurable terms and should directly affect customer perceptions.

The weight of the door will be felt by the customer and is therefore a relevant EC. By contrast, the thickness of the sheet metal is a part characteristic that the customer is only by influencing the weight of the door and other engineering characteristics, like "resistance to deformation in a crash. " In many Japanese projects, the interfunctional team begins with the CAS and generates measurable characteristics for each, like foot-pounds of energy required to close the door. Teams should avoid ambiguity in interpretation of ECS or hasty Justification of current quality control measurement practices.

This is a time for systematic, patient analysis of each characteristic, for brainstorming. Vagueness will eventually yield indifference to things customers need. Characteristics that are trivial will make the team lose sight of the overall design and stifle creativity. EXHIBIT V Customers'' evaluations of competitive products CUSTOMER ATTRIBUTES Worst 1 CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS 5 Best How much do engineers influEASY TO OPEN Easy to close from outside 7 AND CLOSE ence customer-perceived qualiDOOR ties?

The interfunctional team now fills in the body of the house, the "relationship matrix," indicating how much each engineering characteristic affects each customer OUR CAR DOOR attribute. The team seeks consenCOMPETlTOR A''S sus on these evaluations, basing COMPETITOR B''S them on expert engineering experience, customer responses, and tabulated data from statistical studies or controlled experiments. course, there might be an entirely new mechanism The team uses numbers or symbols to establish that improves all relevant CAs. Engineering is crethe strength of these relationships (see Exhibit VI''). tive solutions and a balancing of objectives. Any symbols will do; the idea is to choose those The house of qualitys distinctive roof matrix that work best. Some teams use red symbols for rehelps engineers specify the various engineering fealationships based on experiments and statistics and tures that have to be improved collaterally (see Expencil marks for relationships based on judgment hibit ''X). To improve the window motor, you may or intuition. Others use numbers from statistical ave to improve the hinges, weather stripping, and studies.

In our house, we use check marks for posia range of other ECs. tive and crosses for negative relationships. Sometimes one targeted feature impairs so many Once the team has identified the voice of the cusothers that the team decides to leave it alone. The tomer and linked it to engineering characteristics, roof matrix also facilitates necessary engineering it adds objective measures at the bottom of the trade-offs. The foot-pounds of energy needed to house beneath the ECS to which they pertain (see close the door, for example, are shown in negative Exhibit VI").

When objective measures are known, relation to "door seal resistance" and "road noise the team can eventually move to establish target reduction. " In many ways, the roof contains the values - ideal new measures for each EC in a remost critical information for engineers because designed product. If the team did its homework they use it to balance the trade-offs when addresswhen it first identified the ECs, tests to measure ing customer benefits. benchmark values should be easy to complete. Enlncidentally, we have been talking so far about gineers determine the relevant units of measurethe basics, but design

The Bad News On Social Media

The Bad News of Social Media According to the Huffington post Facebook users share 2. 5 bits of content daily, including personal information. Social media has had many advantages for this generation. Such as helping people stay up to date with current news happening in the world. With many advances unfortunately many downsides come along with social media. Many health risks have been proven in scientific studies. Privacy is something that has become very limited online. Violence has also become a trend associating with social media.

Social media has been morphed into something humanity was never intended to encounter Young adults who appear to have a strong Facebook appearance are proven to show more signs of psychological disorders such as, anxiety and depression. People who are on social media sites more frequently are known to isolate themselves, productivity in young adults also has been shown to decrease. Teens who use Facebook while in class show to have lower test scores than the other students in the class. "Social media bad" 1) Not only as social media sites brought many health & physiological disorders but also many security threats that has devastated people around the world. With so much information that is put on social sites many people fall victim to identity theft and is effecting the credit of citizens. Twenty seven million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last five years, (Claudia Bourne Farrell 1). Even when setting your privacy settings to private, hackers can easily break through the sites security. Once something is released on to the public it is no longer private.

Identity theft on social media is a target that leads to many crimes. Burglars can utilize the simplest information people post against them. "Fifty four percent of burglars say that posting your status on social media is a victim''s biggest mistake. By broadcasting to people that you are away from home, you are advertising that you are leaving your home unprotected". Seventy eight percent of burglars admit to using Facebook, Twitter, and Google Street View to select victim''s homes". Thirty three percent of all internet- elated sex crimes were founded upon social media.

Oihan Lee 1). Many only relationship have ended in tragedy because people posed as somebody they were not. On September fifteen two thousand and six, Brian Barrett was found dead in the parking lot where he worked, shot three times by a military rifle ("Online murder triangle" 2), this crime was caused due to the Jealousy of Montgomery murderer of Barret. Being broke up with by Mary Shieler after she discovered that he posed as being a twenty two year old man, when in reality was a forty six year man who was arried and had two children.

Montgomery was devastated and was determined to kill Barret. Even though social media has made our generation more aware of things that happen. Social media has projected many negative points that overpower the good points of social sites. Over five million Facebook users are under the age often (Mark Scott 1). When excessive social media involvement has proven to cause anxiety and depression, starting social media at such a young as could cause more damage on the health risks.

As proven burglars will use any information that is published to harm or destroy people''s life and credit and even worse end one''s life. Word Count: Work-cited Avila Jim, Online Love Triangle, Deception End in Murder. ABC News, August. 27, 2011 Lee Jihan, Social Media and crimes. Business to community, September 12, 2013 Rosen Larry, Social Networkings Good and Bad Impacts on Kids. The American Psychological Association, August 6, 2011 Scott, Mark, 5 Surprising Social Media Statistics for 2013 Social media today, October 12, 2013

Historical Context

World War II is considered by many people as the worst global confrontation since time began. The war was started by radical nationalism and individual egos; the very thing Adolf Hitler and the Japanese believed was the root of most problems in the world. The sources in the textbook had similar aggression against westernization. In the first source, Hitler''s Mein Kampf detailed a concept of "survival of the fittest. The jailed World War I veteran describes a racial war—with his Aryan race as the ominant, prevailing group. His belief that progress could only be made if the dominant people were put into places of power and responsibility coupled with a proposal of fighting to live. Hitler''s strong sense of nationalism and self/Germany- entitlement evoked a passionate following which later led him to German leadership.

His specific declaration of Jewish people as the main ailment of the world leads to the greatest genocide in history. The Japanese were another instigator of World War II as they too developed an aggressive form of nationalism among their people. In the source, Kokutai No Hongi, the Japanese narrate a loss of morality through westernization. The publishing calls for a return to loyalty and morality; by this, they mean the devotion to a Master (Emperor) and Subjects (people). They also detail a history of valuing warriors.

Those very ideologies very likely segued to a violent ostility towards anything and anyone "western. " In short, People who might find these drastic writings attractive would be anyone who has a strong sense of nationalism—even racial prejudice. It could be long-standing tradition or upbringing that fueled many people who felt their native culture and land have been corroded and invaded by others. The easiest answer is to blame it on someone else, especially if they are physically different.

The Ap European History: Study Notes

FRQ 16 After World War II, the continent of Europe was left in socioeconomic and political disarray. A devastated Europe was divided between Eastern and Western nations with distinct differences until the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. Social and political differences polarized Europe from 1945 to 2001 whilst the desire for economic prosperity united the countries of Europe. Social Differences Preserving the unique history and cultural differences of European nations presented itself as a roadblock to early European cooperation. ЂўLong standing rivalries/histories •Nationalism (France 1960s DeGaulle withdrawal from NATO) ЂўClass/Wealth/Ethnic distinctions between Nations Political Differences Political disagreements between Europe''s leaders lead to an impasse in early European cooperation. •Concerns over Sovereignty/ Central Power over Europe/ Central Bank Currency Pound versus Euro (Maastricht Treaty) •''Eureaucrats"/ Brussels •East versus West/ NATO versus Warsaw-1989 Economic Unity The desire for Economic prosperity was the ultimate cause for the creation of the European Union. ЂўSingle European Act of 1986- laid down a legal framework for free movement of labor, capital and services ЂўEuropean Community-1993 European Union (ELI)/ Maastricht treaty- single currency (Euro) •Globalization FRQ 2 Metternich, Foreign Minister of Austria from 1815-1848, and Bismarck of Prussia from 1862-1890, were the same in their foreign policy goals with their conservative beliefs that the ideas of liberalism and revolution must be crushed, however Metternich often engaged in war while Bismarck only participated in war if completely necessary.

Bismarck may have started with more liberal views but became an extreme conservative, to the extent that he had to find a way to appeal to the liberal Parliament in 1863. Although he supported a strong monarchy he managed to unite Germany and worked for nineteen years to conserve the peace in Germany. Metternich, on the other hand, was always a conservative who wanted Austria to dominate the German Confederation and influence Europe. Metternich also abolished the Burschenschaften and passed the Final Act.

Metternich: -Big symbol of conservatism in the first half of the 19th century -Foreign Minister of Austria -Played a crucial role at the congress of Vienna: guided by the principle of legitimacrto restore peace and order in Europe it is ecessary to restore the legitimate monarchs who would preserve traditional institutions New arrangement of territory: Metternich believes it to have avoided great danger by creating a balance of power -To maintain the new conservative order after 181 5, he espoused the principle of intervention, by which he meant that the great powers had the right to intervene militarily in other countries in order to crush revolutionary movements against legitimate rulers -Used spies to search and crush liberal or nationalist plots -Metternich only postponed an revolutionary explosion ntil 1848 with his realization that forces of liberalism and nationalism threatened to tear the empire apart -Had the Karlsbad Decrees of 1819 drawn up which closed the Burschenschaften (which were student societies dedicated to fostering the goal of of free, united Germany), provided for censorship of the press, and placed the universities under close supervision and control • This helped Metternich and the cooperative German rulers maintain the conservative status quo Bismarck: -waged war only when all other diplomatic alternatives had been exhausted and when he was he was reasonably sure that all the military and diplomatic advantages ere on his side Was a defender of peace because he believed that the advantages won from war "no longer Justifies the risks involved" -foremost specialist of Realpolitik: the politics of reality -blamed liberals for the breakdown of the constitutions government of Prussia -In the three wars he waged, Bismarck''s victories were Just as much diplomatic and political as they were militarily Danish War (1864) - Bismarck realizes that in order for Prusssia to expand its power, Austria would have to be excluded from German affairs Austro-Prussian War (1866) -bismark is able to 0-1871)

The Art Of Villainy In Shakespeare''S Play

YourLastName 1 YourFirstName YourLastName Instructor''s Name Course Title 3 May 2013 Edmund Vs. Iago: A Comparitive Analysis Of Shakespeare''s Villains VILLAINY OF EDMUND AND LAGO IN SHAKESPEAREAN PLAYS INTRODUCTION The plots of all Shakespearean tragedies follow a similar sequence of events. Typically Conflicts arise due to twist of events that set the two characters that had initially enjoyed a good relationship with each other on opposing ends. First it begins with the Exposition stage; this is where the reader is introduced to the setting under which the conflict arises, the characters involved and the state of issues at the time.

The next stage is the build-up of events that will later culminate into the conflict. Here the conflict develops and grows. The final stage entails the climax of all events that emerge to turn the already matured conflict into a catastrophe (Bradley 41-43). For instance it is in the climax of the King Lear''s play that the spiteful son of Gloucester, Edgar kills his illegitimate brother in cold blood. Everything is left in chaos as the king dies and the remnants of the lost war, Albany, Edgar and Kent are left to deal with the pain and loss of their loved one. COMPARISION BETWEEN EDMUND IN KING LEAR V.

LAGO IN OTHELLO Taking on their differences, Shakespeare paints the two characters as utterly villain not only in their actions but in their words too. Imagery and metaphors used in the plays are clear evidence of the depth of feeling and emotions involved. YourLastName 2 Edmund is the bustard son of Gloucester. The latter goes ahead to openly to declare the same in his statements when introducing his son to a friend "Though this knave came something saucily into the world before he was called for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged " (1 . . 21-24). Shakespeare hints that the mother of Edmund must have been a whore and her beautiful features might have been transferred to her bustard son. Clearly Gloucester did not like the young man at all. The playwright asserts that Edmund wasn''t such a likeable character because even his own father insulted him! His hatred for the his bigger brother was based on the fact that the elder brother would inherited everything their father and he would get nothing second born son in the family.

That made him Justify his villainy actions as he quotes "The curiosity of nations to deprive me, For that I am some twelve or fourteen moon-shines . Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base? (1 . ii. 03-05). On the other hand, Iago is a trusted soldier under Othello. The two have a mutual to Michael Cassio by Othello. He utters out his hatred to Roderigo against the two although not much to Cassio as Othello in his sentiments •one Michael Cassio, a Florentine (A fellow almost damn''d in a fair wife), That never set a squadron in the field But he, sir, had th'' election " (1. . 20-22). Themes relating Edmund and Lago 1 . Motives Lagos quest for revenge and treachery is instigated by the fact that although he was ost preferred as the new lieutenant, Cassio is given the position instead. This at first is the main reason why he plans to see Othello suffer. He is so spiteful as he refers to Othello as a "Barbary horse," and "old black ram," Initially as his plans fail to materialise and some are thwarted, his grip momentarily loosens only to revert and tighten even more. His motives YourLastName 3 vary as the plot unveils.

At an instance his vengeful desire against Othello is fuelled by the award of a promotion to another yet at another instant he claims to suspect an affair between the latter and his wife Emilia. This is evident in his statement " I hate the Moor; and it is thought abroad that ''twixt my sheets'' (1 . iii. 387)''. It is clearly indicated that Iago hates Othello because the latter is more honourable and has acquired a young and beautiful young lady, Desdemona to wife. We do not know the reason behind his utterance as he declares" It cannot be that Desdemona should long continue her love to the Moor.

She must change for youth. When she is sated with his body, she will find the error of her choice. " Shakespeare leaves our minds to wonder and speculate about the same. The motive behind the shameful acts of Edmund is created by the constant abuse by his father and the fact that he is an illegitimate son. His only Joy is to see all that hurt him, his abusive father and step brother experience pain and suffering. He sets their father against Edgar his elder son by deceiving him that the latter is planning to kill the older man.

In retaliation, Gloucester sets to kill his son thus Edgar has to flee form home and disguises himself as a beggar in Act 2 Scene 1 . Shakespeare leaves room for imagination as pertaining to the reasoning behind Edmund claim miet Edmund was beloved" as he overlooks the deceased bodies of Goneril and Regan (5. iii. 15). 2. ART OF VILLAINY The play Othello begins with a mutual relationship between Othello and Lago. As the plot unveils, the character of Iago is unveiled as a deceitful person with hidden motives.

He has indeed perfected the art of devilish such that even when his plans are derailed, he is careful enough to twist his schemes to fit the planned end. He plans to ruin the marriage between Othello and his wife Desdemona. In a bid to stop the consummation ceremony from taking place, Lago goes ahead to instigate Cassio o pick a fght with Roderigo and when Governor Montano intervene, he gets stabbed in the process. It is Lago who sends Roderigo to raise alarm concerning the chaos thus disrupting the already started ceremony.

He gets so close to Othello without him suspecting of his motive and actually enjoys seeing him suffer. He taunts him and derives Joy seeing him get tormented by Jealousy by inciting Othello to think that his wife is cheating on him. He actually make the latter believe that his Wife Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio. Lago is so excited to receive Othello''s handkerchief that his wife Emilia had collected from the former''s ouse. Although Emilia doesn''t the point of ecstasy, Lago is overjoyed by the new twist of events, he immediately hatches a plan meant to drain Othello''s happiness and inflict suffering.

He goes ahead to plant evidence in Cassio''s room in order to implicate him in his claim of Desdemona''s infidelity (Amanda). Shakespeare paints Edmund as a vile person and on many occasions in the play refers to him as bastardy and a •bustard''. Furthermore Shakespeare creates a Jerk out of him to fit the description of his character as depicted by his own father. He is a scamp and amazes he audience that such a person would still have the heart to feel remorseful upon the death of his enemies. After the demise of Goneril and Regan, he sorrowfully says "Some good I mean to do, despite of my own nature," (3. v. 12). As Shakespeare paints it, we wonder if there is a little bit of humanity left in him to utter such a statement. His attempts to save Cordelia are unclear in reflection of his vile self. It is by deceitfulness of Edmund that sets Gloucester against his son Edgar after reading a letter written by the former that compromises the character of the elder brother. The hysical blindness inflicted upon Gloucester by Cornwall is metaphorically related to the blinding of the former by Edmund against his elder brother.

Discussing the similarities between the two villains Edmund and Lago, they both were skilled soldiers during their time. When scene changes from the urban Venice to the island of Cyprus, the people are protected by the military in which Iago is a soldier under Othello (Canning). Edmund with the English army defeats Cordelia commander of the French army and captures him and his wife, Lear. He deeply filled with remorse after the killing of YourLastName 5 Cordelia and Lear by his soldiers as he declares that he tried every attempt to save them but couldn''t.

Works Cited Amanda Mabillard, 05/09/2010 acessed from http://www. shakespeareonline. com/ plays/othello/iagochar. html. Bradley, A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth. October 30, 2005 [EBo 0k #16966]. Accessed from http://www. pgdp. net. Pdf Canning, Albert Stratford George. Shakespeare Studied in Six Plays . London: T. F. Unwin, 1907. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2009. Accessed on 2nd may 2013 < http://www. shakespeare-online. com/plays/othello/ othellovillain. html