Two Jokers in the Pack? A Comparative Analysis of Iago in William Shakespeare’s Othello and the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight in Relation to W.H. Auden’s ‘The Joker in the Pack’

Abstract

What would happen if we viewed the Joker of Christopher Nolan’s 2008 motion picture The Dark Knight as a modern incarnation of Iago, the villain of William Shakespeare’s Othello? Additionally, how well does Auden’s argument about Iago as a practical joker (‘The Joker in the Pack’) explain them both? The analysis of this essay is performed by comparing similarities and differences found with the two villains and relating them to W. H. Auden’s claims. Some concepts from narratology (encyclopaedic knowledge and character models) have been applied in order to examine how our perception of the villains might be affected. In the analysis, there is an emphasis on the motives of the villains since Iago’s motives have been widely discussed for centuries. The results of the comparison indicate that the Joker can be seen as an ideological psychopathic practical joker with abstract motives whereas Iago seems to be a socially skilled psychopath with concrete motives and features of a practical joker.