 Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 2:20 am Post subject: |
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I can't remember if they ever gave any sort of origin story for Iago past that bit in ROJ (and I can't recall anything in any books), but you might be on to something:
From Terry Rossio's blog entry: http://www.wordplayer.com/columns/wp53.The.Rules.html |
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| Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2019 11:18 am Post subject: |
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| Re: Jafar finding Iago
I have this theory where Iago literally was a regular parrot, and Jafar saw potential in him to be his secret sidekick. So he used some magic to make him intelligent. |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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Well, you've come to the right place! 
I have a theory Aladdin worked out some sort of deal where he gets a pension as an ambassador for Agrabah. That way he can get more experience to rule one day, but also have enough money coming in to cover his needs and the gang's without feeling guilty for just being given it (either by Jasmine, Sultan, or Genie cause really he would factor in to this, too). I'm sure there's a few moments where Jasmine or Sultan tells him it's not necessary to pay for something and they'll cover it, but I think he wants to set an example for the gang that although they have it pretty easy now they shouldn't take any of it for granted. And yeah, Iago has aligned himself on the entire moral spectrum but works best in the middle grey area. Not Jafar levels, yet not quite Aladdin levels either. You see it best when the gang goes treasure hunting. They do it more for the thrill of the adventure, the sake of a good story, and the joy in succeeding on their mission, but Iago couldn't care less about that stuff cause he's there to get filthy rich
Jasmine is already filthy rich, Genie is beyond the concept of money and wealth, Carpet doesn't need it, and Aladdin gets moments where he's interested in treasure (so Iago can kind of entice him at times) but it's more for personal satisfaction of accomplishment or self-worth than monetary gain. Abu was really the only one he had that shared in his type of greed, but Abu's greed was sort of tied to his compulsion to steal. So if you control his stealing you control his greed, and he had to get better with his stealing since Aladdin wouldn't tolerate it when it wasn't appropriate. Iago never really lost sight of his goals so much as begrudgingly learned to see physical riches and treasures are not everything there is to be gained in a situation. It wasn't until he met Cassim that he finally had someone go "yeah, there are some lessons in life money and treasure can't buy, and those are priceless to our experiences..............but this huge, rare diamond is super sweet and I need like 18 more of them so see you guys later"
But Jasmine is absolutely the type of girl to spoil Aladdin rotten, but he's not a spoil-rotten kind of guy. To be fair, I don't think Jasmine is a spoil-rotten kind of girl, but they keep trying to push gifts at each other anyway and it's adorable. |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: Why is Jasmine allowing Iago to be poor? |
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I think the scenes with Jasmine & Iago together are adorable, especially the ones in the “More Than A Peacock Princess” short. He makes a surprisingly good companion for her, even better than Jafar I dare say. |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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WOW! First off... I appreciate just a thought-out, insightful reply. It's hard to find fellow fans to analyze characters with. I think you are right. Iago was still living in the palace, eating meals with them. (Remember when he mentioned they all ate a falafel take-out?) None of them work for a living... so I assume Jasmine and her father's wealth take care of them. I also think that Iago was never 100% content being on Team Aladdin and being a good guy. He wanted to be an anti-hero with Cassim. Jasmine truly wanted to do good and make Agrabah a better place with her privilege, status and resources. I guess part of me wishes that Jasmine showered Aladdin with money, gifts, jewels... but we always see Aladdin being the one to gift Jasmine. She's always appreciative and grateful even though money is of no object to her. |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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| The entire reason Iago is even able to stay in Agrabah, let alone come anywhere near the palace after the events of the first movie, is because Aladdin wanted to give him a second chance. He was always on thin ice, ESPECIALLY with Sultan, but for the most part kept his greed in check despite some minor hiccups here and there.
The one in KOT was a big hiccup, though, including stealing from Abu to help someone else who was also on a "second chance" deal steal from the palace AGAIN. He KNEW a line was being crossed, but between knowing the oracle actually works and finally having someone with the skills AND the vision to acquire more wealth, he couldn't resist it this time and helped Cassim - in part - because he thought they'd get away with it. Being around someone just as greed driven as himself caused a lapse in judgment for sure, but his struggles with greed never went away and thus was always going to tempt him. He's been through something like this before with Abu and the gauntlet in "To Cure A Thief", though, so I don't think Aladdin was "at peace" with the decision to lock Iago up in the dungeon for life so much as disappointed Iago made that choice knowing the consequences and everything he's done for him to prevent this from happening. There's no arguing for a another chance after something like that, so he had to let the law take course this time. I think it's less financial stability Iago is after and more an overt desire for the best and finest and rarest in life. Jafar's mentions he bought Iago from a bazaar where he was humiliating himself by acting like a stereotypical parrot, so maybe his greed is just part of a drive to never go back to a simple, embarrassing, dumbed-down life but instead one he feels worthy of (which is, of course, over the top as Iago tends to be). It's in sharp contrast to Aladdin who wanted to "never have any problems at all", but in a "live comfortably instead of having to scrape by" kind of deal. Not "live a life of lavish luxury where I don't have to lift a finger" way that Iago is seeking. He's interested in wealth for wealth's sake. Also, Jasmine can't just give everyone she personally knows money. Aladdin was entitled to it since he was marrying in to the family and it's by extension his now. But even then, he wanted to earn it as opposed to taking what he needs, and he struggled with that throughout the series. Iago didn't want to earn it or work for it. He wanted easy, free money with little required to acquire it. So no, Jasmine isn't wrong to not make sure his needs were met since that's not her problem to deal with. Iago is his own person and is more than capable to take care of himself. The problem is his methods to do so are not always legal or morally right . Being friends and sort of growing up together in the palace doesn't mean she has to take care of him either.
Plus, Iago is a parrot. I mean, how much money does he need to live realistically? Really? |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Realist approach: The writers simply not thought of that and rather kept using his need for wealth as a trope instead of really exploring it.
In-verse approach: Maybe she simply wanted to teach Iago wealth isn't everything, so she never really fed his need for wealth. They may be best friends, but doesn't mean best friends can't acknowledge the other's flaws and try to do something about it. Different opinions on that, can't really say if it was wrong or not from Jasmine doing this. Plus I don1t think Disney really wanted to promote greed as a good trait to have.  |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 10:55 am Post subject: Why is Jasmine allowing Iago to be poor? |
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| Iago is very obsessed with finding treasure and attaining wealth. He lives in the palace during the animated series and never, to my knowledge, steals from Jasmine. His only theft is in collusion with Cassim in KOT. At that point, Aladdin is at peace when the guards say Iago has earned a life sentence in the dungeon for the theft of the Oracle.
Do you think it was wrong of Jasmine to never make sure that Iago's financial needs were met? Iago proved he could be a pretty loyal friend to her during the animated show. Also, it seemed that aside from Abu... Iago was the closest with Jasmine. I always wondered why she never asked why he was interested in wealth, and never offered to make sure he was taken care of financially. |
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