Iago, the Outsider of Shakespeare’s Othello

Iago plants ideas in Othello’s head, uses the innocent actions of others as his proof; and Othello, who is not practiced in worldly matters, believes his the misnomer of the “honest Iago”, and eventually is consumed by the lie.

Iago is a very jealous, envious and selfish person who aggravates other people’s lives. Iago is jealous of Cassio because he is the one that was promoted to lieutenant. He believes he is a better soldier than Cassio who is, “Forsooth, a great arithmetician” (Act 1 sc.1, 20). From Iago’s point of view, Cassio shouldn’t even be in the army. He is just making excuses to give him more reasons to get back at Othello. Iago is envious of Othello because he is married to a beautiful woman, Desdemona. Also, Iago believes Othello slept with his wife, which makes him even more envious. “For that I do suspect the Moor hath leaped into my seat” (Act 2 sc.1, 317-318). Iago is very selfish because he doesn’t care about the consequences of his actions. He just wants to get what he wants and he will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.

This shows how Iago isn't really concerned about Emilia being unfaithful with Othello or anyone for that matter. He just wants to ruin Othello beyond reason.

He fears the exposure of his actual character and wants to execute his plan by keeping other individuals believing that he is an honest and a trustworthy man. Firstly, Iago undermines Emilia not to say another word in regards to the handkerchief that he utilizes as a major aspect of the arrangement to devastate Othello. He advises Emilia to “Be wise and get you home.” (Act 5.2.221). Emilia disagrees with what Iago says and soon after, Iago draws his sword. This shows Iago really thinks about his personality and notoriety, his trepidation of presentation is fierce to the point that it drives him to execute his own particular wife. Also, there is not a single line written in the play, which uncovers Iago presenting his reality to someone else. In spite of the fact that everybody makes sense of Iago's two-sided personality towards the end of the play, despite everything he doesn't have the quality to uncover his actual two- sided character or translate why he has done such offensive deeds. When Othello demands Iago for a reasoning behind his actions, he responds back saying, “Demand me nothing; what you know, you know. / From this time forth I never will speak word” (Act 5.2.300-301). Iago's instability of character is powerful to the point that is prohibits him to talk up and give a sensible reaction to Othello regarding why he has done such malevolence activities. Identity, as well as reputation, is what a man is acknowledged for, a wide range of wrong decisions will destroy this part of Iago

Firstly, Iago showed how he was the perfect villain with his ability to manipulate characters throughout the play. By manipulating other characters Iago can forward his plan of ruining Othello without other characters becoming suspicious. One character that Iago often manipulates is his friend Roderigo, this one character is the one that mainly does all the hard work of Iago. This quote: “Desdemona should continue her love to the Moor-put/money in thy purse-nor he his to her. It was a violent commencement in her, and thou shalt see an/answerable sequestration-put but money in thy purse. (1.3 334-338) convinced Roderigo to not kill himself and to continue to believe in Iago’s plan of making Desdemona to stop loving the Moor. Roderigo is in love and this is one reason why he is unable to realize that he is manipulated by Iago. Also, Iago manipulates Cassio to go talk to Desdemona, but Cassio is totally oblivious that he plans to use this to the Moor with jealousy. The quote: “I’ll send her to you presently; /and I’ll devise a means to draw the Moor/out of the way, that your converse and business/May be more free. (3.3 37-40) convinced Cassio to talk to Desdemona, which consequently shaped Othello to be even more jealous than before.

Iago is the antagonist of the play, and one of the most evil Shakespearean villains. Iago is extremely clever in the way he uses unsuspecting power- especially psychological power. He gets into people’s heads in many dishonest ways- by spreading false rumours, telling lies and psychologically tricking people and secretly controlling certain situations. His power to manipulate is a key point in the play, as it results in major consequences and the deaths of some main characters. Iago’s schemes are multi-levelled- he conspires with roderigo, and makes him believe that Desdemona will take him back. On another level, he leads Othello to believe his wife is having an affair with Cassio. He uses his wife Emilia (unknown to her), to bring back the handkerchief he uses to deceive Othello. Iago is an extremely resourceful and talented man, but he uses these resources and talents in detrimental ways. Iago is constantly referred to by numerous characters as ‘honest’. He himself also refers to honesty. Numerous characters believe that they know and trust Iago and that he would not lie, nor deceive them. Iago’s soliloquies also provide invaluable insight into his wicked mind and evil schemes and plans.

Iago abuses Othello’s trusting inclination in order both further his personal rank and ruin the lives of those he feels have wronged him. Trusting by nature, Othello initially refuses to see anything but the best in people, including Iago. Iago exploits this by making Othello believe things that are completely false. In Othello’s view Iago would not lie to him because he had no reason to and had never done so before. Iago does this because he feels he has been wronged when told that “[Cassio]… must his lieutenant be… and I his Moorship’s ancient” (I i 35). Iago thinks that he should be given the position that was given instead to Cassio, and he feels that he must take brutal revenge on Othello for being the source of his calamities. Using the trust bestowed upon him by Othello Iago feeds rumors to Othello that trigger jealousy and arouse

Iago, who presents himself as Othello’s confidante, signifies the antithesis of the virtues of the play, and Othello’s belief in the lies this villain tells destroy these values and lead to his demise.  Iago is disloyal from the start.  From the beginning he tells us, “In following him [Othello], I follow but myself. / … I am not what I am” (I, I, 55-62).  Iago feigns devotion to Othello only to bring him down, and in doing so he makes himself seem virtuous and turns the true virtue, in Desdemona, to vice.  When scheming to make Othello think that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, he plays on her concern for people, and her willingness to help Cassio come back into Othello’s favor: “So will I turn her virtue into pitch, / And out of her goodness make the net/ That shall enmesh them all” (II, iii, 360-62).  As the opposite of all that is valued in the play, Iago is able to make the virtue of the other characters into their downfalls without them suspecting it.  He observes of Othello, “The Moor…Is of a constant, loving, and noble nature” (II, I, 288-89).  He then plans to use this nature to “Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me / … Even to madness” (II, I, 308-11).  Iago uses Othello’s trusting nature and Desdemona’s goodness to create the

Iago is one of the most misunderstood villains in Shakespeare literature. We side with Othello from the start because his name is on the cover of our paperback, we read Othello when learning about heroes, so we expect Iago to be a villain, a ruthless manipulator. We don’t know why, he doesn’t state it plainly or in simple English, so we assume that he’s evil, that he’s just a disgruntled sociopath out to exact his exaggerated revenge on good and noble Othello. Iago’s misunderstood reputation is a result of not truly examining his character, and answering the “why” factor behind his actions. After all, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. His goal in the play was not just to destroy Othello for the fun of it. His objective,

In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago appears to be trustworthy but in truth, he is manipulative and dubious. Iago is a villainous character and he tries to achieve his desires of becoming a lieutenant by disguising himself as a honest person. Iago uses trust as a weapon to defeat his enemies and he only serves Othello to eventually, “serve [his] turn upon him” (1.1.42). Moreover, Iago’s capability to hide true feelings allows him to betray his commander, Othello for his own benefits. Soon, Iago decides to take the first step of his revenge by breaking Othello’s marriage with Desdemona. For this purpose, he manipulates Desdemona’s father named, Brabantio by suggesting that “an old black ram is tupping [his] white ewe” (1.1.90) . The disgusting sexual

This trait is displayed in many different instances throughout the play. One of these instances in Act 2 Scene 1, Iago says, “And nothing can or shall content my soul till I am even’d with him, wife for wife.” This quote displays his desire for vengeance for Othello as being the paramount interest in his life. As the play progresses, Iago’s vengefulness only intensifies. He projects his desire for vengeance onto his wife Emilia when he assumes that Othello is sleeping with her.

In fact, he needs to convince Othello a general that has led many troops to battle that his wife Desdemona is having an affair with a man named Cassio, the man who received his position as Lieutenant (Bevington, D., 2014). Additionally, Iago has suspicions that his wife may have been seduced by Cassio and Othello; however, there is not enough sufficient evidence that this act took place. In Act I Scene III, Iago shares with the audience his ill will against Othello, and they soon discover he has reasoned it out with the loss of his occupation and the belief that Othello has enticed his wife, Emilia. “He proposes, as revenge of wife for wife, to put Othello into such a jealousy as judgment cannot cure” (Jorgensen, P. A., 1985, p. 59).

Originally, he seeks revenge on Cassio for having stolen a position that, in Iago’s mind, was rightfully his. However, as the plot continues, Shakespeare explains that Iago’s initial hatred of the commander was sparked by rumors of Othello sleeping with his wife Emilia. Despite the fact that Iago and Emilia’s relationship extremely differs from that of Othello and Desdemona, Iago is still protective of what belongs to him, even if that entails objectifying his wife. Iago’s tone in this conversation starts off as defensive (with hints of sarcasm as he strongly proclaims the value he places on “honest” men) and withholding, as he often hints to a possibility of Cassio having wronged Othello, yet never explicitly says anything about

Iago is a man blinded by envy and anger. He has a goal in mind for everyone to become equally jealous. He completes this goal through his betrayal and manipulation of characters, specifically Othello. In Othello, Iago aids the path of jealousy’s destruction of lives by implementing it in everyone else’s minds.

Emilia also stands up against Iago as she reveals the truth behind Iago’s sinister manipulation to Othello in front of him. After Emilia discovers that Desdemona was smothered by Othello, she feels great grief and Iago later enters the room. Iago submissively torments Emilia to stay quiet and to say nothing of his plot but she instead insisted on stating, “'Twill out, ’twill out. I peace! / No, I will speak as liberal as the north: / Let heaven and men and devils, let them all, / All, all, cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak....O thou dull Moor! That handkerchief thou speak’st of / I found by fortune and did give my husband; / For often, with a solemn earnestness, / More than indeed belonged to such a trifle, / He begged of me to steal it,” (Shakespeare 5.2.87). Emilia responds to Iago’s threats by stating that