Othello: Iago the Outsider

Fred West’s perspective on Iago is that he is a psychopath. He argued that Iago is an ‘accurate portrait of a psychopath’. He stated that “the psychopath does not set out to lie in the self-conscious, guilt-beset way that a normal person would. Lying does not bother him.” I agree with West’s view of Iago being a psychopath. By definition psychopaths are unable to form emotional attachments or feel real empathy with others, both of which are demonstrated by Iago during the play. Psychopath’s are often charming, they are very manipulative, just like Iago is with Othello and how he manipulates him into believing Othello’s wife has been unfaithful and can easily gain people’s trust, Iago’s ‘honest’ facade allows people to believe he is trustworthy.

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.

Iago takes what most of us see as good and uses those traits against characters in the play. He is able to take something as pure as Othello and Desdemona’s love or Cassio’s loyalty as a weakness that he can pounce on. “He holds me well; The better shall my purpose work on him.” (I, iii, 381-382) Iago possesses no good qualities so as a jealous pay back he takes trust and turns it against the trusting and then tries to take it even further for himself.

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’s actions through the whole play show that he has no concern for the people around him. “Which at the first are scarce found the distaste/ but with a little act upon the blood/ burn like the mines of sulfur” (III.iii.335-37). In this quote, Iago is basically saying that he hopes the thought of cheating he planted in Othello's head stirs and makes him think about it all night long, so he becomes more convinced that Desdemona is cheating on him. “Iago’s method in toying with and eventually

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

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the heinous villain Iago plots against the main character, Othello, for the entirety of the play. Iago displays many character traits that are associated with malicious and evil people. Three of these are selfishness, vengefulness, and dishonesty. Each of these traits is hidden from the characters in the play, but they are revealed to the reader which shows readers the true villainous character of Iago. When Iago plots against Othello and other characters throughout the book, all of these traits are easily seen by the reader.

Iago is known to be loyal and honest however, he even knows that, “[he] is not what [he] seems” (1.1.65). Iago has two different personalities, the personality he shows to the other characters in the play, and the personality that he shows to the audience. There is a huge difference between both these personalities. The side to himself that he shows to the characters is loyal and honest. However, his true personality is shown to the audience which is evil, hateful, and mean.

William Shakespeare’s “Othello” shows cruelty by many characters selfish and corrupt actions. In the play, Iago hates Othello because he suspects his wife cheated on him with Othello, Othello is a black man, and Othello promoted someone other than him. Iago uses meticulous planning and influencing to trick Othello into thinking that his wife, Desdemona, is being unfaithful to him and eventually leads Othello to kill his wife and then himself. No matter his reasons, Iago takes his anger and cruelty to extreme measures to get what he wants. Iago is known as “honest Iago” and is trusted by everyone in the play.

Throughout Othello, Iago is the most prominent and perplexing villian in Shakespearean history. His redeeming qualies enables him to allure the characters such as Roderigo, Cassio and Othello through his morality. As an audience we are introduced to his contempt and his hunger for revenge despite his lack of proof. Iago symbolizes evil and brutality. So what makes him a crucial character in the play. His understanding of manipulation and his brilliance makes him an important role in the play since he's willing to to climb up the stairs to get his general, who he hates.

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.