The character of Iago in Othello

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Iago is perhaps one of the most intriguing and heinous villains in Shakespeare. Iago is on stage from the very beginning of the play Othello and he dominates and dictates the action from then onwards. Immediately, we observe how the plot of the play largely relies on the villain himself. In Act One Scene One, Iago shapes all of the events that are to come by duping the foolish Roderigo into calling upon Brabantio, a Venetian Senator, to inform him of his daughter Desdemona's misdoings "Call up her father,/Rouse him, make after him, poison his delight,/Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen…" It is upon Iago that the plot of the play relies; here Iago linguistically takes control.

Iago revels in his own intellectual prowess and the way that he so easily manipulates other characters. Iago is often funny, especially in his scenes with Roderigo, which serve as a showcase of Iago's manipulative abilities. In truth, we realise that Iago is indeed a very intelligent man, playing with his language and ideas to suit his situations. Iago uses his language to fool and persuade his 'sidekick' Roderigo, and persuade and manipulate others, namely Brabantio and Othello. Iago seems almost to wink at the audience as he takes pleasure from his own skill. As entertained spectators, we find ourselves on Iago's side when he is with Roderigo. We watch in fascination as Iago easily persuades his subordinate, "Lay they finger thus, and let thy soul be instructed. /Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor, / but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies." We watch as Iago changes role completely to suit his situation, performing as a faithful servant in front of Othello and his attendants "Nine or ten times/ I had thought t'have yerked him [Roderigo] here under the ribs." Further, we are amazed at Iago's sarcasm when Desdemona, Iago, and Iago's wife, Emilia, arrive in Cyprus, Cassio welcomes Emilia with a kiss, then says to Iago, "Let it not gall your patience, good Iago, / That I extend my manners; 'tis my breeding / That gives me this bold show of courtesy" . Cassio is making a big point of what a charmer he is, but Iago sarcastically and intelligently punctures his balloon with a joke "Sir, would she give you so much of her lips / As of her tongue she oft bestows on me, / You would have enough" . If Emilia kissed Cassio as much as she nags Iago, Cassio would have more than enough kissing. Here the audience is also surprised by Iago's complete disrespect of Desdemona and Emilia by saying such things in front of them.

The interactions between Iago and Roderigo also reveal Iago's distorted sense of honesty and his clear and easy admittance to this. At the end of Act One, Scene Three, Iago implicitly confirms our suspicions that he is using Roderigo for money and his own purposes "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse". Yet Roderigo is so void of intelligence he is easily manipulated by Iago's persuasive language and does not see this. Further, when Iago explains to Roderigo that he hates Othello, Roderigo wonders why Iago is still working for Othello. Iago then goes on to explain that hes a hypocrite, who is only pretending loyalty to Othello. He is not like those men who loyally serve their masters all their lives and then are fired when theyre too old to work. "Whip me such honest knaves", Iago contemptuously exclaims. It appears that Iago has no qualms in admitting to his scheming behaviour, indeed it appears that as Iago continues to spin his plot he takes pleasure in knowing the pain that he will inflict on those around him "I have't. It is engendered. Hell and night/ Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light." It is all the more distressing for the audience, therefore, to observe how Iago manipulates his characters, and how Othello still continues to trust his Ancient. Othello exclaims "A man he is of honesty and trust" as he appoints Iago to deliver documents from the Senate in Act One Scene Three. Later, Othello entrusts Iago with the responsibility of escorting Desdemona to Cyprus, and asks him to have Iagos wife be her companion. He says, "Honest Iago, / My Desdemona must I leave to thee / I prithee, let thy wife attend on her / And bring them after in the best advantage" . At the end of the scene, when Iago is hatching his plan against Othello, he comments that "The Moor is of a free and open nature, / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, / And will as tenderly be led by the nose / As asses are". In Cyprus, observing the joyous reunion of Othello and Desdemona, Iago says to himself that he will wreck the lovers harmony "O, you are well tuned now! / But Ill set down the pegs that make this music, / As honest as I am". Iago knows that Othello considers him honest, and his planning on using that in his dishonest plans. Iago also knows that Othello himself is too trusting and this could be easily used to Iago's advantage. This again is an example of his manipulative and plotting abilities, vital to his villainous character.

Although we observe clearly how Iago manipulates those around him, his motivation for such villainy is less clear. From the outset we learn that the promotion of Cassio, rather than himself, to the position of Lieutenant, is the catalyst for his machinations "One Michael Cassio, a Florentine -/A fellow almost damned in fair wife -/That never set a squadron in the field, /Nor the division of a battle knows/ More than a spinster." However, we soon see that Iago attempts to find other reasons for his actions, and other reasons for disliking the noble Othello. At the end of Act One, Scene Three, Iago decides that he thinks Othello may have slept with his wife, Emilia "It is thought abroad that twixt my sheets / He has done my office". Iago mentions this suspicion again explaining that he lusts after Desdemona ("Now, I do love her too;") because he wants to get even with Othello "wife for wife". Throughout, the audience is also led to believe that Iago may dislike Othello's skin colour, and subsequently his race, culture, and background. Iago repeatedly uses beastly vulgarity to describe the sexual relationship between Othello and Desdemona, highlighting his dislike for Othello's colour. He shouts out to Brabantio that "Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe". Moments later, he yells to Brabantio, "youll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; youll have your nephews neigh to you; youll have coursers for cousins and gennets for germans" . In short, if Brabantio doesnt do something, his whole family will be nothing but horses. Brabantio, who can only hear Iago, not see him, asks who he is, and Iago replies, "I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs". These interactions not only show the audience Iago's motivations, they again display in full Iago's masterful linguistic techniques.

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However, it could be argued that Iago has a true lack of convincing motivation for his actions, and this could indeed be his most terrible characteristic. None of his claims, his beliefs over the promotion of Cassio, Othello and Emilia, and his own lusting for Desdemona, seems to adequately explain Iago's deep hatred of Othello, and Iago's lack of motivation'or his inability or unwillingness to express his true motivation'makes his actions all the more terrifying. He is willing to take revenge on anyone'Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, even Emilia'at the slightest provocation and enjoys the pain and damage he causes. At the closure of Act Two, Scene One, it even appears that Iago is simply pulling at straws to give himself reasons to dislike Othello and carry out his mischievous deeds, he even jumps to believing Cassio has slept with Emilia, crying "For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too-", the audience is left completely unconvinced and outraged by Iago's lack of true motivation for his actions, and yet at the same time the audience is compelled and drawn in by this curious character.

As he attempts to develop his reasoning behind his actions, Shakespeare further shows how it could be argued that Iago does not have a clear plan to bring about the destruction of Othello, but adapts and amends his plotting in response to opportunity. At the close of Act One Iago begins to formulate his plans, ("How? How? Let's see./After some time, to abuse Othello's ear/ That he is too familiar with his wife…"), at the end of Act Two, Scene One, Iago decides to manipulate Othello's open nature to imply Desdemonda's infidelity, yet his plans are still in their infancy, as he suggests that his ideas are in his mind, "but yet confus'd." Iago has the ability to plan as he goes along and take advantage of situations to suit his purposes; it has been suggested that Iago is Machiavellian. However such a perilous unwinding of events again leads the audience to believe that even Iago does not know what or why he is doing what he is doing, and perhaps he just dislikes Othello for no clear or valid reason at all.

However, one aspect of Iago's character is very clear, and this is his high opinion of himself. In order to prove to Roderigo that he hates Othello, Iago comments, "I know my price, I am worth no worse a place", he feels he deserved to be Lieutenant. Later in the same scene, still explaining his hatred of Othello, Iago praises those who serve their masters only for their own purposes. He says that "when they have lin'd their coats," they "Do themselves homage" . We would call such persons embezzlers, but Iago sees them in another light "These fellows have some soul; / And such a one do I profess myself". At the closure of Act One, Scene Three, it is perfectly clear that Iago considers himself vastly superior to Roderigo "For I mine own gain'd knowledge should profane, / If I would time expend with such a snipe. / But for my sport and profit" . A snipe is a bird notorious for its flightiness and its tendency to run right into traps. Amusingly, when describing Cassio to the audience, we realize that he is in fact painting a perfect picture of himself "a slipper and subtle knave, a finder out of occasions;/ that has an eye can stamp and counterfeit advantages,/ though true advantage never present itself; a devilish/ knave!". Throughout, Iago depicts himself as being vastly superior to most that surround him, and more worthy of the position of lieutenant than Cassio himself, although we know just how noble and worthy Cassio is. This aspect of Iago's character adds dramatic tension and excitement, we the audience are aware of things that the characters are not.

Furthermore, Iago is developed as a character that holds a general hatred of women. Iago does not believe in love, only lust "It is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will." It could be suggested that he views relationships as merely existing for sexual purposes; his language in Act Two, Scene Three shows his vulgarity "What an eye she has! Methinks it sounds a parley to provocation." Although Iago admits to lusting after Desdemona, he severely lowers her respectability in his own and Roderigo's eyes, suggesting that Desdemona will be easily bored with Othello and will wish to move on for a new sexual partner "Her delicate tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge, disrelish and/ abhor the Moor. Very nature will instruct her in it and/ compel her to some second choice." Iago even explicitly voices his views on women, in a jovial manner, in front of Desdemona and Emilia "you are pictures out of doors, / bells in your parlours, / wild-cats in your kitchens, saints/ in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your/ housewifery, and housewives in your beds." Suggesting that women are on best behaviour in public but wild inside, and hussies in their beds, the audience is shown Iago's poor view of women. Iago believes that stupid yet beautiful women will always get their way "She never yet was foolish that was fair, /For even her folly helped her to an heir". The audience is often amused by Iago's outbursts on love and women, but simultaneously we wonder if these opinions have helped to develop Iago's bitter character and outlook upon people, and even whether these views are reason for his villainy.

So far, we have seen that Iago is Othello's Ensign, and the perpetrator of evil and fallacy in this play. He finds pleasure in destroying happiness and therefore plots to ruin many lives. Yet, it does not appear that Iago has true reason for this catastrophic destruction of people thus far. However, he still chooses to go about manipulating characters through his use of language, whilst holding himself in high esteem and harbouring a general disgust for women and love, all to serve his bitter and vengeful purposes.

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