Characterization of Iago

The character of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello is unique in the fact that he has no conscience. Iago is the prime example of being a villain, as he lives only to serve himself and has absolute disdain and unconcern for the welfare of others. While what Shakespeare says about the ideal of man is that it is in man’s nature to yearn toward Heaven and to pursue the Good; Iago is unique among his villains because he has no operating conscience. The main characteristics of Iago are that he is selfish, deceptive, and he lacks even the smallest bit of concern for others. Everything Iago does is to benefit himself or any plans he has set in motion. He lies to nearly everyone, often using others as pawns. To put it simply: Iago is the stereotypical dastardly villain. Iago’s whole reason for enacting his plan to ruin Othello and everyone close to him was over simple jealousy. Othello chose Cassio to be his lieutenant rather than Iago; and Iago sees it that Othello did this because Cassio is wealthier and of higher social class than him. In Act One, Scene One, Iago says to Roderigo, that Cassio “never set a squadron in the field” and that he is “Mere prattle, without practice, in his soldiership”. What he is saying here is that Iago is not as qualified as he to be Othello’s lieutenant. Because of his jealousy of this incident, Iago sets a plan in motion to bring down Othello, Cassio, and even Othello’s wife Desdemona. In order to succeed in this plan, Iago needs to use every cunning tactic he can think of. To begin with, he has Roderigo believing that he is helping him gain the favor of Desdemona. Roderigo is rather wealthy, and Iago uses his money to fund his own selfish desires while telling Roderigo that he is giving the jewels and gold to Desdemona in order to court her for him. In Act One, Scene One, Roderigo refers to Iago as “[the man] who hast had my purse”. It seems that Iago is Roderigo’s only friend, as Roderigo is not shown with others, or even speaking to others: he is always with Iago. Iago blatantly abuses this fact by constantly convincing and persuading Roderigo to give him more money throughout the play. Roderigo, appearing to be slightly dense, just follows Iago’s every order and listens to his every request. As well as abusing what seems to be his only friendship, Iago is so deceptive that he actually has a good reputation with the person he is specifically working to destroy. Iago tells Othello throughout Acts Two, Three, and Four that Othello’s wife Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, and although Othello is absolutely infatuated with her, he believes all of Iago’s lies. In fact, Othello is so naïve that he even refers to Iago as “Honest Iago” multiple times throughout the play. In Act One, Scene Three, Othello refers to Iago as “a man of honesty and trust” and shows that he has so much faith in him that he appoints Iago to escort Desdemona to Cyprus, saying “Honest Iago, my Desdemona must I leave to thee”. In Act Two, Scene Three, Othello tells Cassio “Iago is most honest”. In the same scene, after he ends the fight between a drunken Cassio and Montano, Othello says to Iago, “Honest Iago, that look’st dead with grieving. Speak, who began this?”. Later on, in Act Three, Scene Three, when Iago is starting to solidify the idea in Othello’s head that Desdemona is unfaithful, Othello says to Iago “I know thou’rt full of love and honesty”. Once Othello is so completely convinced that Desdemona is unfaithful, he murders her and is then confronted by Iago’s wife Emilia in Act Five, Scene Two. He says that Iago told him that Desdemona is unfaithful, calling him an “honest man that hates the slime that sticks on filthy deeds”. Emilia, knowing that Iago is deceptive, repeatedly asks Othello if he is actually speaking of her husband, Iago, to which Othello says “I say thy husband: dost thou understand the word? My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago”. The simple fact that Othello so incredibly falls for Iago’s lies shows just how deceptive Iago really is. Iago is doing everything in his power to ruin and destroy Othello, yet Othello speaks of him as a dear friend. This would be the same as Jesus referring to Satan in a friendly manner, or Rocky calling Ivan Drago his best friend, or Achilles taking Hector out for drinks. Iago is pulling every string he can behind the scenes to bring Othello down, and Othello, simply put, loves him. Iago is so nefariously evil that he sees this love that Othello has for him and is still able to use it to his advantage to destroy him. He has no concern about what he has to do to accomplish what he wants, and is the literary incarnation of evil. He has no love for his wife, repeatedly implying and directly calling her a whore. He has no love for anyone or anything other than himself, and is so consumed with jealousy that he devises a plan that eventually kills Othello and Desdemona. In the end, Iago has no regrets, does not want to atone for his sins, and simply decides to just stay quiet. Such an evil man cannot have a conscience, making Iago certainly a unique villain and character of Shakespeare’s.