Iago in Othello Essay

Throughout history, literature and theatre have always attempted to create strong, believable characters readers and audiences can identify with. A common challenge among writers is to depict a villain who everyone will love to hate someone who, although they are selfish, cruel, or even outright evil, is interesting and captures the attention of the audience. Even though it is difficult to make a two-dimensional hero, it is even more difficult to make a two-dimensional villain because audiences automatically expect to hate them. However, a truly great author such as Shakespeare was able to write the character of Iago in Othello as someone who is ruthless and evil, but also someone the audience isnt completely able to understand. An actor playing Iago must be able to balance Iagos evil with the mystery that surrounds his motivations, and therefore this essay will outline the ways in which this is a difficult job.

From the very first scene of Othello, it seems that Iagos motivations are clearly defined he hates Othello for not making him his lieutenant, and decides to pretend to be loyal to him so it will be easier to manipulate him. I follow him to serve my term upon him. (I, i, 44) It is obvious he wants something, but the audience is never clearly told what that something is. It can be assumed that Iago wants the lieutenant position, but he does not make any moves to attempt to win it. Instead, throughout the play the only thing Iago seems motivated to do is make trouble and ruin Othellos life. He appears to ally himself with many different characters, but in reality he is playing with them and using them as pawns in his master plan. His speech is very confusing and mysterious as well. Iago speaks many of his lines in metaphors and allusions, and their meaning is not always clear. They all seem to illustrate various aspects of his plots and how he understands human nature, but never his true motivation, using references to nature and animals most often. Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners; so that if we will plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme . . . the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills (I, iii, 317322)

Iago is clearly defined as the villain from the very beginning of the play, and his soliloquy in Act I, scene i outlines his hatred for Othello and his plan to ruin him. Many aspects of his villainous personality are scattered throughout the play in both subtle and obvious ways. He makes many references to sex, most often in a vulgar manner, such as discussing Desdemonas sexual abilities in Act II, scene iii, lines 17-20. This obsession with sex is also tied to his sexist outlook. Desdemona is nothing more than a sex object, and he kills his wife Emilia thoughtlessly in Act V, scene ii as well as irrationally being suspicious of her sleeping with Othello in Act I, scene iii. He is also clearly racist, and calls Othello an old black ram in Act I, scene i. These traits, coupled with his conniving and sneaky nature, are typical of most villains in literature, but occasionally Iago is so convincingly pleasant to others that the audience may actually believe that his loyalty to other characters is honest. His many metaphors make him a witty and engaging character that uses clever wordplay to trap others into liking him, and thus the audience admires his skill with words while still knowing he is the plays major villain.

An important difference between the villain and the protagonist in Othello is, although Othello commits violent acts that are morally wrong, the audience can identify with him. He is an outsider who is manipulated, and despite his flaws he has many more heroic and good characteristics. Even when Othello does awful things, the audience can automatically blame these actions on Iago, the villain who makes him do so. Throughout the play, however, Iago does not actually make Othello do anything he plants false evidence and ideas (Desdemonas handkerchief, for example) to lead Othello astray. He often carries the whole play, as his plotting pushes forward almost all the action. It is clearly very difficult to play a character with so many responsibilities, especially when the audience is constantly motivated to hate him. His entire character is one that is multilayered, as he is frequently switching back and forth between honesty and false honesty, to the point where it is tricky for the audience to be able to identify which is which. In addition to this, it is difficult to portray a character with no clear motivations. In the first scene of Act I, he wants to get revenge on Othello for not making him lieutenant (10-15), but only one act later he claims he wants revenge because he believes Othello slept with his wife (II, i, 286). He constantly plots the downfalls of other characters as well, and therefore has no clear path or object of hatred. Instead of making the character seem unfocused, this has the effect of Iago appearing even more evil than if he did have a clear motive. Because the audience doesnt understand him, he seems even more interesting and mysterious.

In conclusion, because it is more difficult to understand Iagos actions, his motivations, and his entire character, his is the character that is more difficult to play. Othello is the plays hero, and even when he is in the wrong we sympathize with him and believe him to be manipulated by Iago. Iagos character is one who constantly needs to switch back and forth between good and evil in order to fool people without appearing too flighty or unfocused. His character is so engaging because the audience will never be able to understand him, and to continue this mystery is a complex thing to do.

Works Cited.

Shakespeare, William. Othello. Cambridge: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1984. Print.