Shakespeare's Iago - The Man We Love to Hate

He has been called "a devil in the flesh", "evil personified", "Hell's master therapist" and "the most complex villain" in all literary history. Yet his creator simply called him Iago, which in part means "faithful to friends." There is little stock that can be placed in this nommee parce (name irony) in fact Shakespeare once caused Juliet Montague expostulate the famous question "What is in a name?" indicating his belief that names are of little importance compared to the fragrance or essence of a persons life. In fact, if Iago is truly faithful to friends as his name implies we are at a loss to find a single person considered by him worthy to be termed friend. He is an equal opportunity individual who despises everyone the same. And from the moment he is introduced he is shown to be a villain that is envious, treacherous, manipulative, and opportunistic and with qualities that will cause him to always be one of those characters you simply love to hate.The main motivation behind Iago's decision to start down the path of infamy is his extreme envy of two men: Othello and Michael Cassio. As the play begins we are informed that Iago has been denied a coveted promotion to be Othello's lieutenant or as we now call it an executive officer and is given instead the less prestigious position of "ancient" or ensign. This is a junior grade officer and is a far cry from the position of prominence and power he attained unto. To a man with ambition such as Iago this is a slight that can not go unchecked. It seems apparent that he desired the position of second in command for a reason that stretch beyond the obvious. In fact, it is without a doubt that he desires it so that he can be in a position to assume the leadership of the military forces of Venice once Othello has been effectively removed from office. His desire to usurp the power of the noble Othello had been brewing in his mind for some time and envy was the yeast which started his thoughts fermenting. The promotion of Cassio however created an obstacle, and thwarted his immediate plan which stoked the furnace of his fury even further leaving him with only one possible option: the total annihilation of all who stood in his way. Perhaps he could have allowed Othello to escape with his life had his original plan been enacted but now there was no alternative for this jealous soul, these men must die.Villains have always been treacherous in one way or another but in the case of Iago treachery is elevated to an art form. In fact, from the moment he set his mind to it Iago elegantly glides from one treacherous encounter with his adversaries to another and comes out each time on top. This is because Iago understands that trust is a key element in accomplishing treacherous aims and so, in the style of a true master of treachery, he makes his enemies think him their closest friend. Throughout the entire play he craftily and masterfully manipulates his words to effectively conceal his bitter aims allowing him the ability to secure the trust of his intended victims. Othello we learn so believes his lies that he states in full assurance that Iago is a "friend" and lead one commentator to state that Iago's "jovial bluntness passes as 'honesty'". Yet by the end of the tragedy Othello, Rodrigo, Bianca, Desdemona and others are made to feel first hand the sting of his betrayal with a staggering realization that they have been the victims of sedition and betrayed by a man they called friend.To further his aims Iago resorts to the tactic of all truly villainous men, that of manipulation. Unsure, insecure, and somewhat apprehensive, Othello is easily directed by Iago down any path the villain's imagination can conceive. In fact he states in no uncertain terms 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." It's as if Iago delights in creating illusion and manipulating people by his powers of deception. He realizes things about people they fail to realize of themselves and this gives him the perfect ammunition to bring about their destruction. Stringing together this partial truth, and that innuendo he forms a block upon which to chop. And chop he does with painfully accurate results.Finally, no study of Iago's character could be complete without a discussion of his opportunistic nature. It seems he has a sort of sixth sense regarding opportunities. He always knows what to do and when to do it in order to reap the greatest reward. No villain has ever had the same innate ability to know in the same way when the iron was hottest and at what time it would be best to strike. From the exploitation of Rodrigo's intelligence, to the manipulation of Othello's character, Iago always seems to know just what measure to take to ensure his desired results. Consider the handkerchief of Act III, a seemingly innocuous item to most but to Iago it is a hangman's noose to be tied around the neck of Desdemona and to be used to bring about the ultimate destruction of Othello. That is why Iago repeatedly encourages Emilia his wife to "steal" it because he recognizes its intrinsic value. And while it could be argued from this that Iago was a master planner it seems more likely that he was an excellent ad-libber taking advantage of every opportunity as it presented itself to further his goals and aims. He uses every advantage he has at his disposal to promise to fulfill their deepest desires.Iago is perfectly suited to be the villain in this play because he demonstrates the chilling depth of moral depravity one can descend too when they are void of morality and ambitious for advancement. Couple this with his envy of those that are good, his treachery against those that show trust, his manipulation of those who are weaker, and his willingness to exploit all opportunities he is presented, and you come to realize that Iago is the wickedest villain of all times. And while some think him the devil in incarnate, and others a psychopathic mad man, to the majority of readers he will always remain the man they love to hate. dr seuss cat in hat quotes