FREE ESSAY ON IAGO

IAGO

IAGO
Honest Iago, is perhaps the most interesting and exotic character in the tragic play
Othello, by William Shakespeare. Iago is not your ordinary villain. The role he plays is
rather unique and complex, far from what one might expect. Iago is very smart. He is
manipulative and cunning. He is an excellent judge of people and their characters, and
uses this to his advantage. However, like most villains, Iago is 'two-faced', he is not
what he appears and this provides a sound alibi for his plans. Iago is also very
dominating, he strives to succeed and reach his objectives. However, it is the way in
which he goes about this that is unique and what makes him the extraordinary character he
is. 
The play it self, is an excellent example of Iagos manipulation of others, in particular
Othello. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate
others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer toward his goals.
Iago has many qualities that enables him to do this, one of which is his ability to judge
people. For example, he knows Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and figures that he
would do anything to have her as his own. Iago says about Roderigo, Thus do I ever make
my fool my purse. [Act I, Scene III, Line 376] By playing on his hopes, Iago is able to
swindle money and jewels from Roderigo, making himself a substantial profit, while using
Roderigo to forward his other goals.
Another of Iagos assets is that he is very quick thinking and has an excellent ability to
improvise whenever something unexpected occurs. For example when Cassio takes hold of
Desdemona's hand before the arrival of the Moor Othello, Iago says, With as little a web
as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. [Act II, Scene I, Line 163] This,
combined with his cunning and craftiness, makes him a very powerful villain indeed. 
Being as smart as he is, Iago is quick to recognize the advantages of trust and uses it
as a tool hide his plot. Throughout the play he is commonly known as, and commonly
called, Honest Iago. He even says of himself, I am an honest man.... [Act II, Scene III,
Line 245] Iago realises that trust is a very powerful emotion that is easily abused.
Iagos ultimate plot is against Othello and the plot succeeding is only made possible or
al least, made much easier by Othellos unrelenting trust in him. This trust is
exemplified by the quote, Othello holds [him] well;/The better shall [Iago's] purpose
work on him. Iago is a master of turning people's trust in him into tools to forward his
own goals. Iago slowly poisons people's thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without
implicating himself. And what's he then that says I play the villain, when this advice is
free I give, and honest, [Act II, Scene III, Line 299] says Iago. And thus, people rarely
stop to consider the possibility that Iago could be deceiving or manipulating them.
However the reader knows of Iago's mask through the use of dramatic irony. As a result,
to most characters, particularly Othello, he is Honest Iago. while to the reader he is
Iago the villain.
By the end of the play, Iago is shown to be a villain and the mastermind behind an
intricate plot of revenge against his almost ignorant general. However, it was through no
flaw of Iago's other than he chose the wrong person to do the job of killing Cassio. And
it was Roderigo's incompetence that was the downfall of Iago. But Iago must receive
credit for his ingeniousness and for the fact that he was what many would say to be the
most powerful character in the play.