FREE ESSAY ON OTHELLO- IAGO

OTHELLO- IAGO

As villain in Shakespeare's play Othello, Iago has two main actions. They are to plot and
to deceive. Iago hates Othello for two reasons. He believes that Othello made love to his
wife, and Iago is mad that Cassio was chosen to be Lieutenant instead of himself. From
this hate comes the main conflict of the play. Iago plans to ruin Othello by carrying out
a plan based on lies and deceit. This plan will make Iago the only person that Othello
believes he can trust, and Iago will use this trust to manipulate Othello. First, Iago
plans to remove Cassio from his position as lieutenant so that he himself take over
Cassio's position as confidant and Lieutenant to Othello. Then Iago hopes to convince
Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. If Iago's plan unfolds properly,
he will be granted the revenge that he believes he deserves.
Iago's plan and his motives are disclosed through a series three of conversations. He
speaks with Roderigo twice and Cassio once. These three conversations show how Iago
manipulates others to gain his own ends, and they also give motives for Iago's behavior.
The conversations all follow the same pattern. Iago first speaks with Roderigo and Cassio
to forward his plan, and then Iago has a soliloquy in which he discusses his motives.
Iago states that the reasons for his hate are that Othello slept with Emilia and Cassio
was chosen to be Othello's Lieutenant. However, Iago's actions lead to ends that do not
revenge his given motives. Coleridge calls Iago's actions the motive-hunting of a
motiveless malignity . In other words, Iago's only reason for destroying Othello is that
Iago is an inherently bad person. The conversations that Iago has with Roderigo and
Cassio show that Iago invents reasons for his actions against Othello, so that his own
selfish ends can be met.
Iago's first dialog with Roderigo serves as an introduction to Iago's plan. In this scene
the reader learns that Roderigo is in love with Desdemona, because he threatens to drown
himself when he learns that Othello and Desdemona are engaged. Uses Roderigo's weakness
to help him remove Cassio from his lieutenant position. Iago tells Roderigo to put money
in thy purse (333) . Iago believes that Othello and Desdemona will not be together for a
very long time since Othello is a Moor and Desdemona is an aristocrat. Iago urges
Roderigo to earn money now so that he can be an eligible suitor when Desdemona is looking
for another husband. This conversation and the soliloquy following it introduce the two
different sides of Iago. 
Iago tells Roderigo what he wants to hear in order to enlist his help. However, in the
following soliloquy the reader is introduced to what Iago really has planned. He states
that he would never associate with someone like Roderigo except to gain his own ends.
Thus do I ever make my fool my purse--/ For I mine own gained knowledge should profane/
If I would time expand with such a snipe/ But for my sport and profit (365-368). Iago
feels that Roderigo is a foolish man who exists only for Iago's use or sport. This idea a
strengthened by the word snipe. The Arden Shakespeare defines snipe as fool (p. 159) and
states that the word meant gull or dupe (p. 159) before Shakespeare. These definitions
emphasize the fact that Iago feels no respect for Roderigo and is manipulating Roderigo
only to further his plan. 
In the same speech, Iago's real plan is revealed only to the audience. Iago wants to
convince Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are in love. They are the two people that
Othello trusts, and if Othello believes that they have turned on him, this will lead to
his downfall. Iago plans to tell Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair.
Cassio is a ladies man, and Iago believes that Cassio's charm makes women fall in love
with him. Iago will make the innocent flirtations of Cassio and Desdemona seem like
secret love to Othello. After some time to abuse Othello's ears/ That he is too familiar
with his wife/ He hath a person and a smooth dispose/ To be suspected, framed to make
women false (378-380). 
Iago planted a seed of hope in Roderigo, and the next time they speak Iago uses this hope
to turn Roderigo against Cassio. In this scene Iago tells Roderigo that Desdemona is
directly in love with [Cassio] (215). From there previous discussion, Roderigo believes
that he will be with Desdemona when she is no longer with Othello. Here, Roderigo learns
that he has competition, and this information is given to Roderigo only because Iago
hopes that Roderigo will initiate a fight with Cassio. This fight will get Cassio in
trouble and hopefully remove him from his position. Cassio is not an agressive soldier
like Iago, and he has to be tricked and provoked in order to fight. When Cassio fights
with Roderigo, Iago will create a riot in Cyprus and blame the cause on Cassio. Cassio's
uncharacteristic agression is what ultimately removes his from his position as
lieutenant.
Sir, he's rash and very sudden in choler, and haply may strike at you. Provoke him that
he may, for even out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny, whose qualification
shall come into no true taste again but by the displanting of Cassio (261-264). 
The New Arden Shakespeare defines qualifications as condition, nature or pacification
(180) and uses the word trust instead of taste. When taste is used, the line says that
the people of Cyprus will not feel comfortable with their nature until Cassio is removed
from his position. In contrast, when trust is used, Iago's words say that the people of
Cyprus will not be able to trust authorities again until Cassio is no longer Lieutenant.
While Cassio is fighting, Iago is using the violence to create a riot in Cyprus and
unnerve the people. Cassio is blamed for this riot, and order cannot be restored until he
is no longer Lieutenant. The word trust makes more sense in this sentence, because Cassio
lost the trust of the masses when he acted with aggression. He was always a well mannered
and peaceful man, and now the people of Cyprus do not know who he really is. 
In the soliloquy following Roderigo's exit, Iago reveals the real reasons for his
plotting against Othello. Iago says that Othello slept with Emilia, Iago's wife, and he
feels that he must even the score with Othello by sleeping with Desdemona. If Iago fails
to woo Desdemona, he plans to prove to Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an
affair. Iago hope that this information will make Othello forever jealous. 
For that I do suspect the lusty Moor/ Hath leapt into my seat, the thought whereof/ Doth,
like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards/ And nothing can or shall content my soul/ Till
I am evened with his, wife for wife--/ Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor/ At least
into a jealousy so strong/ That judgement cannot cure (282-288).
This soliloquy shows that Iago has no real motives for his actions. To substitute for
real motives, Iago treats rumors like they were facts and invents situations that never
happened in order to suit the ends he wishes to achieve. The Furness Variorum Edition
points out that Iago admits in his first soliloquy that the affair between Othello and
Emilia is only a rumor (p.120-121). And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets/ he
has done my office. I know not if't be true/ But I, for mere suspicion in that kind/ Will
do as if for surety (369-372). Iago has no reason to hate Othello, but because he is an
evil person Iago wants to ruin Othello's life. Iago heard a rumor that Othello had slept
with Emilia, and he declares that he will believe this rumor as if it were a fact. 
By the time Iago says his second soliloquy, he has convinced himself that Othello and
Emilia had an affair. He is able to say that Othello hath leapt into my seat (283) with
such conviction because in his head Iago has made the rumor a fact. This shows that Iago
has no motives for destroying Othello. He invents reasons why he hates Othello, and these
reasons lead to the end that Iago envisions, not the logical end that these motives
should reach.
In this soliloquy the hypocrisy of Iago's motives and actions is also visible. Iago says
that he wants to be even with Othello wife for wife yet he does nothing to try and get in
bed with Desdemona. Instead of wooing Desdemona, Iago spends his energy on trying to
break up the marriage of Desdemona and Othello. Othello did not break up Iago's marriage
by sleeping with Emilia; it is never proven that this even happened. Therefore, breaking
up Othello's marriage does not get Iago revenge in any way. The only way that Iago's
actions could be the result of his motives is if he is jealous of Othello for sleeping
with Emilia. If Iago was jealous then making Othello jealous would be an appropriate form
of revenge. However, Iago does not seem to regard Emilia as a wife, and he uses her to
forward his plans in the same way that he uses Roderigo. Iago is not jealous of Emilia
and Othello and, therefore, he acts without motive.
In the final conversation Iago is speaking with Cassio instead of Roderigo. Now that
Cassio has been removed from his position as Othello's lieutenant he is very vulnerable,
and wants only to win Othello's trust again. Iago pretends to be Cassio's friend and uses
Cassio to begin the second phase of his plan. Iago suggests that Cassio request the help
of Desdemona to try and win back the respect of Othello. This is a good idea for two
reasons. First, Desdemona is a person that cannot turn her back on someone in need, such
as Cassio. Secondly, Othello is under Desdemona's control. Othello loves Desdemona so
much that if she believes Cassio to be trustworthy, Othello will believe it also.
Our general's wife is now the general... Confess yourself freely to her. Importune her
help to put you in your place again. She is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a
disposition, she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than is requested
(292-298). 
Iago's hypocrisy is again illustrated here. In this passage Iago admires and respects
Desdemona's personality. However, as the New Arden Shakespeare shows, Iago attacked and
ridiculed Desdemona in a previous conversation with Roderigo (p. 201). Iago tells
Roderigo that Desdemona is unintelligent because she is enamored with a pestilent
complete knave (239) like Cassio. Iago says this to infuriate Roderigo. By hearing Iago
describe Desdemona as an average person Roderigo will want to prove him wrong. Roderigo
will also want to win Desdemona from Cassio, who Iago described as unworthy of
Desdemona.
When Iago again speaks of Desdemona, this time to Cassio, his opinion of her has changed
drastically. Here she is described as blessed (297), when Iago made an issue of proving
that Desdemona is not blessed when speaking with Roderigo. Iago speaks highly of
Desdemona to Cassio so that Cassio will speak to her about Othello. Cassio thinks that
Iago is honest (309) and trusts the advice that Iago gives. Iago acts in any way that
helps him destroy Othello. Iago manipulates his words and uses Cassio and Roderigo as
mere means to his own ends. 
Iago makes it seem as if he is helping Cassio because he is a genuine friend. However, in
the soliloquy following the reader learns the real reason why Iago is helping Cassio.
Iago's biggest aim is to ruin the marriage of Othello and Desdemona. If Cassio asks
Desdemona for help and Desdemona speaks highly of him to Othello, it could appear that
the two are in love. Iago plans to show Othello how often they are together and how close
they are. Seeing this will make Othello jealous. 
I'll pour this pestilence into his ear:/ That she repeals him for her body's lust/ And by
how much she strives to do him good/ She shall undo her credit with the Moor/ So I will
turn her virtue into pitch/ And out of her own goodness make the net/ That shall enmesh
them all (330-336).
At this point in the play, Iago's plan is underway. Cassio is no longer Lieutenant, and
the evidence of the affair between Cassio and Desdemona is ready to be shown to Othello.
This is a good concluding soliloquy, because it foreshadows what will happen. Iago will
constantly show Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are deceiving him, while Desdemona will
constantly tell Othello what a good man Cassio is. These two factors, plus Cassio and
Desdemona always being together, will prove to Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are in
love. Through much deceit and manipulation Iago will drive Othello into madness and ruin
the lives of everyone.
Iago never gives a logical reason for ruining the lives of Othello, Desdemona and Cassio.
Iago claims that Othello slept with Emilia, and he feels that he must have revenge.
However, Iago never makes any attempt to sleep with Desdemona, and he never tries to
revenge Emilia's honor. Instead, Iago destroys Othello's marriage, which is illogical
given Iago's stated motive. Othello did not ruin Iago's marriage. Iago even admits that
he is not sure if Othello and Emilia were ever together. Yet he uses this as a motive for
revenge anyway, because this allows him to accomplish all of his goals. Iago becomes
Othello's Lieutenant, and destroys Othello's marriage. Iago acts in this illogical manner
because he is a naturally bad person who has no real reason to hate Othello. Iago changes
his opinions and makes up events in order to ruin the lives of those around him. I ago
is, as Coleridge said, motiveless malignity. 
Bibliography
Furness, Horace Howard, A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare: Othello. 
Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, copyright 1886.
Honigmann, E.A.J. The Arden Shakespeare: Othello. Surrey, UK: Thomas Nelson and 
Sons, Ltd, 1997.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Greenblatt, Stephen et 
al. W.W. Norton and Company: New York, 1997. Pp. 2100-2172.