Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Envy is the tax which all distinction must pay”. Iago was a mere individual who had been revoked high position in favor of Cassio. The reason why this makes the whole play compelling is that this rejection led to a well-planned tragedy all the ways towards its ending. Although Iago is clever, his intelligence synergizes greatly with his deadly weapon composed of envy, pride, ego, and deceitfulness. In this paper not only will I identify his negative traits, I will also prove how it led to his future actions with detailed examples. Iago is a personification of envy, one of the deadly sins and how he is a player of games, a chess master for whom games and winning are more important than reality.
In my view Iago had a grudge against Othello because of his promotion of Cassio to a lieutenant while believing that Othello slept with his wife, being the reason why he was seeking revenge against both Cassio and Othello. When Iago said: “… I hate the Moor: And it is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets
He’s done my office. I know not if ’t be true,” this quote had a tone which shows his deep hatred towards Othello. Iago lives in his own world; he betrays everyone who was convinced by his loyalty and honesty. Just as if he is the puppeteer with everyone wrapped around his fingers, doing exactly as he wills them to do. Iago’s own wife, Roderigo, Cassio, and lastly Othello had all fell into Iago’s long planned scheme. To get to Othello, Iago had to improvise with the people in his surroundings. Iago started off with both Cassio & Roderigo. Iago said, “Cassio’s a proper man: let me see now; To get his place, and to plume up my will In double knavery,--How, how?—Let’s see”. This shows that Iago has been plotting his revenge since the beginning. Later in act 1, scene 1 Iago approached Roderigo. Roderigo was one of Iago’s puppets, he was in love with Desdemona; Iago offered to help win her in exchange for money. Then, Iago guided Roderigo to murder Cassio, he fails to do so in a brawl and gets injured; Iago stabs Cassio in the leg himself. Cassio states that his attacker (Roderigo) is in the immediate area, Iago is aware that he must murder Roderigo because he is at risk of being exposed if Roderigo is captured and interrogated. Iago is a player of games, a chess master for whom games and winning are more important than reality. Iago doesn’t know what he will do after getting the sweet revenge against Othello, but he uses who and what he has to fulfill his morbid desires. During when Roderigo was injured Iago said,
“Now, whether he kill Cassio
Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other
Every way makes my gain. Live Roderigo,
He calls me to a restitution large
Of gold and jewels that I bobbed from him
As gifts to Desdemona.” This shows that Iago believes Roderigo will be a burden to him as Roderigo will ask Iago for all the gold and jewelry he gave for Desdemona. Iago assumes that Roderigo has fulfilled his needs and he needs to be slain. After Iago finishes using Roderigo, he murders him; it is obvious that Iago is a narcissistic and solipsistic sociopath who interpret variations of others personally as a self-protection. His self-regard is based upon the unbecoming diminution and dismissal of others. Iago then gets revenge on Cassio by having his rank remoted by Othello for breaking guidelines. Iago lies to Othello about his wife being unfaithful. When Iago tells Cassio to ask Desdemona to tell Othello to be reimbursed the worthy lieutenant position, Iago then makes Othello believe that they are secret lovers. Othello promotes Iago and orders him to kill both Cassio and Desdemona. In the ending when everyone finds out the truth about Iago, it was tragic. The reason for this is it let to the suicide of Othello and the murdering of Emilia. Although Iago was able to accomplish what he had plotted, he lost everything he had that made him happy and complete. What made him happy and complete was his secret cynical actions, not the people in his life he pretended to be friends with or love. By being taken away in the ending he is exposed of his fraudulent schemes, he will never be able to attempt such acts again. His word choices allow him to arouse the minds of others giving him the chance to manipulate anyone he wishes to. For example: Iago deceives Othello with a wise choice of words,
“O, beware, my lord of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock
The meat if feeds upon” this also pleased Othello, making him believe Iago.
To conclude this essay Iago Is indeed a personification of envy, who is a player of games, a chess master for whom games and winning are more important than reality. In the main paragraph The reason why I stated that Iago lives in his own world In the main paragraph, is that he did anything he could regardless of outcome just to take revenge against Othello. Shakespeare might have also shown how dangerous people can be in his play. Even though Iago is intelligent, it doesn’t seem that he has any other traits that involve morality or empathic feelings. In my opinion, the fact that Iago only has negative traits makes him a special antagonist like no other villain. Iago followed his soul, he plotted a very secret but vague plan that led to the death of almost everyone