Othello - Analysis of Iago

Shakespeare's Iago is one of Shakespeare's most complex 
villains. At first glance Iago's character seems to be pure evil.
However, such a villain would distract from the impact of the play and 
would be trite. Shakespeare to add depth to his villain makes him 
amoral, as opposed to the typical immoral villain. Iago's entire 
scheme begins when the "ignorant, ill-suited" Cassio is given the 
position he desired. Iago is consumed with envy and plots to steal the 
position he feels he most justly deserves. Iago deceives, steals, and 
kills to gain that position. However, it is not that Iago pushes aside 
his conscience to commit these acts, but that he lacks a conscience to 
begin with. Iago's amorality can be seen throughout the play and is 
demonstrated by his actions. 

 For someone to constantly lie and deceive one's wife and 
friends, one must be extremely evil or, in the case of Iago, amoral. 
In every scene in which Iago speaks one can point out his deceptive 
manner. Iago tricks Othello into beleiving that his own wife is
having an affair, without any concrete proof. Othello is so caught up 
in Iago's lies that he refuses to believe Desdemona when she denies 
the whole thing. Much credit must be given to Iago's diabolical 
prowess which enables him to bend and twist the supple minds of his 
friends and spouse. In today's society Iago would be called a 
psychopath without a conscience not the devil incarnate. 

 Iago also manages to steal from his own friend without the 
slightest feeling of guilt. He embezzles the money that Roderigo gives
him to win over Desdemona. When Roderigo discovers that Iago has been 
hoarding his money he screams at Iago and threatens him. However, when 
Iago tells him some fanciful plot in order to capture Desdemona's 
heart Roderigo forgets Iago's theft and agrees to kill Cassio. Iago's 
keen intellect is what intrigues the reader most. His ability to say 
the right things at the right time is what makes him such a successful 
villain. However, someone with a conscience would never be able to 
keep up such a ploy and deceive everyone around him. This is why it is 
necessary to say that Iago is amoral, because if you don't his
character becomes fictional and hard to believe. 

 At the climactic ending of the play, Iago's plot is given away 
to Othello by his own wife, Emilia. Iago sees his wife as an obstacle 
and a nuisance so he kills her. He kills her not as much out of anger 
but for pragmatic reasons. Emilia is a stumbling block in front of his 
path. She serves no purpose to him anymore and she can now only hurt 
his chances of keeping the position he has been given by Othello. 
Iago's merciless taking of Emilia's and Roderigo's lives is another 
proof of his amorality. 

 If one looks in modern day cinema, one will see the trite 
villain, evil to the core. Shakespeare took his villains to a higher 
level. He did not make them transparent like the villains of modern 
cinema. He gave his villains depth and spirit. Iago is a perfect
example of "Shakespeare's villain." His amorality and cynicism give, 
what would be a very dull character, life.