Example Of Essay On Iago From Shakespeares Othello

Iago is a fictional character from Othello – a play written by William Shakespeare. He is the husband to Emilia, and the attendant to Othello. As a soldier, Iago fights many battles alongside Othello but when the time for promotion comes, Michael Cassio passes him over the promotion. Iago is not happy about this new development and hatches a plan for revenge.
Iago is extremely vengeful and vengeance motivates his actions. For instance, after Othello fails to promote him, Iago plans to bring his rule to a standstill. He also plans to manipulate Othello to demote Cassio. His dislike for Cassio stems from the fact that Cassio gets a promotion while he (Iago) still continues to serve as a junior soldier.
With a doubt, Iago acts as the villain of the play. Readers get the perception that Iago is a conniving and manipulative person through his interactions with other characters in the play. He is also extremely good at hiding is true intentions. He presents himself as a trustworthy person to others, while in reality he is nothing close to that.
Although every character in the play commits a transgression, Iago’s level of guilt is a notch higher above the rest of the characters. For example, he is guilty of the death of his close friend – Roderigo- after setting him up to fight with Cassio. In addition, he wants Othello to kill Desdemona, who has done nothing wrong to warrant death. However, Iago does not care what happens to other people, as long as he gets what he wants.
Despite all the negative attributes about him, Iago is a likeable character. Because of his ability to manipulate those around him, Iago appears to be a strong and compelling figure. Again, he is funny, and his charm makes readers side with him.