Lago, in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, can be construed to be a malevolent character. It is he, who plotted the downfall of the hero. He deceived Othello into believing that Desdemona had been unfaithful to him to seek revenge. Othello, the protagonist, loved Desdemona, and finally, with the consent of the elders, married her. Their love was the talking point of the people of Venice. However, their bonding in love that culminated in their marriage ended barely three weeks later in a treacherous murder. Othello was a great Moorish general who was well respected and admired by all, while Desdemona was considered to be among the fairest and prettiest women in Venice. Their love blossomed so much that, it was also the cause for their doom. Iago, the trusted aide of Othello, felt grieved by Othello’s action to promote Cassio ahead of him as his lieutenant. He plots his revenge on Othello for not promoting him, and deceits to kill Desdemona. Iago’s role can be considered to be the fulcrum of Shakespeare’s plot development. Without Iago, Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ would never have been a tragedy. Iago tricked Othello into believing that Desdemona had been unfaithful to him by sleeping with Cassio. An infuriated Othello, without even thinking, kill her while in bed. The innocence of marriage was thus; shattered in a spate of anger, a repentant Othello takes his life.
The play is centered on Iago’s effort to destroy Othello’s happiness. He convinces Othello that Desdemona has been having a love affair with Cassio. Iago’s character portrays a combination of wickedness and unjustified lust for revenge; deceit versus innocence. However, Iago wouldn’t have acted the way he did, had he been given the due recognition he thought he deserved. Shakespeare elucidates Iago’s motives through his soliloquies. In the play, Iago has a dual role to play; as a villain to the audience, but a trustworthy friend and aide to the characters in the play. For example, in Act I, Scene i, Iago confide:
For when my outward action doth demonstrate for daws to peck at: I am not what I am (Lines 61-65)
It is obvious that Iago has reasons to feel angry; one, he being ignored by Othello for Cassio, and two, sexual jealousy. However, he suppresses his emotions outside, even though, deep in his heart, he is pained considerably. He tells Roderigo that he has to act like this, because, should he be foolish enough to show his true feelings to the outside world, he could get killed “wear my heart on my sleeve For daws to peck.”
Lago suspects Emilia’s adultery with Othello. His pride lost, and his position compromised, Iago was very angry with Othello. He had been his finest and honourable aide for so long, and when Othello ignored him with a position of respect, and inflicted marital injustice on him (of he thought), he decided on taking revenge. Emilia speaks of his suspicion in Act IV, Scene ii, when she confronts Iago:
O, fie upon them! Some such squire And made you to suspect me with the Moor. (Lines 146-149)
Emilia is annoyed and angry that Iago doubts her sincerity and rebukes him for saying so. She questions how he could doubt that she would sleep with the Moor (Othello). Iago seemed to have a legitimate ground for showing his jealousy. In act IV, Scene iii, we see Emilia states explicitly to Desdemona that she would commit adultery, given the opportunity:
In troth, I think I should; and undo’t when I gowns, petticoats, nor caps, nor any petty
This was how she answered Desdemona, when she asked her whether a woman could betray her man and sleep with another person. Iago’s motives are credible, but that does not justify his inhuman ferocity to destroy Othello. Though he had the motives to respond, his actions outweighed them, because of which, he became the evil.
