“Iago is an evil villain with no redeeming qualities.” To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Support your answer with reference to the play, Othello.
Iago, the machiavellian ensign from Shakespeare’s Othello is one of the most intriguing characters in English literature and one who divides opinion among critics to this day. However, it is my opinion that the scheming and conniving Iago is an evil villain with absolutely zero redeeming qualities.
In this essay, I will use Iago’s soliloquies and his actions to illustrate his evil nature, as he attempts to destroy the lives of those around him in a vain attempt to prove his self importance and status in Venetian society. I will also show how he ‘pours pestilence,’ in Othello’s ear, while bleeding Roderigo dry. His manipulative and cunning nature results in the deaths of many of the main characters, as they all fall into the web of lies and deceit that he has weaved to enmesh them all.
We are introduced to Iago in the first scene as he and Roderigo go to wake up Brabantio to tell him that a ‘black ram is tupping [your] white ewe.’ This disturbing language is used by Iago to enrage Brabantio, who is adamant that his daughter could not have run off with the Moor, Othello. Iago, under the cloak of darkness, shouts again, ‘your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.’ This opening scene shows how intuitive Iago is and how easy it is for him to play with people’s emotions. He knows that this type of language will enrage Brabantio and he falls straight into the trap that Iago has set, foreshadowing how he manipulates others throughout the play. It is also important to note how disparagingly he speaks about Othello in this scene and yet is Othello’s ‘loyal’ ensign. He tells Roderigo, ‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him.’ This tells us that he will abuse his position as Othello’s trusted ensign to gain revenge for being overlooked for the role of lieutenant. Act 1 Scene 1 is also noteworthy for the line, ‘I am not what I am,’ which shows how evil Iago is right from the beginning of the play.
Iago’s first soliloquy highlights his duplicitous and evil nature when he begins with the line, ‘thus do I ever make my fool my purse.’ He is talking about Roderigo and how he is using Roderigo’s stupidity against him. Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and Iago plays on this by making him believe that Iago can arrange their marriage if he gives him money. Iago knows he cannot do this, but can still convince Roderigo to part with his money. The audience will have very little sympathy for Roderigo but it further highlights the callous nature of Iago.
The soliloquy also reveals the depth of hatred Iago has for Othello and the reason why he hates him so much. He thinks that Othello has slept with Emilia. ‘I hate the Moor and it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets he has done my office.’ With the foundations of his hatred laid down for the audience, he then eagerly reveals his plan to bring both Othello and Cassio down. He tells the audience that he will, ‘abuse Othello’s ears that he is too familiar with his wife.’ He also reveals that he knows that he can plant the seeds of doubt in Othello’s mind easily because he is an honest and trustworthy person. ‘The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest.’ This line really illustrates the vile and corrupt nature of Iago as he preys on the goodness of others. The audience would have little sympathy for Roderigo, who is clearly plotting to ruin Othello’s marriage but they would see how evil it is to target an honourable man like Othello.
Iago quickly puts his plans into action by urging Roderigo to provoke Cassio, while he is keeping watch over the city. When Roderigo agrees to the plan, Iago gives another soliloquy where he says that his plan is to seek revenge on Othello and Cassio for sleeping with his wife. He has no evidence to back this up but is using this idea to fuel his burning desire to bring down both men. His petty insecurities add to his malicious and malevolent behaviour rather than justify it. We see how he identifies the weaknesses of others and preys upon these weaknesses to gain the upper hand. When Cassio tells him that he has ‘very poor and unhappy brains for drinking,’ he does everything in his power to ensure that he has a drink. He then tells the audience that if he can get Cassio drunk, ‘he’ll be as full of quarrel and offence as my young mistress’ dog.’ This is how he will get Cassio to fight and ensure that he loses his job as lieutenant.
Iago’s villainous plan falls into place perfectly and Othello sacks Cassio for his drunken behaviour. Iago comforts Cassio and tells him that Othello will relent and that he should go to Desdemona and ask her to plead his case with her husband. This is the next part of the plan, as he will arouse suspicion in Othello and ‘pour pestilence’ in his ear. The plan is so carefully crafted and executed that only an evil person could both design it and bring it to life.
Act 3 Scene 2 is where we see the culmination of Iago’s scheming and conniving, as by the end of the scene, he is ready to ‘tear her all to pieces.’ At the beginning of the scene, Othello is perfectly happy with no doubts about his faithful wife, Desdemona but Iago manages to destroy both Othello’s own self-confidence and his trust in his wife. Iago is truly evil personified in this scene, as he plays God with the other characters on stage.
The initial seeds of jealousy are sown when Cassio darts off when he sees Othello approaching and Iago says, ‘Ha! I like not that.’ He refuses to be drawn on what he means and knows that by drip feeding Othello little bits of information, he is making Othello more and more doubtful about Cassio’s true intentions. He innocently asks Othello about Cassio’s knowledge of the relationship between Othello and Desdemona and hints that he may not be as honest as he appears. He talks in riddles but is aware that he has Othello’s attention and refuses to say what he means, with the Moor getting angrier by the second, demanding to know what information he has.
Iago toys with Othello when he says, ‘beware my lord of jealousy, it doth mock the meat it feeds on.’ We, as an audience, can clearly see that Iago is enjoying the power he has over his master and this hints at the malevolence of his character. We can see the effect his actions have on Othello who is now asking, ‘why did I marry?’ and questioning his own status and inferiority in Venetian society. Iago plays on Othello’s insecurities as an outsider as he thinks that he too old for Desdemona and does not have the gentle manners of Venetian men. Some people might think that this makes Iago clever, but in my opinion, it makes him evil.
By the end of the scene, Emilia has inexplicably handed Iago the ‘ocular proof’ that Othello needs as she hands over the handkerchief that Desdemona dropped. This handkerchief was given to Desdemona by Othello and Iago plans to plant it in Cassio’s room and tells Othello that he saw Cassio wiping his beard with it. This tips Othello over the edge and he has already signed Desdemona and Cassio’s death warrant and appointed Iago as his new lieutenant.
The characters all continue to be controlled by Iago’s machiavellian plan up to the end of the play when Othello finally kills Desdemona before realising that he has been duped by the man he described as ‘honest Iago.’ Iago also loses his life at the end of the play but the audience would have little sympathy for him as he was the architect of his own demise. I do not think he had any redeeming qualities as a human being as he used all his positive qualities for evil. His understanding of human emotion and his deceptive skills could have been used for good, but he chose to use them for nefarious purposes and it resulted in the deaths of innocent characters like Desdemona. Iago’s villainy is the lasting impression from this play and the idea that he had redeeming qualities is absurd.