Iago

[Unregistered]

Iago is definatly THE best character in the play! Im in year 10 (9th grade) and were doing Othello for our GCSEs. we're just reading it at the moment, and i am honoured to be reading the part of Iago. He is absolutly BRILLIANT. not that i'm all for the evilness and stuff, but his mind is really facinating, he is So cleaver, and can read people so well!!<br><br>LOVE YOU IAGO (by the way, did anyone notice this was the name of the bird in 'the lion king'???)

[Rata]

It wasn´t the name of the bird in "The Lion King" (which is, like most Disney productions, a freelance adaptation, only in this case its Hamlet). It was the name of the bird in "Aladdin"...
Anyway, other than that (which is kinda eerie how I can possibly retain that bit of useless info and not my home phone number...) I agree with you. Iago is the best character in Othello, and it´s basically because of who he is. He is one of the few characters which some call "historical", because he´s more like a real person than a "paper-flat" character. He really is an amazing character!

[super_maz]

i have to agree with you guys, Iago is by far the best character, he is sooo cunning and u really do have to give him credit for orchestrating all of his twisted plots. im currently studying Othello at school, and today we got into a debate about Iago; does he decide to ruin Othello due to jealosy, or due simply to his spiteful nature, OR, because he truly believes that Othello has fooled around with his wife and wants to get back at him? id love to hear what u think!!

[Rata]

It´s an interesting question, actually. I don´t believe it has anything to do with Iago actually believing Othello betrayed his wife at any point. I think it has a lot more to do with who Iago is. Othello passed him over and made Cassio his lieutenant and this, I think, annoys Iago. I don´t think he goes mad with envy or hatred because he deserved it more, I think it simply gives him an excuse to act out on something that was already there.
Iago is someone who doesn´t seem to care much about anything, except doing what he considers best for himself at a time, but not in the way of other Shakespearean "bad guys", for example Richard III, who schemes, plots and murders to get the throne of England because he believes he deserves it, he believes he must have it and will stop at nothing to obtain it. Iago doesn´t even act because he believes he deserves it in a prideful sort of way, he acts the way he does because it´s in his best interest at the time and can´t really be bothered to care about morality or ethics or even human life. This is part, I think, of what also makes him such an attractive character to many people: he can let go of everything that would regularly tie anyone down to social order, he is, a nihilst. I think it´s so appealing to the rest of us because most of us tend to, at least, try to find the limits of what we can and cannot do, rather than try and keep them as straight and rigid as possible. But I think I´m wondering off...
So yeah, I do think Iago acts the way he does because he truly doesn´t believe morality should concern him and he really is only trying to do what´s best for himself. I don´t think this should be confused with simply being proud to the extreme, because he´s not so much a proud character, as he is a character who simply doesn´t care much. He doesn´t even really care about convincing anyone (not even the audience), he simply states things as they are and acts in whatever way he must to achieve a certain goal. If this happens to be hyprocisy and murder, so be it, but I don´t think he´d take it any more seriously than if he were baking a cake.
Others argue it is out of jealousy, but I don´t see that as being the predominant reason for Iago´s way of acting. He does hate, and he does loathe, but his emotions have nothing to do with the reason why he´s doing things. I think it´s also part of what makes Iago interesting: we never really know. He doesn´t seem to have a tragic sentimental flaw like Othello, or even Hamlet, he really just seems to one day have taken an extreme dislike in Othello and all of a sudden is presented with a situation which can help him be rid of the moor...

[smilingtearz]

Iago and his "honesty"...can actually set u thinking...i mean the guy is so "double-faced"...right from the starting of the play...he manipulates others in a way that suits his interests...even his way of presenting the relation between Othello and desdemona are so contradictory to the deeply felt emotion that the two share...
and the play(though interesting...and good) is a bit too much of a tragedy...everyone dies...even IAGO!!!...i mean i know thaz the whole point of a tragedy...but...thaz a LOT of deaths!

[byquist]

In a production where the actor playing Othello does his job, there is no way that Iago can upstage him. Othello's speeches are absolute powerhouses and can "knock your socks off" whereas Iago, with more onstage time, captures attention by schemes. Othello is the wonder in that play when performed full-blast.

[tomatoes]

does he decide to ruin Othello due to jealosy, or due simply to his spiteful nature, OR, because he truly believes that Othello has fooled around with his wife and wants to get back at him?
Iago's my fav. character too.

Anyways, I think a combination of all three. He is a character who enjoys manipulating people because he can. None of the other characters can compare with his wit and he uses this against them. The other characters are also very trusting of eachother and of Iago.
The fact that he suspects Othello of sleeping with Emilia gives him a reason for doing what he does. It is because he loves messing up people's lives that he continues even after he has got his revenge. He didn't really have to have Desdemona killed, did he? He viewed messing up their lives as a kind of game which he really enjoyed. Once he had completed part of the game he coouldn't stop.
He is also jealous of Cassio and angry that he has been skipped over. He truly believes that he is better that Cassio (which he is) and thinks, "I'll show them". He wants to make everyone pay for underestimating him.

[cRaZy]

Well Super_maz I Think Iago Was Intially Jealous, And This Caused Him To Mess Around With Othello, Towards The End He Became Obsessed With Ruining Everyone's Life. I Think He Does Admit That He Is Going To Think That Othello Slept With Emilia, He Knows They Haven't But He Decided To Think That Anyway, So That It Could Add Fuel To Fire. I Love Iago, His Complexities Amaze Me, And The Fact That In The End Iago Had No Reason To Actually Ruin Othellos Life, And Its Funny Even After Othello Assigns Him His Right Hand Man He Still Continues To Mess Around With His Life. The Nicest Thing About Iago, Is That He Doesnt Abnegate [yes, Ms. A If You're Reading This-i Tried!] He Tells The Audience Straight Up That He Is Evil, And He Tells Himself That As Well. He Doesnt Deny Who He Really Is, There Is No Self Denial At All! Gotz Ta Luv Him.

[raptor]

Iago is by far the best character in the play. :D
I can't really see how any reason he gives could justify what he does,
I'm starting to think he just wanted to do it because it gave him power
and enjoyment.

Whatever the reason, the way he goes about ruining Othello's life
is just so brilliant and clever.

Iago
Aside O, you are well tuned now!
But I'll set down the pegs that make this music,
As honest as I am.

You can't help but love him.

[CrazyGeekGirl]

Iago is an amazing villian. But I don't think that he beats everybody else in fascinatingness entirely. Desdemona is actually a very strong character who is too often portrayed as a wimp, Emilia has a very powerful monologue which I believe helps to breath life into her entire character, and Othello is just ripped apart by Iago. Personally, I think a lot of Iago motivation is racism. At least, it makes for a thought-provoking staging.

[RobinHood3000]

Ehhh...I don't really like Iago that much, he doesn't strike me as being all that deep. Nobody's that sick in real life. Bitter, yes, but few are truly that sociopathic. Iago's only got but one side to him.

[DebC79]

Having seen a production a couple of years ago where the director was trying to make it obvious that Iago's motivation was jealousy, I have to say it detracted from the play. I can imagine that it was possible that Shakespeare may have intended his audience to be aware of racial hatred to be a factor but surely it is only that - A factor. Iago is meant to be one of those characters we puzzle about but Shakespeare meant the play as a tragedy - of Othello who is brought down so cruelly. After all, Lear has only himself to blame, Macbeth, ok he has the witches and his wife, but he is also responsible for his own downfall. Othello on the other hand is set up and that's one of the reasons we sympathise so much with him. I agree however that Iago's machinations are fascinating and the fact that the audience are part of his plot (in his soliloquies) makes us involved.

[Jolly McJollyso]

Ehhh...I don't really like Iago that much, he doesn't strike me as being all that deep. Nobody's that sick in real life. Bitter, yes, but few are truly that sociopathic. Iago's only got but one side to him.
He feels a twinge of guilt when he sees the madness he's wrought in Othello.

[RobinHood3000]

Really? When?

[liesl]

Iago never shows guilt, and never finalises his motive behind his fuelling the tragedy. Once caught Iago vows never to speak again.

I agree Iago is a well written character but i cannot connect to him, and the fact that every time i picture him i see Kenneth Branagh makes me despise him ever more.

[mo_dingo]

Iago never shows guilt, and never finalises his motive behind his fuelling the tragedy. Once caught Iago vows never to speak again.

I agree Iago is a well written character but i cannot connect to him, and the fact that every time i picture him i see Kenneth Branagh makes me despise him ever more.

Only in the movie with Kenneth Branagh does Iago show some sorrow; as he gazed upon the bed and lied on top of Othello. I suppose they did this to make Iago seem more human.

Why do you dislike Kenneth Branagh so much? Do you only like his books and hate the movies industry's attempt to show shakespeare?

[Woland]

Only in the movie with Kenneth Branagh does Iago show some sorrow; as he gazed upon the bed and lied on top of Othello. I suppose they did this to make Iago seem more human.



Its hard to see where that guilt would come from.

[Eels]

Iago is an amoral character. He simply doesn't have any morals. He can't understand how you can (like Desdemona and Othello) truly love one another.

He doesn't mind dying too. All what he wanted (destroying Othello) has already succeeded. That's why Othello says "in my eyes, 'tis happiness to die", he has nothing to live for, he would like to die. That's why he orders to torture Iago as long as possible to make him regret.

[dramasnot6]

I didnt catch any "guilty" lines. I interpreted any action even seemingly unselfish of Iago(maybe like..uh....convincing Roderigo not to kill himself? i dont know) to be just for Iago's personal gain in the end.

[kelby_lake]

Iago's a bit messed up but I like him :)
And doesn't Othello tell Iago to kill Cassio, but a week later he still hasn't done it?
Actually I think Iago is in one respect pretty weak- he's pretty loveless.