"His Moorship's Ancient": Iago as the Protagonist of Othello
Shakespeare is universally revered for his characterization of flawed and psychologically unstable protagonists. Hamlet is a crazed, murdering prince, Lear is narcissistic, senile, and a verbally abusive father, and Macbeth is a murderous traitor to his king and country. These unfavorable and evil attributes serve Shakespeare's main characters by presenting them as realistically written men, and there always seems a degree, however small, of sympathy associated with their respective downfalls and tragedies. Othello, however, is an anomaly.
While he is flawed by his paranoia and pride, Othello is only unstable and destructive after intricate deception. Indeed, he seems maddeningly perfect to his adversaries. Even Othello's greatest enemy, Iago, confesses in act I, scene i, "Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago," or rather, he would not want to be Iago if he could be a man like Othello. The Moor commander is constantly respected by Venetian senators, soldiers, and ladies alike, even after murdering his wife and committing suicide. This level of respect helps Othello become a tragic character indeed, but not a typical Shakespearean tragic protagonist.
Protagonists are not necessarily the heroic or inherently good characters in a play's plot. Rather, a protagonist is the principal character, propelling and leading the plot's progression. In Shakespeare's tragedies, the protagonist often gives epitaphs or soliloquies when on-stage alone, and makes lasting changes on other characters. With these attributes, the clearer protagonist in Othello is the villainous Iago.
Iago is clearly a sociopath, as he unscrupulously betrays his commander Othello, his wife Emilia, and his friend and patsy, Roderigo. This does not detract from his responsibilities of the plot's progression, however. Without Iago's diabolical persuasion, Roderigo would not have been present in Cyprus to help frame and wound Cassio. Likewise, Othello would not have grown paranoid and murdered Desdemona
While he is flawed by his paranoia and pride, Othello is only unstable and destructive after intricate deception. Indeed, he seems maddeningly perfect to his adversaries. Even Othello's greatest enemy, Iago, confesses in act I, scene i, "Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago," or rather, he would not want to be Iago if he could be a man like Othello. The Moor commander is constantly respected by Venetian senators, soldiers, and ladies alike, even after murdering his wife and committing suicide. This level of respect helps Othello become a tragic character indeed, but not a typical Shakespearean tragic protagonist.
Protagonists are not necessarily the heroic or inherently good characters in a play's plot. Rather, a protagonist is the principal character, propelling and leading the plot's progression. In Shakespeare's tragedies, the protagonist often gives epitaphs or soliloquies when on-stage alone, and makes lasting changes on other characters. With these attributes, the clearer protagonist in Othello is the villainous Iago.
Iago is clearly a sociopath, as he unscrupulously betrays his commander Othello, his wife Emilia, and his friend and patsy, Roderigo. This does not detract from his responsibilities of the plot's progression, however. Without Iago's diabolical persuasion, Roderigo would not have been present in Cyprus to help frame and wound Cassio. Likewise, Othello would not have grown paranoid and murdered Desdemona
Cited: hakespeare, William. Othello. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974. Print