What Is Iago A Villain

When an author sets out to tell a story, one of the most important ingredients needed to make it successful is the development of a proper villain. Without one to stand opposed to the hero, many tales would feel flat, boring, and without purpose to the reader or audience. Villains have always held a special place in literature; at times they are loved by the public as much as they are loathed by them. From classic villains like the witch in Grimm’s fairy Tales that intends to eat Hansel and Gretel to modern creations such as Lord Voldemort in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, their necessity for the success of the story is consistent. Perhaps, no villain is more effective in this role than the infamous Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello. He is
Othello may be the hero and title character, but Iago actually has the most dialogue totaling 1,070 lines. He features numerous asides and soliloquies that brings the audience inside the inner workings of his mind. The thoughts and actions he expresses to the audience directly contradict the way Iago portrays events and himself to the other characters. The irony is not lost on the audience that his honest words to them alone snowcase his deep seeded dishonesty with the other characters. Iago begins to reveal his intentions in his first soliloquy at the end of Act
The visage of a typical “evil” character conjures images of someone who is brutal, indifferent, and at times disconnected from their victims. Iago is special because he is able to inflict damage on the other characters because he understands them so well personally. Like any good con-artist, he is adept at understanding people’s fears and desires and thusly uses these traits to accomplish his goals. How he is able to destroy people loyal to him without a crisis of conscience is part of what makes him so cruel and evil. His use of charm convinces people of his loyalty and honesty, thusly they affectionately call him “Honest Iago” (I, iii, 292, & II, iii, 303). Iago appears especially cruel when he acknowledges Othello’s noble character but is still prepared to destroy him without a second thought “The Moor, howbeit that I endure him not, Is of a constant, loving noble nature, And I dare that he’ll prove to Desdemona A most dear husband” (II, I, 270-273). Along with this, Iago is perfectly happy to ruin the lives of other characters to accomplish his revenge on Othello. He double crosses many characters along the way who consider him an ally. Perhaps, most notably are the moments where he kills Rodrigo, who has been a loyal accomplice in carrying out some of the dirty work of Iago’s plot, and when he kills his wife Emilia in an effort to prevent his