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Perhaps the most interesting and exotic character in the tragic play Othello, by William Shakespeare, is Honest Iago. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer towards his goals. He is the main driving force in this play, pushing Othello and everyone else towards their tragic end. Iago is not your ordinary villain. The role he plays is rather unique and complex and especially far from what someone might expect. You could say that Iago is very smart man.
He is an expert at judging people and their characters and uses this information to his advantage. For example, he knows Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and figures that Roderigo would do anything to have her as his own. Iago says about Roderigo, Thus do I ever make my fool my purse. [Act I, Scene III, Line 426 ] By playing on his hopes, Iago's able to take money and jewels from Roderigo, where he makes a substantial profit out of it, all while using Roderigo to execute his other goals and plans. Iago is also a man thats able to think quickly on his feet and use this to improvise whenever something unexpected occurs.
When Cassio takes hold of Desdemona's hand before the arrival of Othello, Iago says, With as little a web as this will, I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. [Act II, Scene I, Line 183 ] This shows that his cunning and craftiness makes him a true villain after all. Being as smart as he is, Iago is quick to recognize the advantages of trust and uses it as a tool to go with his purposes. Throughout the story he is commonly known as, and commonly called, Honest Iago. He even says of himself, I am an honest man [Act II, Scene III, Line 285 ] Trust is a very powerful emotion that is easily abused. Iago is a master of abuse in this case, turning peoples trust in him into tools to forward his own goals and plans and to take advantage of each and every one of them. Iago slowly poisons peoples thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without implicating himself.
And whats he then that says I play the villain, when this advice is free I give, and honest, [Act II, Scene III, Line 356 ] says Iago to himself, during his soliloquy. This is the reason why people rarely stop to consider the possibility that old Iago could be deceiving them or manipulating them, after all, he is Honest Iago. Iago makes a fool out of Roderigo throughout the whole play. In fact, the play starts out with Iago having already taken advantage of him. Roderigo remarks, That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse as if the strings were thine. [Act I, Scene I, Line 2 ] Throughout the play, Iago leads Roderigo by the collar telling him how much he hates Othello and keeps telling Roderigo to give him money, so that he can give gifts to Desdemona to win her over. During the whole play however, Iago is just taking those gifts that Roderigo has given for Desdemona and keeps them for himself.
Roderigo eventually starts to question Iago's honesty, saying I think it is scurvy, and begin to find myself forced in it. [Act IV, Scene II, Line 225 ] When faced with this accusation, Iago simply offers that killing Cassio will help him through all of this and Roderigo blindly falls for it all. I have no great devotion to the deed, and yet he has given me satisfying reason, [Act V, Scene I, Line 9 ] says Roderigo. With this deed, Roderigo is lead to his death by the hands of none other than, Honest Iago. Cassio, like Roderigo, follows Iago blindly also, thinking the whole time that Iago is trying to help him. During this time, Iago is planning the demise of Cassio, his supposed friend. On the night of Cassio's watch, Iago convinces him to take another drink, even when he knows that it would make him very drunk.
Cassio just follows along, even when he himself knows hes not used to drinking and what bad can occur from it. But, on the other hand, Iago is able to make him defy his own reasoning to take another drink. When Roderigo follows through with the plan Iago has set on him, Cassio is made to look like an irresponsible fool, ending in his termination as lieutenant for Othello. After this incident, Iago sets another of his plans in motion by telling Cassio to beg Desdemona to help his cause, saying, she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested. [Act II, Scene III, Line 340 ] This clearly shows that Cassio is set on a dark path, which leads to trouble and mischief throughout the rest of the play. The amazing thing about this is that Cassio follows what Iago says blindly, telling him, You advise me well. [Act II, Scene III, Line 346 ] After this occurred, Cassio is eventually led into a trap where Roderigo attacks him, and all that time, Iago, his own friend, is behind it all. You could say that Iago is capable of anything, not even Othello is safe from this villain.
Othello holds Iago to be his close friend and advisor throughout the play. He believes Iago to be a person, of exceeding honesty, and knows all (qualities) with learned spirit of human dealings. [Act III, Scene III, Line 299 ] Iago might know all about human dealings, but no, he is not honest. He uses the trust Othello puts in him to turn Othello into a jealous man, looking everywhere and everyone he sees, eventually killing his own wife and himself. Othello is one of the most spectacular plays in Shakespeare's history, where Shakespeare lavishly uses honest and honesty in Othello by showing the true villain in it, Iago. Do not confuse seeming with being: every man is not as he seems to be, the arrant knave is often taken for the honester man, for men judge only by the outward appearance and protestations of men. [Jorgensen, pg. 11 ] This quote shows us how someones looks doesnt tell everything about that person and that you never know what kind of person he / she might really be, such as the character Iago.
Iago villainous sides are shown with great exaggerations in his soliloquies. Iago's soliloquies are best known as the motive-hunting of motiveless malignity. [Hall, pg. 122 ] This quote shows us how Iago, in his soliloquies explains to us on what unethical plan he come up with, and what way hes going to execute this plan, by harming the lives of others. Throughout the whole play, Iago is characterized as the villain, displaying the evil inside of him. Shakespeare shows this by portraying him as the devil, who merely destroys the lives of the good to forward his own mischievous plans and to get his own ways.
The honesty part of Iago is just corrupted. There actually isnt anything honest about him at all, and the ways he uses this trust from his so called friends to get his way is just plain morally wrong and unjust. Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits himself. To see all of this come from just one man shows the true meaning of what honesty is and what its not and how such a brilliant man, like Shakespeare shows it all in just one amazing play.
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