In Shakespeare's Othello, the character Iago, Othello's lieutenant, is the cause
of all the tragedy which comes to pass as the play progresses. Iago is the
antagonist of the play, but rather than being the direct opponent to the tragic
hero, Iago is a manipulator, opposing Othello not directly but through other
characters whom he tricks into acting for him. In the first scene of the play,
Iago gives the audience warning that he is not all that he seems when he says,
"I am not what I am." (I,i,65) He is first seen in this scene
appearing to help Roderigo, a suitor to Desdemona, who has run off with Othello,
the Moorish general of the Venician army. Iago hates Othello for another reason.
Instead of choosing him to be his lieutenant, Othello chose Cassio, another
foreigner, and relegated Iago to the position of his ancient. When Roderigo asks
why Iago continues to serve Othello, in spite of how the general has treated
him, Iago replies, "I follow him to serve my turn upon him." (I,i,42)
He goes on to give an example of how he intends to serve him, by acting like the
perfect servant, while secretly enriching himself, and later says, "In
following him, I follow but myself." (I,i,58) From this, one might think
that he is still fairly straightforward in his plans, that he merely intends to
betray Othello at some later date. However, in the third scene, he shows the
audience his ability to manipulate people, when he convinces Roderigo to follow
him to Cyprus and to bring all of his money, presumably to win back Desdemona.
After Roderigo has left to do what Iago has suggested, Iago says, "Thus do
I ever make my fool my purse." (I,iii,37 y9) Later, in Act IV, we find that
Roderigo has been giving jewels to Iago to give to Desdemona, which Iago, it is
implied, has sold for his own uses. Thus, it is seen that Iago is merely using
Roderigo to further his own ends, just as he said he was only serving Othello to
serve himself. Also at the end of the third scene, Iago sets forth his plan to
take Cassio's position, by telling Othello that his lieutenant ". . . is
too familiar with his wife." (I,iii,402) It also comes out in this speech
that he suspects Othello of committing adultery with his wife. Near the end of
the first scene of the second act, Iago convinces Roderigo, who was observing
Cassio's enthusiastic greeting of Desdemona, that Cassio and Desdemona have
something going on between them. Thus manipulating Roderigo through his passion
for Desdemona, Iago convinces him to provoke Cassio to anger, so that the
lieutenant will be discredited in Othello's eyes and Iago can take his position.
At the end of this scene, he again makes reference to his role not being what it
seems: "Knavery's plain face is never seen till us'd." (II,i,324) In
the last scene, after Othello has killed Desdemona, all of Iago's schemes are
revealed by his wife, who was his unwitting accomplice in his schemes. After she
has betrayed him, he kills her and flees, only to be caught and brought to
justice. Othello's flaw, as Iago pointed out, was that he was "… of a
free and open nature,/That thinks men honest that but seem to be so,/And will as
tenderly be led by the nose/As asses are." (I,iii,405-408) Thus, Iago's
scheming and roleplaying character made it easy for him to manipulate Othello,
which led to Othello's fall. From his actions in the play, one sees that Iago is
a gifted manipulator of other people who uses underhanded schemes, manipulation
of others, and betrayal at appropriate times. Thus, one could say that the whole
play is a parable showing the "vile success" such tactics bring, and
also showing the reward awaiting those who use them. Hence, Iago in Othello is a
schemer and manipulator, who causes the deaths of all of the virtuous characters
in the play while attempting to advance his position and revenge himself upon
Othello for a rumoured affair with his wife. He is portrayed by Shakespeare as a
completely unsympathetic character.