The Complex Character Iago In Shakespeare's Othello

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In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, it tells about the complex tragedy of the protagonist Othello and company. Each character plays a specific role in the play, affecting the various situations with their emotions, personality, differing actions, and diverse mindsets. One character in particular that manipulates the minds of the characters around him is the main antagonist Iago. Iago is an extremely complex character in being cruel but brilliant. Throughout the play, every character calls him honest, while in reality, he is the most dishonest person in the story. His devious actions and schemes greatly interfere and cause disorder in the relationships between the characters in Othello, and because of this, Iago is a primary character to the story’s plot. In Othello, Iago is a 28 year old standard bearer for the Venetian army, commanded under the Venetian general Othello. Being the most wicked villain in Shakespeare's writings, Iago is especially terrifying in his lack of real motives for his actions against Othello. In the first scene, Iago claims to be angry at Othello for having the lieutenant position passed over him, an experienced soldier, to the inexperienced, young soldier Michael Cassio. Later on at the end of Act I, …show more content…
Although he is one of the most devious liars in the play, Iago emphasizes that the most lethal weapon used against Othello is trust. All the characters, except Emilia of course, see Iago as a loyal soldier to Othello who has good intentions, when in reality, this “loyalty” and “good intentions” is the very tool iago uses to cause havoc in the story. While Othello is the hero of the tragedy, the action of the play centers more around Iago. Overall, Iago is the most influential individual in Othello, and definitely a unique character in comparison to other villains across Shakespeare’s

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