Othello: Act I

Othello: the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

From the very beginning of the play, the reader easily identifies Iago as the antagonist of the story.  Regardless, those familiar with Shakespearean villains know that they often represent unique human flaws: wrath, pride, or greed.  In characterizing Iago, the reader realizes that Iago will represent dishonesty and manipulation.

Iago first displays his cunning and manipulative manner in alerting Brabantio of his daughter's marriage to Othello.  Obviously, Iago wished this act to enrage Brabantio who would not approve of his daughter's clandestine marriage to an African in an effort to bring controversy to the foreign and, in his opinion, unworthy general.  However, this in itself does not display his dishonesty; Othello really did marry Desdemona.  His complex cunning is revealed in a more interesting twist.

"Nine or ten times I had thought to have yerked him here under the ribs," (I.ii.4-5).  This slight dramatic irony tells the reader that Iago is secretly pitting people against each other in order to achieve his still obscure goal which certainly must involve the downfall of the Moor.  Now the reader can characterize Iago further than labeling him as being dishonest.  Because Iago skewed Brabantio's opinion of Othello only to ingratiate himself to the latter, Iago is portrayed as being extremely egocentric.  It is no matter to Iago how many relationships he destroys as long as Othello is undermined in some way.  Perhaps this ego-centrism is the reason for naming him Iago which is close to the word ego which comes from the Latin word for "I".