Iago's Evil Deeds

Iago is not the man he makes himself out to be in the play Othello. Iago is seen as a devoted solider and friend of Othello and many others in the play, but his true intentions of gaining their trust and thanks are soon revealed. The encasement of jealously, pride, and ego lead Iago into a scheme that brings an end to many characters' lives with no resentment from Iago. Iago was a villain in the making. He spent time getting to know all the characters before he went through with his plan, and Iago knew just what lies to say to make each character come to their downfall. The patience and intelligences Iago possesses make him an unexpectedly exceptional villain to those around him, and their blind eye to Iago cost them their lives.
It is only a few lines into Othello when one finds out about Iago's true intentions. In Iago's soliloquy he states, "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse...I hate the Moor, and it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets...Cassio’s a proper man. Let me see now, to get his place and to plume up my will...After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear that he is too familiar with his wife” (Shakespeare 1.3.367-80). These few lines show the first hint of Iago's villains intentions to harm Othello and his …show more content…
Shakespeare makes Iago’s over confident personality stand out in the play by having him speak in prose and blank verses. This lets the reader understand how deceitful and shameless Iago’s character is. Shakespeare wanted to create a villain that one could not physically see, but still felt the evil intentions of the villain by only using words. Shakespeare also makes it clear that Iago does not feel remorse or guilt for his actions. In Othello, Iago murders two people to only further his own plans. Raatzsch states that, "Iago is a character whose actions cannot be justified” (Raatzsch). Iago has no justification for his actions, yet he does not see anything wrong with