Iago is one of the super creations of Shakespeare’s villainous character of this tragedy Othello. He is an evil Incarnate as well as the epitome of all the evils. He is heartless and he can stoop to any length to serve his selfish ends. He is crafty, shrewd and devilish. Iago is heard by the decision of Othello in honouring Cassio as his lieutenant. He feels that he has been deprived of his due claim but he has not the power to show resentment against Othello. However he is determined to take revenge against Othello.
Iago hates good simply because it is good and loves evil for evil itself. Surprisingly his action is not prompted by any plan, motive or ambition. It springs from a motiveless delight in the pains and sufferings of others. He is ruinous blunder and a great hypocrite. He is not to himself even in his soliloquies. In the opening scene he tells Rodrigo that Othello has shocked him and this has generated hatred and jealousy in his heart. Iago was a Venetia soldier who had an experience of soldering and was known for his courage. His mind is sans virtue and his heart is sans mercy. He was completely out and out a rotten egg. He delighted in torturing innocent souls. Infact, he was a devouring gulf of evil. He was jealous of Othello’s marriage with Desdemona. But his self control was commendable. He did not allow at any moment or at any stage his heart of matter to come on his lips. Iago’s greatest weapon was his self control. He was very cool, calm and calculative. Hello what he looked he was not and what he thought and planned, his look did not reveal. He was a perfect villain who was successful in hiding his natural feelings and was wearing a masque that always left a very high Impression of his personality.
What is more, Iago’s insight into human nature, his integrity, his quickness of mind and his unseen opportunities have probably no parallel and equally important in his strength of wit. The conversation between Roderigo and Iago clearly reveals the inner working of the mind of Iago, “what should I do”, Roderigo whispers to Iago “I confess it is my shame to be so fond, but it is not in my virtue to amend it. “ Iago tries to tell him about love and he says “ love is merely a lust of blood and a permission of will. “Iago with his strength of wit can turn the tide in his favour. Really in Iago we find powerful fusion of intellect, strong will and convincing power. Iago tries to encourage Roderigo in his love passion because his eyes are on his purse. Iago concept of love and his concept of life is quite different. He feels and tries to make Rodrigo feels that “virtue is a fig, It is in ourselves that we are thus or thus”. Further he says “Our bodies are our gardens and our wills are our gardeners”. These statements of Iago reflect his mind and characters.
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Iago does not care for his wife but the fear of another man getting the better of his wife always plagues and pesters him. As a husband he always want to exploit his wife to serve his ulterior motive. It is his impression that no woman is virtuous and this fear is in his mind. He successfully creates doubts in the mind of Othello about Desdemona’s fidelity and chastity and succeeds in completely poisoning the mind of Othello. And on the other hand he is also in the good book of Desdemona. He plays tricks and intrigues and gets success in bringing the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona.
Really Iago is a perfect villain. He is remembered for his wisdom, for his intellect, for his hypocrisy and for his jealous nature. He is a heartless fellow. His personal interest has made him blind of the values of life. He is interested in his self interest and he is callous and heartless. And like all the villain Iago is also punished for his misdeeds and atrocities.
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