However, some have argued the opposite; that Iago “is not much more than a necessary piece of dramatic mechanism”; a plot device included only to incite the other characters, most notably Othello. This argument is woefully inadequate; Shakespeare is renowned for the complexity of his characters, and in ‘Othello’ this is particularly evident. For example, Desdemona is portrayed on the surface as “sweet”, “inclining” and “right modest” – hardly suitable descriptions for a woman who has defied her father for the black Othello; an unthinkable act in Shakespeare’s time. Iago is no exception to this complexity; indeed he must not be if the other characters are to remain balanced and believable.
Nevertheless the play is clearly symbolic of a struggle between light and dark, as shown in Iago’s lines “devils will the blackest sins put on” and his many other references to darkness. There is undoubtedly evidence to suggest Iago as a symbol of wickedness. He is referred to by Lodovico as “hellish villain” – imagery which enforces the idea of Iago as Satan incarnate; a highly powerful image in the largely Protestant society of the time. Yet the complexity of Iago’s character cannot allow for such sweeping comment. After all, we know nothing of his former years, and therefore nothing of any previous experiences which may have driven him to such extremes. So, although he may indeed be a symbol of evil, it is his humanity which will engross an audience and provide a more interesting foil to the other characters. As one critic put it, if the play is to be “anything more than parable, we must feel that it represents conflicts between, and within, actual human beings”.
It is clear then that the humanisation of Iago must rest on the presence of motives for his machinations. Certainly, multiple reasons are hinted at in his speeches. He is definitely jealous of Cassio’s promotion; shown by “mere prattle...is all his soldiership”, the word “prattle” especially conveying his contempt of Cassio’s opinion. He could also be misogynistically attempting to “turn (Desdemona’s) virtue into pitch”, or his racism (“old black ram”) might fuel his destruction of Othello. Perhaps most importantly, he suspects that Othello has slept with his wife (“twixt my sheets/He’s done my office”). The latter is a clear motive for revenge, although some have argued that even this seems almost an afterthought as opposed to a driving force. It is only mentioned briefly in the entire play, and even then in a calm, factual manner – the quote “done my office” seems especially banal, as if Othello has merely performed a job designated to Iago – hardly evidence that he is consumed with jealousy in his plotting.
However these are still motives and one must remember that in Shakespeare’s time they may have appeared much more significant than today. The idea of honour killings was much more customary, and it may have been thought that if Othello had slept with Emilia then that was perfectly just cause for revenge, even if only briefly mentioned.
Even to a modern audience, the fact that we do not agree with or understand Iago’s motives does not mean that they are nonexistent. Indeed Iago himself may not know his own reasoning – even his soliloquies appear evasive and unsolvable, despite Shakespeare’s use of them in his other plays to divulge a character’s unhidden self. For example Macbeth’s “I have no spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition” clearly states that ambition is his vice, his reasoning for murder. Macbeth knows his own mind, and reveals it in his soliloquies. In contrast, Iago reveals practically nothing personal, and his line “How am I then the villain” is almost self-questioning in nature, like he is attempting to defend himself against his own actions. He also tells Roderigo that “I am not what I am”, which whilst a part of his deceit, also begs the question of whether Iago himself knows exactly who he is. Today, such twisted logic would be difficult to understand and might even considered evidence of mental illness, but certainly not grounds for condemnation as irredeemable.
In fact, the only place where one is offered any real glimpse into Iago’s mind is through Othello in the final Acts of the play. Many critics have argued that Othello is corrupted into a version of Iago during Acts 3 and 4 as his verse slips into prose and his language becomes harsher with lines such as “I will chop her into messes!” and “O, blood, blood, blood”. This quote shows his obsessive passion with the repetition of “blood”, a technique which emphasises his crazed state of mind as he cannot tear himself away from revenge; much like Iago. He even adopts Iago’s use of “poison” into his vocabulary, further stressing their similarity. Othello’s madness here could reflect Iago’s own state of mind, an enraged, senseless jealousy determined to inflict damage. Certainly Iago is focused upon his ultimate goal throughout the play; one could imagine the mantra of “blood, blood, blood” echoing within his mind from start to finish. The only difference between them is that Iago retains the cunning to carry out his malice secretly, whereas Othello simply strikes out instantly.
If one takes this comparison to be true then the reverse must also be considered; that in the past Iago resembled Othello in some way, that Othello’s tragedy is an echo of Iago’s downfall (for reasons unknown). This makes sense both practically; it would be unreasonable to imagine Iago deceiving everyone for his entire life, and dramatically; it lifts the play to a tragedy concerning not one but two great men who have fallen short of their ideals.
Of course, it cannot be avoided that Iago is still a villain. He is cunning, ruthless and nothing can excuse the fact that his words – if not his actions – lead to the deaths of Desdemona and Othello. Yet he is also tragic, not because of an absence of redeeming qualities, but because one cannot see them. Iago is unfathomable – we fear him because we cannot understand him. As one critic said, “(Iago) is monstrous because, faced with the manifold richness of experience, his only reaction is calculation and the desire to manipulate”. Yet Iago’s tragedy arises not from his manipulations, but from his inability to appreciate the “manifold richness” before him. Every other character experiences conclusion; even Othello, by killing himself, achieves a semblance of closure for his actions, and a catharsis for the audience. The only exception is Iago, who retains a frustratingly ambiguous ending. He is not killed, yet neither does he show remorse, nor indeed any change of character. Instead he merely remains, silent and impenetrable, seemingly unconcerned about his own fate. That is Iago’s tragedy; not that he is irredeemable, but that one is never allowed close enough to him to prove otherwise.
Bibliography
Shakespeare, William, ‘Othello’, Cambridge University Press, 1984 rpt of 2001
Shakespeare, William, ‘Macbeth’ in ‘The Works of William Shakspere’, Ballantyne Press, 1897
Gardner, Helen, Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 2
Leavis, Frank Raymond, ‘Diabolic Intellect and the Noble Hero’ in ‘The Common Pursuit’, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1978 rpt of 1952
Rand, Frank Prentice, ‘The Over Garrulous Iago’ in Shakespeare Quarterly Vol 1 pp 154-161, 1950
F.R.Leavis ‘Diabolic Intellect and the Noble Hero’ (1952) in ‘The Common Pursuit’ (Harmondsworth: Penguin 1978 rpt of 1952)
Frank Prentice Rand ‘The Over Garrulous Iago’
Helen Gardner, Shakespeare Quarterly Vol. 6, No. 2
