‘A mysterious inhuman creature with unlimited cynicism’. Explore the character of Iago in the light of this comment, focusing on his soliloquies and his treatment of the other characters. Compare how your interpretation differs from those of other Critics.
‘Regimes whose rule is terror…led by men to whom power has meant a licence to corrupt, maim and murder. Some men delight in things for no reason but because they are ugly and infamous’ Samuel Butler (1680)
Derived from a collection of Italian short stories by Giraldo Cinthio and first performed in London in the summer of 1601 in front of James I, Othello remains to this day one of Shakespeare’s most controversial yet finest and popular tragedies. Featuring Othello himself, notably the first black hero to appear on English stage. Othello demonstrates emotional power and revolves around trust and distrust. Johnson interprets Othello as a play that is not easy to analyse because it teaches the reader or viewer the inner truth of human nature. Reading exercises your own powers of judgement. Shakespeare manages to introduce truly evil themes: racism depicted not only to be skin deep, hierarchy and snobbery. The power of suggestion and power itself. It is common knowledge that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. The idea of Othello having no power and the corrupter Iago rivets rather then repels power. Othello also deals with one of the central scandals of western thought and culture, the marriage of a black military general to a white aristocratic Venetian woman, and the pollution of their elitist stock. Shakespeare brings these themes alive with potent characters. Iago the ‘Arch villain’ of the Elizabethan theatre proves he can destroy the power of love when usurped. But he destroys the love because he could not understand it; he did not value the concept of true love. Iago, the personification of the absence of love. The question is, are the actions of this undoubtedly evil character, that of unlimited cynicism? In understanding where this hate derives from, we can unravel the philosophy in his motives and therefore his cynicism. If in fact Iago is a cynic is that cynicism considered to be solely negative or does Iago overstate cynicism?
Iago’s motive of resentments is seated in the Florentine, Cassio that has been promoted over his head. Moreover, he is himself a cynic who has a low opinion of human nature and lacks the capacity for genuine happiness. Iago’s motives are partly a double revenge against Othello and Cassio , partly as a cynical game the object of which is to bring Othello down to his own level of reality .Iago possesses the type of evil which normally resides in the deep recesses of our minds. It is evident where this hate derives from. We are taught the difference between right and wrong. Iago is morally and consciously wrong in his doings. Iago is an example of Acte gratuity, showing the ability of men to fall. Iago also takes inspiration from a common figure in literature, the Machiavellian villain, a political philosopher who let nothing stand in his way for the quest of power. Shakespeare makes extensive use of this. The category of being amoral, energetic, devious and fiendishly clever, preying on the weaknesses, vices and foibles of others, setting people against each other and using people for their own ends. Iago lets the audience in on the plan, laughing at the stupidity, credulousness and hypocrisy of victims he has a general lack of moral principles and seems inherently evil; he delights in his villainy.To go further in Renaissance Britain, Machiavelli was a kind of devil figure, an apologist for disloyalty, dishonestness and murder. Iago is also reminiscent of the stock character of Vice from medieval mortality plays who also announce to the audience his diabolical schemes. Germaine Greer comments on the nature of evil in Othello, she notes there is always an element of psychomachia, the struggle within the soul and the ways it can be externalised. It is clear from the outset that the objective of Iago is to destroy Othello. This is constructed very well. Iago organises complicated scenarios in which he traps Othello. He seduces characters by luring them into these scenarios. Greer seems to think of Iago holding no motives but he has some sense of “giddy wizardy” that memorises the audience. She continues its difficult to imagine how Iago’s line can be said without a sly look, a nod or wink to the audience, especially as the vice is traditionally a comic charcter.
