By the second soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 1, he is now driven by revenge as seen in “but partly led to diet my revenge.” We have already seen the observant mind of Iago, as he notices Othello’s “free and open nature” that he will use against him. When cast on stage, the audience is conscious that Iago is always standing off centre stage, watching the proceedings mainly from the shadows, even when he has no lines. He makes comments of the flaws of many characters, primarily that of Othello’s jealousy as in the line “At least jealousy so strong that judgement cannot cure.”
In the third soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3 the last parts of Iago’s plan fall into place. This is achieved by ultimately deceiving Othello by turning Desdemona’s “virtue into pitch”. Yet, the manipulative mind of Iago is best seen in Act 3 Scene 3 where Iago’s plan is set in full motion. By undermining Othello’s confidence, step by step, Iago is able to turn the valiant general into a raving potential murderer in merely a scene.
Iago starts to undermine Othello in Act 3 Scene 3 by awakening Othello’s curiosity through small meaningless lines such as “I like not that”. By making seemingly innocent comments such as that, it seems to Othello that Iago is refraining from telling him his true thoughts and by warning Othello of “the green-eyed monster” that is jealousy, his words become more honest than they really are. Iago helps spark doubt further in Othello’s mind, reminding him of Desdemona’s deceitful nature, such as “She did deceive her father”. He then tells Othello the false information, that while not condemning, sparks emotions of jealousy in Othello that leads him to accuse Desdemona of adultery. Iago’s true power lies in the fact that Othello still believes he came up with the plan, and is oblivious to Iago’s motives, thus establishing Iago as the ‘two-faced Janus’ whose true motives are concealed behind his words.
The stage actions of Iago are also very important in dramatising his character as they show his manipulative character. Already, the effect of Iago hovering somewhere on stage, even if he has no lines, establishes the observant nature of Iago; however Iago’s actions are also influenced by the characters also on stage. When Roderigo is on stage, Iago’s actions are commanding. He has an imperative tone, seen in his words, “put money in thy purse”. Shakespeare also changes the format of the speech in scenes between Roderigo and Iago from rhyming couplets to a prose format. This establishes a natural flow that makes Iago seem honest and open. In the end, Shakespeare shows Iago’s true influence over Roderigo by his ability to quickly change Roderigo’s mind, “I am changed” and Roderigo’s eagerness to follow Iago’s orders, “get thee gone [Exit Roderigo]”.
While Othello is on stage though, Iago’s character is totally different. On stage Iago is normally portrayed as bowing and grovelling to Othello, always looking up to him. The audience though are not fooled, and the dramatic irony comes from the fact that during Iago’s soliloquies, where his character is dramatised as a megalomaniac, he says “will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are” showing that even though Othello believes himself in control, it is really Iago that is in control. To finally show the power of Iago over Othello, Shakespeare creates a role reversal in Act 3 Scene 3. By making Othello kneel, while Iago stands, he is showing Iago’s success in manipulating Othello.
Iago is a complex character, yet Shakespeare effectively dramatises him to show how Iago is the external influence that creates the tragedy in ‘Othello’. Through his soliloquies, words and timing as well as the stage actions, Iago is dramatised effectively to show he can manipulate all characters around him and to create a “net” to “enmesh them all”.
