Iago could not have any motives at all and could just be using everybody like he uses Roderigo by telling him to give him all his money to him and he would make sure that Desdemona would be his, “Put money in thy purse” (Act 1 scene 3 line 336).
There could be other explanations to his motives, Iago is a good judge of character and can make good observations about them, even if he has not met them before he knows what they are planning. Iago could be naturally making trouble between Othello and Cassio, so Othello kills Cassio and then Iago can become Othello’s lieutenant. At the start of the play Iago is upset that Othello made Cassio his lieutenant when he is talking to Roderigo “In personal suit to make me his lieutenant” (Act 1 scene 1 line 9).
Iago believes that the society is he lives in is male dominated and that women shouldn’t get involved with what the men are doing. He also believes that women should stay in the home where they should be “Be wise, and get you home” this is what he tells her when they have found Desdemona lying on the bed dead in Act 5 scene 2.
Iago can easily manipulate Othello, this makes Othello very weak and gullible and makes Iago take control over Othello.
Iago could feel that he was neglected by Othello and might see that because Othello made Cassio his new lieutenant he might think that Othello wants to get rid of him.
A.C. Bradley believes that Iago was a ‘Victim of a tragic fate’ and says that Iago is “The kind of good-nature that wins popularity and is often taken as the sign, not of a good digestion, but of a good heart” in another way he is saying that he believes Iago isn’t naturally bad at heart. Bradley also believes that Iago is an innocent person and that he has not done anything like this before “Iago had never been detected in any serious offence and may even never have been guilty of one”. Karen Horny thought Iago was the psychological type and that he had secret desires and passionate feelings towards Desdemona and why he didn’t get the lieutenancy, “the passed over lieutenancy, the fantasized passion for Desdemona, the imagined cuckolding by Othello”. She then goes on to say that Iago has no respect for his friends and is only obsessed about his devious plan that makes them turn against each other “he has an essential disrespect for others, their dignity and their feelings, his only concern being his subordination of them”.
Gareth Lloyd Evans, writer of The Upstart Crow compares Iago to Richard III and points out that “Michael Cassio trusts him, Desdemona seems almost admire his forthrightness, the stupid Roderigo is mesmerized by him” basically he saying that everyone believes that Iago is normal character in the face of others.
