The play "Othello the Moor of Venice," is one of Shakespeare's great tragedies. That being so, for every tragedy, there is the tragic hero- a man that is, at bottom, truly honorable and good

At the onset of the play, Iago is presented as a cunning snake in the grass, the antagonist of the play, and a catalyst that sets Othello into a downward spiral of jealousy, suspicion, rage, and violence- respectively. Angered that Othello appointed Cassio, and not himself as lieutenant, Iago seeks vengeance. An evil and truly deceitful man, Iago’s hatred of Othello is masked behind false rhetoric and manipulation, but vividly clear to the audience. While it seems to nearly everyone that Iago is Othello’s loyal servant, Iago only serves his own agenda: “I follow him to serve my turn upon him. We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly followed” (I.I.42-44). Thus Iago begins to spin his web of deceit, using anyone that he so chooses as his pawn. Most instrumental in his plan is Cassio. Iago falsely represents Cassio’s courtly manners to Othello as more than friendly. Of his plan, Iago states: “With as little a web as this will I ensnare great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon, do! I will gyve thee in thine own courtship” (II.I.168-170). In order to defame Cassio before Othello, Iago gets Cassio drunk and in a fight with Montano and Roderigo. Because of this, Cassio falls out of favor with Othello. Knowing that Cassio greatly cherishes the position he holds, Iago convinces Cassio that the best way to win back Othello’s trust is through Desdemona. Thus, Iago opens the door for Othello to find Desdemona unfaithful. This seed that he plants causes a transition in Othello’s character that Iago describes: “Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me for making him egregiously an ass and practicing upon his peace and quiet even to madness” (II.II.310-313).

At this point in the play, we see a marked change in Othello’s behavior. At Iago’s mention of Desdemona’s double-dealing, Othello becomes enraged with passion and overcome with grief: “I am abused, and my relief must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage, that we can call these delicate creatures ours, and not their appetites!” (III.III.267-270). All the while that Othello is berating Desdemona on false charges, she still defends him. She says: “Men’s nature’s wrangle with inferior things, though greater ones are their object…Nay, we must think men are not gods” (III.IV.145-146,149). Yet Emilia warns Desdemona of the danger she is in and insists: “But jealous souls will not be answered so…’Tis a monster begot upon itself, born on itself” (III.IV.160, 162-163). When Othello sees the handkerchief that Iago had directed Emilia to plant on Cassio, his suspicions are for him confirmed. He, speaking of his change of heart says: “my heart is turned to stone; I strike it, and it hurts my hand” (IV.I.182-183). This is the last straw for Othello and the climax of the tragedy nears. Upon returning home, he takes Desdemona’s life in “bloody passion” (V.II.45) though she begs for mercy. Almost immediately, though, Cassio, Iago, and Gratiano enter. It soon comes to all who are present’s attention that Othello had been deceived and Iago was the villain behind these happenings. Realizing his great wrongdoing, Othello laments: “O cursed, cursed slave! Whip me, ye devils, from the possession of this heavenly sight! Blow me about in winds! Roast me in sulfur!” (V.II.278-280) and having reached rock bottom, he takes his own life.

Othello’s madness is a direct result of Iago’s manipulation. However, ultimately it is in his own hands that Othello’s fate rests. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, though deceived by the serpent, they chose their own course of action and had to pay the consequences as a result. Othello falls prey to his jealousy and rage, and as a victim of his own passion, is made the tragic hero. Though not an evil person, but innately a good and noble man, Othello falls in the same passion that he rose.