Iago
Shakespeare's manipulative antagonist in Othello.
Iago is a fictional character in Shakespeare's *Othello* (c. 1601–1604). He is the play's main antagonist and serves as Othello's standard-bearer. Married to Emilia, who is the attendant of Othello's wife Desdemona, Iago despises Othello and crafts a malicious plot to ruin him by making Othello believe Desdemona is having an affair with his lieutenant, Michael Cassio. Iago speaks 1,097 lines in the play, more than Othello himself.
A soldier who has fought alongside Othello for years, Iago becomes an ensign. At the play's start, he claims he was unfairly passed over for promotion to lieutenant in favor of Cassio. He schemes to manipulate Othello into demoting Cassio, then aims to bring down Othello and others who trust him. Iago uses Roderigo as an ally, who helps him under the false belief that Iago will help him win Desdemona's affection after Othello is gone. After causing a drunken brawl that gets Cassio demoted in Act 2, Iago shifts to his second plan: convincing Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are lovers. This plot drives the final three acts.
Iago manipulates his wife Emilia, Desdemona's lady-in-waiting, to steal a handkerchief Othello gave Desdemona; he then tells Othello he saw it in Cassio's possession. When Othello becomes jealous, Iago tells him to hide and watch as Iago talks to Cassio. Iago leads Othello to believe a bawdy conversation about Cassio's mistress, Bianca, is actually about Desdemona. Mad with jealousy, Othello orders Iago to kill Cassio, promising him the lieutenancy. Iago then stages a fight between Cassio and Roderigo, killing Roderigo himself and wounding Cassio. The plan seems to succeed when Othello kills the innocent Desdemona. But Emilia later exposes Iago's treachery, and Iago kills her in a rage before being arrested. When pressed for an explanation, he remains famously silent: "Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word." After Othello's suicide, Cassio, now in charge, sentences Iago to imprisonment and torture.
Iago is one of Shakespeare's most sinister villains, largely because Othello trusts him deeply, a trust Iago betrays while maintaining a reputation for honesty. Shakespeare contrasts Iago with Othello's nobility and integrity. Iago is a Machiavellian schemer, often called "honest Iago," skilled at deceiving others so they rely on him as truthful. Critic A. C.
- Field
- Literature (fictional character)
- Known for
- Antagonist in Shakespeare's Othello; master manipulator
- Lines in play
- 1,097
Lore & Background
Iago is a soldier who has fought beside Othello for several years and serves as his ensign. At the play's start, Iago claims he was unfairly passed over for promotion to lieutenant in favor of Michael Cassio. He plots to manipulate Othello into demoting Cassio and then to bring about the downfall of Othello and others who trust him. Iago has an ally, Roderigo, who assists him in the mistaken belief that Iago will help him win Desdemona's affection. After engineering a drunken brawl to ensure Cassio's demotion, Iago leads Othello to believe Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, a plan that occupies the final three acts.
Reader's Guide
Iago is one of Shakespeare's most sinister villains, often considered such because of the unique trust Othello places in him, which he betrays while maintaining a reputation for honesty. He is a Machiavellian schemer, frequently called 'honest Iago' by other characters. Scholars have long debated Iago's role, highlighting his complexity and manipulativeness. Fred West contends that Iago is an accurate portrait of a psychopath, devoid of conscience. A. C. Bradley stated that evil has nowhere else been portrayed with such mastery as in Iago, and that he stands supreme among Shakespeare's evil characters. Samuel Taylor Coleridge described Iago as a 'motiveless malignity,' though other critics suggest motives such as envy, fear of social snobbery, or opportunism. The mystery surrounding Iago's actual motives continues to intrigue readers and fuel scholarly debate.
Did You Know?
- Iago has 1,097 lines in Othello, more than the title character himself.
- The role is thought to have been first played by Robert Armin, who typically played intelligent clown roles.
- Iago kills his ally Roderigo and later kills his wife Emilia before being arrested.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Iago?
Iago is the central antagonist in Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, a soldier who serves as Othello's standard-bearer. He is married to Emilia, the lady-in-waiting to Othello's wife Desdemona.
What motivates Iago's revenge?
At the play's opening, Iago claims he was denied the lieutenant promotion that went to Cassio instead. He also hints at a suspicion that Othello has been sleeping with his wife Emilia, though this motive is never confirmed on stage.
What is Iago's scheme in Othello?
He systematically poisons Othello's mind by fabricating evidence that Desdemona is carrying on an affair with Cassio. His manipulation escalates until Othello kills Desdemona in a fit of jealous rage.
How does Iago die?
In the play's final scene, Emilia publicly exposes Iago's deceptions, and Othello stabs him in the chest. Iago is left unable to speak further, dying with the cryptic line "It is too late."
Why is Iago considered one of Shakespeare's greatest villains?
He speaks 1,097 lines—more than the protagonist Othello himself—and his manipulation drives the entire tragedy while his true inner motives remain deliberately opaque. Critics have debated his psychology for over four centuries without reaching consensus.
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