Roderigo has a crush on Othello’s wife, Desdemona. What else does ‘Honest Iago’ do? Well, he leads Roderigo on. Hint: Emilia’s reaction is ‘Ha!’ and I don’t think she’s amused! I’ll leave it up to your capable imagination what a ‘common thing’ is. Iago: A thing for me!–it is a common thing– Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds. Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, Iago: Come on, come on you are pictures out of doors,īells in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchens She puts her tongue a little in her heart, I find it still, when I have list to sleep: Iago (to Cassio): Sir, would she give you so much of her lips How is Iago an asshole? His wife, Emilia, seems like a nice lady. But at least he has some motivation: he’s getting back at nature for being born deformed (that’s the motive Shakespeare gives him). The closest Shakespeare villain that’s bad just for the sake of being bad is Richard III. But what’s Iago tempted by? I’m not sure. Other Shakespeare villains at least have convincing explanations why they’re bad.

While that has a nice jingle, it doesn’t explain much. Coleridge ascribed Iago’s bad nature to ‘motiveless malignity’. Othello is my least favourite Shakespeare tragedy because I can’t figure it out. It’s a question that’s eluded generations of theatregoers. Now, I’m offering a reward to anyone who can convince me why Iago is such an asshole.

But the problem of the play is deeper than the title. Iago drives the action Othello is like a piece of driftwood, although he gets one of the best lines (as he breaks up a fight): ‘Keep up you bright swords, for the dew will rust them’. I’ve always referred to Othello by Shakespeare as Iago because Iago dominates Othello.

Othello iago