Micheál MacLiammóir as Iago in the 1951 movie version of Othello.

Iago  

Who is Iago? Numerous interpretations of this famous Shakespearean character have been put forward over the centuries. Arguments like:

• the man’s a neurotic whose very stomach acids churn in secret inner turmoil,
• he’s a psychopath who feels no single shred of guilt,
• or he’s an outright devil from deepest Hell itself.

In essence, he is a man who very much can, and does, destroy his fellow man. It’s a matter of ability, seemingly detached from motivation. Intellect and evil exist as complementary elements of Iago’s character, which allow him the facility to breezily contrive the downfall of his friend.

As far as anyone can tell, Iago has no true motive to destroy Othello. There is no obligation based on some obvious wrong done to him in the past. However, Iago has certainly been irked by Michael Cassio’s promotion to lieutenant, a post he felt he deserved for himself. Yes, there is also a scurrilous rumour that Iago’s wife, Emilia, has slept with Othello. Just a rumour, mind you, and one that only Iago mentions. Then there’s Othello’s dark skin colour and the possibility of old-fashioned racism at play. Yet, these seem like mere red herrings. Iago’s crime requires a valid cause, but this is something he appears to invent ad hoc as his diabolical plan progresses.

Iago destroys his own best friend because he can: it’s an unsatisfactory synopsis of Shakespeare’s Othello. Nonetheless, it is also a core truth. Iago is the type of man who will betray someone, anyone. Looking for a watertight motive for this act is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Shakespeare’s most fearful character is deadly because he destroys another human being on a mere whim, a turn of mood, an almost imperceptible change in the wind. Iago feels that he has been slighted and quickly designates Othello as enemy #1.

Yes, Othello is also flawed, but he’s the victim here (along with Desdemona!). Everyone has character failings silently waiting to be exploited by the right enemy. It’s okay to be viscerally afraid of Iago and his kind because these are the characters, on stage or in a suburban home, who defy our absolute best predictions. They’ll put a comforting hand on your shoulder as they secretly rip your life into flesh-coloured strips … and then smile inwardly.