Iago

Iago

When Shakespeare attempted to create the ultimate villain (and I must say he was stunningly
successful), Iago was the result. This cunningly evil character always keeps the audience guessing at his
true personality until he has the opportunity to plan in solitude or so gracefully manipulate an inferior
intellect that he can let his true colors shine while preserving his "image". Such is the case in act I, scene
III, when he recites to Roderigo a beautifully worded speech revealing his true feelings about life, love, and
Othello. This near-soliloquy shows us some of the thinking behind Iago's Machiavellian actions.

320 Virtue! a fig! 'Tis in ourselves are we thus or thus. Our
bodies are gardens, to which our wills are gardeners; so that
if we plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up
thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs or distract it with
325 many, either to have it sterile with idleness or manured with
industry, why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies
in our wills. If the balance of our lives had not one scale of
reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and
baseness of our natures would conduct us to the most
330 preposterous conclusions. But we have reason to cool our
raging motions, our carnal stings, our umbitted lusts,
wherof I take this that you call love to be a sect or scion…It
is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will.
Come, be a man. Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind
335 puppies. I pr...

Iago

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