Don't believe everything you hear..

Discuss the reasons for Iago’s actions. How far ahead does he plan and how much harm did he intend?

We all have certain actions we do; some planned others just, what can I say happen. 

Do we intend for them to go far? In Othello Iago is portrayed to be this loyal, trustworthy, 

so-called friend. “Honest” Iago they called him. Highly favored by his peers he knew 

he could manipulate any and everybody; and that he did. How can someone seem 

so honest, but tell so many lies? Iago knew exactly what he was doing when he 

was betraying everyone. From the lies he told to the manipulation he did. 

His manipulation of people and events leads to the play’s tragic climax,

Desdemona’s death, and the downfall of many characters, including

Iago himself. Iago is not your ordinary villain.  

  The role he plays is rather unique and complex, far from what one might expect. 

 Iago is smart.   He is an expert judge of people and their characters and uses this to his 

advantage.Iago says many things hinting that he is not who he appears to be on the 

outside. He tricks the people around into thinking he’s someone who can be trusted and

 letting him fool them. On the inside he’s this cold- hearted genius/mastermind who 

only wants power, and success. In the play Iago says “I am not what I am” meaning 

I am not what I appear to be, a self contradiction of oneself.  This role he played was 

well planned out. From the lies that were told, to the outcome of the story taking everyone out

one by one. Let’s begin with Iago’s marriage with wife Emilia which really seems like a 

marriage made in hell. Iago constantly mocks and disrespects her. He never seems to 

offer her any affection, and he always talks trash about women in general. Despite this, Emilia 

seems eager to please him. She steals Desdemona's handkerchief in the hope that Iago 

will appreciate her for once. Throughout most of the play, Iago has the upper hand in his

 interactions with his wife. But the final scene is payback time for Emilia. Was Iago 

sexual frustrated, motivated by lust for Desdemona, envious of Cassio, or was it jealously 

over his wife’s supposed affair with Othello? Iago’s actions were 

confusing, and hazy; but somehow they all fell into play. 

Iago had nothing planned; he was just a smart man 

who was always two steps ahead of everyone else. He knew everyone’s business and how to use it. 

 The only reason for his actions which Iago gives in his soliloquies is a rumor that Othello has 

slept with his wife.That could be the main reason why Iago’s actions go as far as killing. Iago says 

“It is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets. He has done my office.”  

The unclearness of this motivation has caused some readers to look elsewhere for Iago’s 

reasons, but it could be a powerful drive, Iago is somehow just evil. He could be an example 

of how evil arsis naturally in humanity. In Act 5 the final scene Othello says “If that thou beest 

devil I cannot kill thee” and then Iago says “I bleed sir, but not killed” that conversation that 

was exchanged to me mean was Iago mocking Othello, or is Iago as pure an evil as the devil. 

Iago in this play has the qualities of the devil in medieval and Renaissance plays. 

He is a liar, he makes promises he has no intention of keeping, he tells fancy stories in order

 to trap people and lead them to their destruction, and he sees other’s greatest 

vulnerabilities and uses these to destroy them. Iago does all this not for any good reason, 

but for love of evil. Another motive could have been jealousy; Cassio, like Roderigo, follows 

Iago blindly, thinking the whole time that Iago is trying to help him. During this whole time, 

Iago is planning of the Cassio, his supposed friend.   

On the night of Cassio's watch, Iago convinces him to take another drink, 

knowing very well that it will make him very drunk. Cassio just follows along, 

though he says, "I'll do't, but it dislikes me." is able to make him 

defy his own reasoning to take another drink. Iago envied Cassio and his rank. So he did 

everything in his power to take that away from him. Iago frames him; plants thoughts in 

Othello mind about Cassio and Desdemona, drunken him, and gets Roderigo to pick a fight, 

which eventually leads to Cassio being killed. Iago knew he had everyone where he wanted 

them, he knew the next step, and then the next one until someone cracked, and that didn’t

 take long. In my opinion I think Iago meant all if not most of the harm he caused, solely 

because not once did he ever apologize. In the play Iago said it himself I cannot be trusted.

 Whoever trusts me is a fool themselves. 

I've learned a lot just alone in 2nd quarter, to better my writing to take better notes. I can do better, and I will do better. I left 2nd quarter with an 85% and I know I could have gotten an A, but now I know what to work and what needs improvement. It only gets harder from here and I'm ready to prove to myself I'm more then just meets the eye. I feel as if 3rd quarter will be a very hard/complex quarter but I'm ready, and I'm not leaving til that A is mines! Only the strongest survive....