The Villain in Shakespeare’s Othello

A perfect villain may sound like an impossible oxymoron, but in actuality such a character can exist in a literary work and may be actually intended or desired. In Othello, William Shakespeare attempted and succeeded in creating a "perfect" villain whose evil is timeless; his name was Iago. Specifically, Iago would stop at nothing to increase his personal well-being, political standing, or financial status. Unfortunately, this led to the complete ruin of others’ lives. As a villain, Iago possessed embedded selfish traits characteristic of many classic villains: he lacked virtue, had a hunger for revenge, and engineered situations to adhere to his personal agenda as well as to convince himself and others of his supposed "honesty.". This characterization was enhanced by Shakespeare’s use of dramatic elements such as monologues and soliloquies.

Throughout the medieval period and into the Renaissance, authors sought virtue in their literary heroes. Naturally, villains’ traits were antonyms of those possessed by the heroes. "Virtue! A fig! ‘Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners…. why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills." (I, iii, 313-318) This quote, which appears in an early monologue by Iago, embodies the very essence of his selfish core. He asserts that virtue is meaningless, trivial, and insignificant and that personal will should rule one’s decision-making. Also, by his simple condemnation of virtue, Iago is alienating himself from every aspect of heroism.

In addition to his lack of virtue, Iago’s thirst for revenge also fuels his selfish ambition. After Cassio was chosen over him as Othello’s lieutenant, Iago’s bitterness extended outwards to nearly everyone, particularly Othello, as can be seen from the quote from one of Iago’s soliloquies in Act II:

"But partly led to diet my revenge for that I do suspect the lusty Moor [Othello] hath leaped into my seat. The thought whereof doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards, and nothing can or shall content my soul till I am evened with him, wife for wife. Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor at least into a jealousy so strong that judgement cannot cure."

(II, i, 270-277)

Also in Act II, Iago confesses to the audience "Oh, you are well tuned now, but I’ll set down the pegs that make this music, as honest as I am." (II, i, 194) after noting the devotion evident between Othello and Desdemona. He implies in both passages that he will take revenge on Othello, and explains how. In the second quote, however, he also reinforces his belief in his own honesty.

Needless to say, one aspect of honesty is telling the truth. Throughout the entire tragic play, Iago confesses that he is "honest," and several other key quotes by other characters back his claim. Truth-telling is easy, however, when the situation described has been successfully engineered to match one’s agenda or goals; when a "truth" is conveyed under these circumstances, it can hardly be considered "honest." Another soliloquy enforces Iago’s belief in his own honesty and innocence: "And what’s he then that says I play the villain? When this advice is free I give and honest, Probal to thinking, and indeed the course to win the Moor again?" (II, iii, 296-299)

Essentially, villains like Iago, while challenging to create, are essential to many literary works. Agnes Repplier accurately pinpoints what a villain should be:

"A villain must be a thing of power, handled with delicacy and grace. He must be wicked enough to excite our aversion, strong enough to arouse our fear, human enough to awaken some transient gleam of sympathy. We must triumph in his downfall, yet not barbarously nor with contempt, and the close of his career must be in harmony with all its previous development."

Shakespeare, through the use of monologues and soliloquies, effectively portrayed Iago as a dishonest, self-centered, scheming villain. This achievement enhanced the play’s intended tragic outcome, and provided a model villain for later authors.