Analysis of Act II, Scene I of Othello: Iago’s Character, Motivations, and Reasons for Success

The most horrific thing a villain can do is commit a crime that results in several casualties and provide no explanation for the anguish he causes. Human nature drives people to yearn for the knowledge of why something occurred, and when a person thinks he is in possession of such knowledge, the illusion that controlling future events to prevent any further disruption in the natural order of things arises. If such a thing were possible, the answers criminals have provided over centuries past would have allowed governments to completely rid society of crime. However, people do not see this and still desire complete control, which, in turn, brings comfort to the soul. Unfortunately for the characters in William Shakespeare’s Othello, none of them are in control. The infamous villain Iago controls the other characters with such precision that they might as well be marionettes. He is the cause of several deaths at the conclusion of the play, and commits the ultimate crime by refusing to provide an explanation for his actions. Since Shakespeare’s Othello was printed in 1622, critics have gone back and forth about what Iago’s motives were, about who he was, and about why he was so very successful in carrying out his devious plans. So many countless people, so many countless ideas, and so many countless hours have been spent trying to answer these questions when Shakespeare answers them all in Act Two, scene one of Othello.

Act Two, scene one of Othello provides insight into Iago’s motives, character, and reasons for success through character interactions. Many spectators view the scene between Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia as a simple exchange of wit-combat that was common in Shakespeare’s day, or as another scene in which Iago express...

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...ny longer. The manipulation of the insecurities of these characters allowed him to gain back his confidence.

The last thing Iago does to gain confidence and power over people was to keep his motives a secret, for the insecurities of the remaining characters is that they yearn for answers as to why he committed his crimes in hopes to control the future. They are searching for comfort, and he refuses to give it to them. He gains his power and validity back in this last heinous act. Once the victim of villains who stole his self-worth, Iago turns the tables and becomes the villain himself.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Othello. Penguin Group Inc., 2001.

Sproat, Kezia Vanmeter. "Rereading "Othello", II, I." The Kenyon Review (1985): 44-51.

Zender, Karl F. "The Humiliation of Iago." Studies of English Literature 34 (1994): 323-339. April 2014.