Importance Of Iago In Othello

Honor is an easy trait to fake when nobody is watching. Iago was a mastermind that throughout the play clearly tricked many characters into believing he was an honorable man. A good reputation is clearly not the direct jewel of a person’s existence, if that were true, then Iago would have had a blackened reputation instead. Truthfulness was a trait that Iago also lacked, he more than made up for it by using that as an advantage to trap other characters in his web of deceit. Iago was a master of appearances, he appeared honest and trustworthy when it was most needed. To Othello, he was a most trusted friend, to Emilia he was an honest husband, to Roderigo he was a friend that was trying to help him win the woman of his dreams. Iago continually

Iago told Roderigo to sell all of his land so that when Desdemona and Othello split, he would be the most eligible based on his wealth. To Roderigo, Iago was a man trying to help his friend get the girl of his dreams. The reader knew that Iago pocketed the jewels and money that Roderigo meant for Desdemona. Iago admits to it in Act V, Scene I, when he said to himself, “Every way makes my gain. Live Roderigo, he calls me to a restitution large of gold and jewels that I bobbed from him as gifts to Desdemona.” Throughout the play, Iago continued to play the part as a helpful friend, but it only fooled Roderigo to a fault. Roderigo began to suspect him in Act IV, Scene II when he said to Iago “Every day thou daff’st me with some device, Iago, and rather, as it seems to me now, keep’st from me all conveniency than suppliest me with the least advantage of hope.” This line shows that Roderigo was starting to see through the image that Iago

Iago was not worthy of Emilia. She questioned his motive for wanting Desdemona’s handkerchief but she also stole it from Desdemona for him dispite that because she knew he wanted it for whatever reason. Until the very end, Emilia believed in her husband so much that when she heard that he was the cause of Desdemona’s death, she was in disbelief: consequently, all she could manage to say was “My husband”. When Iago appeared, Emilia said, “Disprove this villain, if thou be’st a man. He says thou told’st him that his wife was false. I know thou didst not, thou'rt not such a villain,”(Act V, Scene II, Line 185). Her husband confessed to telling Othello what he believed to be true about Desdemona. Then, finally, Emilia saw through the curtain of lies that was hung by her husband and she connected the dots, her husband was the most disgusting, horrid, and untruthful man she knew. His act as an honest man was brought down by Emilia as she told the truth to Othello of the entirety of what her husband had