Drama: A Study of the Reasons for Iago’s Hatred of Othello

Shakespeare’s Othello should have been called Iago because Iago is by far the most interesting of all the main characters in the play, and the play seem to revolve around the consequences of Iago’s lies and deceptions. The “honest Iago” is actually pure evil, and in the final scene of the play, he pushes everyone towards their tragic end, including the leading character Othello. Iago’s opinion of himself is very high, he enjoy being evil, and seem to have his way in outwitting everyone to the very end. Iago is the kind of person who can lie without remorse and turn on the appearances of being funny and charming at the right moments. At the outset, Iago's official reason for his hatred of the Moor, Othello, comes from the fact that Othello passed over him in choosing a lieutenant. However, as the play rolls on, it becomes more apparent that there are other motives such as greed, jealousy, and the suspicion that Othello is sleeping with his wife. However, these are only e...