In the society, there are commonly two types of individuals; those that have good characters and those that are evil with ill intentions. God people will always possess positive energy and want the good for others while the evil, because of their sociopathic nature, will always engage in ill doing to manipulate or mistreat others. In the tale, Othello, William Shakespeare introduces various characters who fail to recognize the evil intentions that other characters have since they choose to believe in what they hear rather what they see. Such manipulative character is Iago who remains completely in control of other characters through blackmail and lies to have selfish gains. It is surely poignant to consider the character a sociopath, a mental position which results in the long-term violation, exploitation, and manipulation of the rights of others. Through his manipulation of other characters, Iago proves that he is a sociopath whose agendas are selfish with ill-intent.
In the play, there is an opening conflict between Othello and Iago who is considered the key conflict of the story. The two men had been the warmest and closest friends with undoubtable trust. Through the play, there is plenty of evident showing that there had been great confidence between the two, and both looked upon each other for excellence. Othello had always been known as a noble Moor with the highest military position. Similarly, Iago had been regarded as noble-minded and upright man who earned himself the epithet of trust and honesty. At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare reveals the ill-intentions of Iago, the previously perceived noble person, towards his master. As he plays hypocrite in his inferior position, he gets the opportunity to achieve his purpose which is to revenge against Othello by putting him into agony and destruction. Through his interaction with other characters, Iago’s sociopathic nature becomes very evident.
Just like a sociopath, Iago appears to be very intelligent and charming to his “victims.” Most sociopaths are considered to possess higher IQ compared to ordinary human beings; this makes them more intelligent compared to others. As such, sociopaths are able to formulate perfect talks and stories that can charmingly amaze others for their selfish gain. Throughout the play, the intelligence of Iago is witnessed when he tries to oversee all states of affairs. He first convinces Roderigo to win the wife of Othello, Desdemona. Although he is the one with the interest of pursuing and winning over Desdemona, he lies that he does not have any intentions of stealing her and easily convinces Roderigo to be the one to engage in the awful act. He tells him, “Virtue! a fig! ’tis in ourselves that we are thus. / Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners... It is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will” (I.iii.319-335). Iago convinces Roderigo that if he sets his mind in what he believes in which is to take Desdemona, he will succeed. Through his intelligence, he manages to convince Roderigo towards buying the idea of actually pursuing Othello’s wife so as to revenge against his master.
As a sociopath, Iago is perceived as jealous and selfish character. A common symptom of sociopathic character is the persistent exploitative financial dependence which results from the fact that they always lack motivation, have low self-discipline, and lack the ability to be accountable or responsible. This kind of selfishness results from the pleasure they get when they see others suffer. In the case of Iago, readers are able to witness his selfish nature when he tries to destroy the professional career of Cassio. He gives him alcohol so as to fall asleep with the aim of getting him fired. After losing his job, Cassio laments, “Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost / my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of / myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, / Iago, my reputation” (II.iii.262-265). When he mentions Iago’s name, Cassio realizes that he suffers the humiliation of losing his job position because of Iago’s plan. Having Cassio get fired is not the finality of his plan; he intends to make Cassio go see Desdemona over his reemployment; this would present a scenario for accusing them of having an affair.
Furthermore, Iago commits a lot of lies in order to hurt other characters that blindly trust him. Although one may lie when they are in a compromising position, sociopaths consider lying a norm as they get pleasure in hurting others. The character ensures that he constantly evades the truth and fabricates lies to put at risk the life of others. In one instance, he presents Othello’s handkerchief that he had given Desdemona as a gift to show that Cassio was truly having an affair with Othello’s wife. Since the handkerchief belonged to Desdemona, Iago made his wife to steal it and plant it in Cassio’s possession. He later tells Othello that he is sure the two have an affair because Cassio owns the handkerchief. Iago exclaim, “One of this kind is Cassio. In sleep I heard him say, ‘Sweet Desdemona, / Let us be wary, Let us hide our loves!’ / . ... I know not that; but such a handkerchief I am sure was your wifes, the handkerchief- did I today See Cassio wipe his beard with” (III.iiii.433-453). After implanting the handkerchief on Cassio, Iago manages to convince Othello that his wife is cheating on him. This results in mistrust, and he finally divorces Desdemona.
Amidst the success that Iago achieves in his plot to destroy Othello, he also loses a lot, especially on some of the things he had valued. His main ambition was to sleep with Desdemona; however, he fails to achieve this as his revenge mission. In the first Act, Iago develops the suspicion that Othello had been sleeping with Emilia which makes him to promise that he would do the same thing. He states, “I do suspect the lust Moor / 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” (Shakespeare II.ii). When he compares the “betrayal” he felt with “a poisonous mineral,” it is evident that he was hurt by the incident and was jealous of his friend. However, it becomes shocking that he fails to achieve his mission amidst his talent in canning nature and trickery.
Another loss that Iago experiences as a result of his sociopathic nature is the loss of his wife. The character had married Emilia who was very close to Desdemona. His love for her was evident when he intended to revenge against Othello for “sleeping with her.” After plotting the affair between Desdemona and Cassio, Emilia is haunted by the lies and decides to tell the truth. She explains that the handkerchief had been stolen by her and given to Iago to frame him. She stated, “O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou speak'st of / I found by fortune and did give my husband; / For often, with a solemn earnestness, / More than indeed belong'd to such a trifle, / He begg'd of me to steal it” (Shakespeare V.ii.225-228). Through her revelation, Iago stabs her in order to cover up for his lies. He feared embarrassment and so could not live with the shame. He, thus, loses his wife in the process of seeking revenge.
In summary, it is evident through his character that Iago is a sociopath. Throughout the play, he is portrayed as an evil character who manipulates others and exposes them to lies and harm. He has evil intentions which are seen as immoral. Because of his sociopathic nature, Iago uses selfishness, intelligence, and lies to influence the perception of other characters like Othello, Cassio, Roderigo, and Emilia. He also takes advantage of the friendship he has with Othello to portray Cassio as a bad employee; this results in his firing. Even at the end of the play, he attempts to use his skills to destroy Othello. However, in the end he fails.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. “Othello.” Othello (complete Text): Open Source Shakespeare. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
