Assignment #1: Iago: Master Villain
In this essay we had to do a character study of someone in one of the operas we had read. Being attracted to anti-heroes, I went with Iago from Verdi's Otello. This opera of course draws heavily from the play by Shakespeare, but there are some intriguing differences which I won't bother to elaborate upon.
Oh, about the quotes: he wanted us to use footnotes, and those just didn't translate well through cut-and-paste. They're all from the libretto to the opera, and perhaps someday I'll come back and do Act/Scene notations. Sorry, I know I'm shirking in my duty here, and I don't have a good reason for it.
Grade: A-
Otello, based on the play Othello by William Shakespeare, is full of characters who are sympathetic and conflicted; however, the one I found the most interesting was Iago. A talented manipulator who shares his secrets with no one (possibly including the audience), Iago holds the dominant point of view in the story. With so much of the plot filtered through his twisted gaze, the audience is almost encouraged to sympathize with him; at the very least, they feel compelled to see his intrigues to completion. Iago is not any kind of hero, either triumphant or tragic; rather, he is the bad guy, whose schemes of revenge drive the story forward and lead to sorrow and pain for the other characters. Iago does not stumble haphazardly into these schemes, however--he knows exactly what he's doing, and sometimes it's fun to just sit back and watch a master work, even if he is a master villain.
Although in the play Iago's motivations are somewhat nebulous, they are more clear-cut in the opera. Iago hates Othello for what he calls "the best of reasons": despite Iago's greater military experience, Othello promoted Cassio, an "arithmetician", to the position of lieutenant, leaving Iago as a mere ensign. For this offense, Iago has decided to ruin the lives of both Othello and Cassio. Iago's position seems relatively secure, even as an ensign--he has a widespread reputation for being honest, he is still able to consult closely with General Othello, and his wife is maid to the general's wife. Under these circumstances, Iago's reaction seems rather extreme, but this only makes him more frightening, lending a slightly unbalanced side to his intense hatred.
Iago is a expert at manipulating people, at appearing to be their friend while steering them towards their own destruction. He knows exactly what his victims' weak spots are and attacks them without mercy. For example, sensing Othello's quick temper and insecurity in his marriage, Iago convinces him that his wife Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. Iago works very carefully; he first makes sure Cassio has been dismissed from Othello's service for drunken brawling--a shocking vice which must open Othello's mind up to other surprises from his now former lieutenant--then baits Othello with the simple comment of "I like not that" upon seeing Desdemona and Cassio conferring together. Iago refuses to explain his remarks, leading Othello to suspect that there is "some monster in his thought/Too hideous to be shown". Despite Othello's increasing paranoia, Iago declares that the general "should not know [his] thoughts, even if [Iago's] heart/Were in [Othello's] hands"--then goes on to warn Othello against jealousy, "the green-eyed monster". Othello, believing himself to be fair and rational, assures his ensign that he would never leap to a conclusion without proof, and Iago pounces on his misplaced pride by blatantly urging him to "[l]ook to [his] wife.../Observe her will with Cassio". With Othello firmly hooked, Iago quickly becomes his confidante in this matter; he aids the general in collecting "evidence" against the couple, advises his courses of action, and even takes a solemn vow to "give up/His hand, his heart, his wit to wronged Othello's service". Even when Othello confronts his beloved wife and her pleas of innocence, his mind has been so thoroughly poisoned by Iago's schemes that he refuses to believe her.
At the same time Iago is plotting with Othello against Cassio, he's still pretending to be Cassio's friend and even encourages him to ask Desdemona to intercede on his behalf, since the "general's wife.../Is now [the] general's general" and supposedly has great influence over Othello. Iago knows that Cassio is desperate to regain his good reputation in the eyes of the general, and he also knows that Desdemona's nature is "so kind, so blessed" she will never turn down Cassio's request. Due to Iago's influence over Othello, however, any interaction between Cassio and Desdemona will be seen by the general as evidence of their illicit affair.
In addition to these plots, Iago is also manipulating Roderigo, using to his advantage the fact that Roderigo is hopelessly in love with Desdemona. Iago swears to be Roderigo's "friend for good and evil" and agrees to help him win Desdemona for himself. The ensign assures Roderigo that she will "soon be weary of the dark embraces" of her husband and will be looking for a new lover, at which point Roderigo can step in--if he can remove the obstacle of "handsome, young" Cassio, whom "[v]ery nature/Will instruct [Desdemona] to love". With Roderigo convinced Iago is on his side, Iago can easily persuade him to attack Cassio on two separate occasions.
Iago's cynical disdain for the welfare of anyone but himself could be construed as his greatest weakness, but without this flaw, there would be no story. Iago himself seems to allude to this during his creed, when he speaks of a cruel God "who in his image/Hath fashioned" him. Iago seems to feel that he was created as a villain, fated to act out his role as tormentor alongside the "honest man" who "art but a wretched player/[Whose] life is but a part". As the villain, any analysis of Iago's character must be partially inverted, with virtues becoming weaknesses and vices becoming strengths. Therefore, the fact that he is so manipulative and self-centered could be seen as an asset. However, Iago does have some weaknesses which lead to the unraveling of his villainous plans. For example, he has great confidence in his ability to trick people into doing things that benefit him, but he errs by assuming Emilia will stand by quietly when he violently steals the handkerchief from her. Emilia is his greatest liability; she seems well-acquainted with his brand of "wicked scheming" and is fiercely loyal to her lady Desdemona, yet Iago doesn't even bother to come up with a plausible cover story to tell her. And he should never have taken the handkerchief himself; as with Roderigo's attack on Cassio, he should have made sure that no one could link him with the most crucial piece of evidence. At the very end of the story, Iago might have gotten away with his intrigues had not Emilia been able (alive) to tell what really happened to the handkerchief.
One of Iago's strengths is adapting quickly to challenges and turning them to his advantage. When Cassio refuses to drink, knowing his own low tolerance for alcohol, Iago finally draws him in with a toast to "the health/Of great Othello and Desdemona", a refusal of which might have been seen as rude; with Cassio inebriated, Iago can proceed with his strategy to have him caught in a drunken fight and dismissed by Othello. Iago's next obstacle--how to get the handkerchief from Emilia--he solves merely with brute force, trusting that she is too frightened of him to tell anyone. As discussed earlier, this foolish assumption will come back to haunt him.
Later, after Othello has had time to think about Iago's suspicions regarding Desdemona and Cassio, he becomes enraged with his ensign. The general "grasps Iago by the throat and throws him down", demanding that he prove his accusations or face the consequences for slandering Othello's wife. Although at this point Iago has the handkerchief and could use it as the proof, he holds back. Instead, he speaks very sarcastically, pretending to leave in an indignant huff while warning the world at large "that it is safe no longer/To be direct and honest". Othello, realizing that Iago was only so "direct and honest" because Othello himself had ordered it, calls him back. Iago then uses his general's newly receptive mood to tell him how Cassio spoke in his sleep about the affair with Desdemona. Saving the best for last, Iago finally reveals that he saw Desdemona's special handkerchief "in the hands of Cassio", knowing he can plant the evidence in Cassio's room at any time. Iago's quick thinking allowed him to salvage a potentially disastrous situation and, at the same time, make himself look even more like Othello's only true friend.
A bigger problem is an occurrence even Iago couldn't have predicted--a letter from the Duke ordering Othello and Desdemona back to Venice and leaving Cassio in charge. Iago is "surprised and furious" by this announcement, especially because he had only moments earlier achieved one of his goals, being named Othello's lieutenant. Scrambling for a solution, Iago decides to speed up his conspiracies. He exhorts Othello to "[s]trike quickly, do not tarry" and offers to "see to Cassio" himself. Iago passes his urgency on to Roderigo, who agrees to attack Cassio that evening. Although it would have been interesting to see how successful Iago's original plan would have been, he copes with this unexpected twist as best he can and his plot does not seem to have been too adversely affected.
Iago's final challenge arrives at the end, when Emilia, Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo (through Montano) have pooled their knowledge to reveal how Iago betrayed them all. Desperate to believe that he didn't murder his wife in vain, Othello begs Iago to "[r]efute their charges", but the ensign bolts instead. People are sent running after him, but the libretto never mentions him again--which could be interpreted as a sign that Iago successfully eluded his pursuers and lived to create more mayhem.
As the master villain of Otello, Iago is crafty, cunning, and willing to tell any lie or plot any murder in order to achieve his goals. He easily spots the flaws in those around him and exploits them for his greater goals, though why he has chosen this particular, relatively minor occasion to unleash his full repertoire of manipulative capabilities remains maddeningly unclear. Is he really, as he tells Roderigo, angry about his lost promotion? Can that alone justify the three bodies Iago leaves in his wake in the opera? Perhaps a modern interpretation of this story would explain Iago's behavior as some form of mental illness, a concept which was not well developed in Shakespeare's time. Still, perhaps this master villain's greatest feat is manipulating at least some of the audience into finding him the most entertaining character in the story.