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Iago's Motivation In The Play

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"Bradley believes Iago 's methods are considered plausible in the play. Leavis feels that Iago displays ‘a not uncommon kind of grudging malice’ and has enough of a grievance to explain his motivation. Some critics question whether Iago understands his own motivations. Hazlitt’s view of the villain has been extended so that Iago is now considered an example of the typical stage Machiavel who ‘personifies rationality, self-interest, hypocrisy, cunning, expediency and efficient “policie”’, he is an ‘amoral artist’ who seeks to fashion a world in his own image (Leah Scragg, ‘Iago – vice or

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