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What Motivates Iago Analysis

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Question: What motivates Iago? Is it possible to provide a coherent explanation for his behavior in Othello—or not? Explain the significance of your interpretation. Iago’s Motivation and Explanations In Shakespeare’s play Othello, Iago is shaped to be the evilest character, who crafts his great conspiracy with cleverness and insanity. Feeling overlooked and dissatisfied to Othello promoting Cassio instead of him, Iago starts to plot his revenge. However, it is confusing that Iago continues his revenge and tries to destroy Othello so thoroughly even after he is promoted. Meanwhile, he has nothing to gain from the whole process. What motivates Iago to do such things? In my opinion, it is Iago’s hatred towards Othello that strongly motivate him, and this hatred comes from a variety of causes. Before we analyze the causes of hatred, there is one thing of certainty: Iago does hate Othello. He uses the word “hate” to describe his feeling to Othello without hesitation at the beginning of play 1, scene 1: “Though I do hate him as I do hell pains, Yet, for necessity of present life, I must show out a flag and sign of love— Which is indeed but sign. (Shakespeare 1.1.171)”. At the same time, he starts to think about revenge: “I have told thee often, and I re-tell thee again and again, I hate the Moor: my cause is hearted; thine hath no less reason. Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him. (Shakespeare 1.3.367)”. However, Othello consider Iago as one of his trusted

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