Arguably
Shakespeare's most heinous villain, the duplicitous Iago plans to avenge himself againstfor
being passed over for promotion. He decides to exploit Cassio in this plan.
In hisat the end of Act I, Scene 3, Iago decides to use Cassio to hurt Othello. He
plans to incite Othello's jealousy by intimating that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair.
Because Cassio is good-looking, Iago reasons, Othello will easily believe that Desdemona has
been seduced by him. Iago also plans to exploit Othello's ingenuousness:
The Moor is of a free and open nature
That thinks men
honest that but seem to be so,
And will as tenderly be led by the nose
As
asses are. (1.3.379-382)
Interestingly, in his aggressive
soliloquy Iago demonstrates the flaw that has caused Othello to not promote him and to give
Cassio the position instead. That is, Iago is incapable of being anything but bellicose, while
Cassio is diplomatic and is aware of the limits of war.
According to
renowned Shakespearean critic Harold Bloom, in Iago Othello sees a man who cannot stop being at
war, and for this reason, Iago could not replace Othello if the general were to be killed or
wounded. The skilled warrior Othello understands that there is a time for war and a time for
peace.
Additional Source: Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: the invention
of the Human. London: Fourth Estate, 1999. Print.
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