William Sheakespeare's Iago is one of the most complex villians created by Shakespeare. At first glance, Iago's character seems to be pure evil. Iago is cruel but smart. To add more depth to Iago, Shakespeare gives him traits of being amoral, duplicitous, prideful, and of course being egocentric, instead of the typical immoral villian. Iago's entire scheme begins when Cassio is given the lieutenant postion, which Iago desired. Iago shows his insecurity by his need to be lieutenant, which reveals his own desire to reach a status that he needs to be comfortable. Iago is filled with envy and plots to steal the position he feels that he justly deserves, since he was not selected. You can begin to see that the motivation for Iago's skillful manipulations were revenge and anger. Iago's manipulations are driven by a basic desire to avenge those who hurt him but also to gain what he believes is rightly his, becoming lieutenant.
             Throughout the play, every character calls him "Honest Iago", but indeed he the most dishonest character in the story, although it must be stated that he is remarkably honest with himself. While characters in the play deny their own flaws, Iago realizes what they are and uses them to his advantage. Iago knows that he is not a leader which he stated in the play by saying, "We cannot all be masters," yet he is able to use that to help himself (I.i.46).
             "Others there are/ Who trimmed in forms and visages of duty,/ Keep yet their hears attending on themselves,/ And throwing but shows of service on their lords/ Do well thrive by them, and when they have lined their coats/ Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul,/ And such a one do I profess myself" (I.i.52-58). Iago is cruel but he is brilliant, he uses his servitude as means to and end. Iago is a self serving parasite who plans to ride on the coatails of Othello, while he
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