A villain is a character who uses his good name, rank, or the trust that people have for him
to get what he wants at any cost. He usually manipulates everyone, and death usually
come to the villain. He is well liked by every character, which allows him to pull off his
tricks so well and easily. He uses his friendship with Othello to get what he wants, which
is the rank of lieutenant. Iago somehow finds his way into nearly every character's life
and some of those characters end up dead. Throughout the course of the play, he
manipulates the mind of Roderigo, making him believe that Desdemona actually has
feelings for him, causing Roderigo to carry out harsh actions which, under normal
circumstances, he would never consider. Iago also gets in Othello's head and puts in the
thought of Desdemona being unfaithful with Cassio. There are many more examples of
Iago's villainy throughout the play.
Iago's main goal throughout the play is to somehow obtain the rank of lieutenant,
which he feels should have been given to him instead of his friend Cassio. He begins by
telling Roderigo that Desdemona, at some point, had feelings for him, that is, before she
married Othello. Roderigo is heartbroken, and Iago sees his opportunity begin to open
up. Iago tells Roderigo to "defeat thy favor with an usurped beard"(1.3. 328-329) and
then return to Venice later because Desdemona will have lost her love for Othello. This
excites Roderigo, so he believes Iago since they are good friends. Iago is now just setting
up Roderigo for another part of his plan that will take place later in the story. Roderigo
does not realize how deeply involved Desdemona and Othello are, so he still believes he
has a chance to have Desdemona, if she ever really does tire of Othello.
Iago and Othello are very close in their friendship, even though Othello chose Cassio over
Iago as his lieutenant....