s out to destroy Cassio, who did get the job, and Othello, who gave Cassio the job. He is willing to build himself up at the expense of ruining Othello's life. Claudius kills his brother and takes the throne for himself while he parties and drinks away his nights and isn't doing the best for his country. He puts his own power before the welfare of the state of Denmark.
             Secondly, villains are aggressive. The antagonists set out to attain their goals. They make things happen, and force other people to react. When something in the world causes discontent for a villain, he sets out to change the order of things, or at least make himself feel better (Geitzen, 2). Iago creates situations and facts about Desdemona's infidelity in order to build up and add concrete information to his case against her, leaving no room in Othello's mind for doubt on Desdemona's guilt. Claudius doesn't wait for his brother to die of natural causes, he creates the "natural causes" that lead to his brother's death.
             Most villains are loners. This may sound contradictory, for one cannot be a villain without others to dupe. And yet, the villains are isolated individuals. They have no genuine relationships with any of the other characters in the play. All their interactions are based on falsehoods and deceits. The villain may have allies, but these characters will be used or discarded once they have served the villains needs (Geitzen, 2). Claudius, for example, marries Gertrude on the pretense that he truly loves her. However, he has no real feelings for her. When Gertrude is about to drink from the poisoned cup, Claudius warns her with a tepid "Gertrude, do not drink (Hamlet 5.2.291)." Maurice Charney calls Iago a master
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