Iago's Powerful Persuasion

From the very start of Othello, one of Shakespeare’s most tragic plays, the audience is hyper aware of the fact that things are just not going to end well. For me, these formidable sentiments stem from the play’s central antagonist, Iago, who I consider to be the most disturbing villain of all of Shakespeare’s plays. While some villains are blatantly cruel, murderous, or vengeful, real fear is evoked by villains like Iago, whose honest and gentle façade masks the sick mind of a misogynistic sociopath. These thoughts lead me to question what makes Iago powerful enough to have so many people at his emotional disposal. The answer quickly became obvious – his power lies in his speech. Iago implements Aristotle’s very basic methods of persuasive rhetoric, ethos, pathos, and logos, to masterfully manipulate the thoughts, emotions, and actions of characters like Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello.

Beginning with Roderigo, whose sheer idiocy we must briefly ignore, Iago uses an intricately simple web of words to ensnare his victim. Roderigo questions Iago’s true feelings towards Othello, to which Iago uses the very essence of ethos, the method of persuasion in which the speaker establishes himself as someone to trust and to be perceived as a figure of authority, to persuade Roderigo of just how intensely he abhors Othello. Iago eloquently and passionately explains how he was overlooked for the position of lieutenant, despite his battle prowess, and goes on to make statements like, “I follow him to serve my turn upon him”(1.1.42), and “In following him I follow myself”(1.1.58). He masterfully presents Roderigo with simple, obvious facts about himself that prove his true objective is to bring about the fall of Othello. Furthermore, his repeated, even incessant use of the pronoun “I” further drives his argument that Roderigo should trust him, as his hatred for Othello matches Roderigo’s own. Is his use of ethos successful? Does he repeatedly convince Roderigo to unreservedly hand over his purse without once being questioned as to the purpose of the money? Yes, and yes.

With Cassio, Iago uses pathos, the method of persuasion by which the speaker employs emotions to evoke a certain response, to toy with Cassio’s already delicate emotions. After Cassio is publicly embarrassed and reprimanded for his drunken and violent outburst, Iago recognizes the fact that Cassio is emotionally distraught and crushed by the supposed loss of his closest friend and confidant. “What, are you hurt, lieutenant,” Iago fervently asks. He attempts to assuage Cassio’s fears as a friend would, and also attempts to paint himself as someone Cassio can consider an ally. He goes on to advise Cassio to “confess [himself] freely to [Desdemona],” and “ Importune her help to put [him] in [his] place again”(2.3.295-296). Here again he presents Desdemona’s emotions as a woman to be better suited to consider Cassio’s pleas for reinstatement.

Iago saves to implement his mastery of logos, the method of persuasion that employs the use of logic and reason, to convince even the “valiant (1.1.48),”Barbary horse”(1.1.113), himself, Othello. On several occasions Iago repeats Othello’s own words, warranting Othello to say “By heaven, thou echo’st me” (3.3.112). The result of this echoing is that both the audience and Othello are confused as to the origin of the initial thoughts of cuckoldry. “Did Michael Cassio, when you wooed my lady, / Know of your love?” Iago enigmatically asks Othello. He never gives an opinion or judgment, but rather, lays out a path of reasonable facts and logical observations for Othello to do with what he will. Iago recognizes the fact that Othello is a logical and reasonable individual, and thus understands that he must use simple logos to provide Othello with the tools to make his own assumptions.

These observations lead me to question Iago’s true motivation? What exactly does he hope to gain by destroying the lives of every single person that makes up his social circle? What joy, pleasure, or benefit does he achieve in manipulating upstanding people into performing in his demented production, where he alone is playwright, director, and audience?