Iago as the Hero of OthelloA Shakespearean play always includes a typical villain character. He is boisterous, selfish, sometimes witty, and all too eager to seek revenge. In William Shakespeare's Othello, Iago is the well-liked, trusted and courageous ensign of the great Venetian general Othello, or so it seems. Iago actually possesses all the typical evil qualities, however Iago behaves with great composure and, by manipulating his counterparts, makes people believe that he is on their side. I find this feature very intriguing and not easy to execute. Perhaps it is Iago's evil actions throughout this play that lead me to believe he is the hero rather than the typical villain. In the first scene of the play we learn that Iago is jealous of Cassio because he has just received the rank of lieutenant. , which Iago expected to receive. It is also obvious to the reader that Iago despises Othello for granting Cassio such a high rank. From this point on Iago is able to do so. It is from this scene onwards that Iago uses his brilliance to capture the attention of the audience, both on stage and off. To do this Iago begins by informing the Moor that his new father-in-law... Law has discovered his new relationship with Othello and, in turn, is very angry. However, in an earlier scene it is Iago who cleverly informs Barbanzio that his daughter has run away with the Moor, but he was not actually the one who told it. Instead, Iago used more convincing words to make Roderigo believe that he would win the new bride's heart if only he would first try to break off the marriage by telling his father. When Iago finally tells the Moor that Barbantio is coming for him, we......middle of paper......ns, he doesn't have to be a good man, he just has to know how to behave like one. A man who can completely change his behavior with the wind should not be seen as a role model, but in my mind he is a hero. Works cited and consulted Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern critical interpretations: William Shakespeare's Othello. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Jones, Eldred. "Othello: an interpretation" Critical essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55) Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice.” The Norton anthology of world masterpieces.Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999. 2115 – 2192.Vaughan, Virginia Mason, and Kent Cartwright, eds. Othello: new perspectives. Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Press, 1991.