Iago is one of my all time favorite characters. Usually in literature, villains are created for the reader to hate, but Shakespeare has craftily made Iago a villain worthy of being liked.
Iago's desire to get revenge on Othello is presented at times in a humorous way through the use of irony. Iago is able to manipulate every character in the play as a pawn to carry out his plan of revenge. As he is doing this, Iago reminds the audience that he is "honest." The word honest is both ironic and true in describing Iago. On the one hand, Iago using the word honest is ironic because his entire vow of revenge is saturated in deceit, yet, he truly is honest because he informs the reader of all of his intentions before they occur.
He prides himself on knowing his victim and what will send him over the edge, which in this case is Othello's jealousy. This egotistical trait, along with his arrogance, makes him a truly villainous character. Yet, it is not Iago's egotistical trait that creates a liking for Iago, but rather, it is the fact that the audience shares the same sentiment about the stupidity by which the other characters are manipulated.
As a result, Iago's "...pride and desire for power and control, along with his brilliant scheming and his jealousy, make Iago a fascinating, multi-faceted figure."
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