Iago, human in body but satanic in mind

Iago, human in body but satanic in mind
The world of Hamlet is possessed by rottenness in all while that of Othello by rottenness in one. Othello is one of those Shakespearean plays where action belongs more to the antagonist than to the protagonist. Iago, a Spartan dog, a Machiavelli, a Shakespearean Oswald, a bad man of supreme intellectual power, is more evil-minded than Goethe’s Mephistopheles and more wicked than Milton’s Satan. In the words of Dowden, “The same malignant power that lurks in the eye and fill with venom the fangs of the serpent would seem to have brought into existence of Iago”. He comes before us as a cunning hypocrite, an evil genius, a conscienceless liar, a self aggrandizing villain, a relentless revenger, a motiveless villain and a resourceful devil. If the play is a tragedy, it is chiefly due to Iago. Had there been no Iago, the world of Othello would have been an earthly paradise reigned by the bliss of love and matrimony.
True and exact profile of Iago’s person is almost impossible. However general introduction of this abominable villain is that he is a venation serving Othello as his ancient and is rejected by Othello as his lieutenant in the presence of Cassio. This rejection becomes the main motive behind his jealousy and enmity against Othello. After this rejection he serves Othello to serve his own turn upon him, “In following him I follow but myself”.
By nature Iago is a cynic as he himself admits before Desdemona,
“For I am nothing, if not critical”
He is also jealous by nature. He gives the proof of his jealousy when he finds Othello and Desdemona united happily in Cyprus and kissing each other. He blurts out,
“”O, You are well-turned now but I’ll set down the pegs that make this music as honest as I am”
Iago is an evil genius. He is as good a judge of others as bad they are of him. He is a perfect hypocrite and cheat. All other characters keep him calling fair and honest till the end of the play which exposes his true self. He judges his victims and their persons quite accurately. He perfectly judges Othello’s nature when he declares,
“The moor a free and open nature too thinks men honest that but seem to be so”
This is exactly what Othello proves to be. Similarly he judges Roderigo well when he declares, “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse”. That is also proven true. So whatever Iago says about other characters is true and what other characters say about him proves fatally false. Iago is a symbol of false appearance, disguised goodness and duality. As he himself says, “I am not what I am”. He is a perfect foil to Othello. Iago has white complexion which is a deceptive cover over his inner blackness, while Othello has dark complexion which is a dark veil over his inner fairness. Both of them are contrary to their appearances. Iago is a black devil in white skin and Othello is a fair human being in black skin.
Iago’s malignity and jealousy are most debated and debatable aspects of his character. First we take up jealousy which is an innate and essential part of his evil nature. In order to highlight its innateness, Iago’s jealousy can be compared with Othello’s. The chief difference between Othello and Iago as jealous persons is that Othello is jealous due to the infectious company and conspiracy of a devil. He never suspects and doubts unless he is provoked and poisoned by a cunning devil. Jealousy is not a chronic malady in his heart nor it is allowed to persist there. As he asserts, “Away at once with love or jealosy”. It is noble rather than jealous of Othello to put either love or jealousy to end. If there is a jealous husband in Othello, it is Iago not Othello. Othello’s jealousy is an infection injected into his blood by jealous and malicious Iago.
On the other hand Iago is jealous by nature. In fact he is a cynic by birth as he himself confesses, “I am nothing if not critical”. His jealousy is an off shoot of his cynic and negative nature. It is his second nature to suspect all and always. For instance he suspects Emilia both with Othello and Cassio. “I do suspect the lustful moor hath leap’d into my seat”. “I fear Cassio with my nightcap too”. The greatest evidence of his jealous and abusive nature is provided by Iago himself when he confesses to Othello thus, “It is my nature’s  plague to spy into abuses and oft my jealousy shapes faults that are not” So Othello’s jealousy s like a human disease which is remediable while that of Iago is like an innate trait of nature which is integral and incurable.
Similarly, Iago’s malignity is motiveless and unjustified most of so called motives are either imaginary or false. Othello, Cassio, Desdemona, Roderigo and Emilia, all are innocent victims of his villainy and depravity. That is why Coleridge calls him a motive hunting villain. As a matter of fact Iago is a devil who neither has nor needs to have any motives for his devilish ideas and acts.
In short, Iago is an evil genius, his existence on the earth is a bane, a deathly sickness, the longer he abides, the sooner humanity will perish from the earth. His deeds are replica of those of Satan. His words are the echo of Satan’s speeches. Iagos’s words, “Though that his joy be joy, yet throw such changes of vexation on it as it may lose some colour” Sounds like the counseling words of Satan to his followers.
“To do aught good never will be our task,
But ever to do ill our sole delight”
If not Satan, Iago is surely one of disciples of Satan, one of the fallen spirits who wander on the earth with the sole objective of obliteration of mankind.