Iago as a representation of evil in Othello In Shakespeare's Othello, the reader is presented with the classic battle between the deceptive forces of evil and the innocence of Well. It is these forces of evil that ultimately lead to the disintegration of Othello, a noble Venetian Moor, well known to the Venetian people as an honorable soldier and a worthy leader. Othello's breakdown results in the murder of his wife Desdemona. Desdemona is representative of good in nature. Good can be defined as forgiving, honest, innocent and oblivious. The evil contained in Othello is not magical or mythical at all, but is represented by the character Iago. Iago is cunning, unreliable, selfish and scheming. He uses these traits to his advantage by slowly planning his own triumph while watching the deaths of others. This is Iago's motivation. The definitive defeat of good by the wrath of evil. It is not only in his evil nature that he manages to succeed, but also in the weaknesses of the other characters. Iago exploits Othello's weaknesses, particularly jealousy and his devotion to things as they seem, to win over his opposite in Desdemona. From the very beginning of the play, Iago's scheming ability is shown when he convinces Roderigo to tell about Othello and Desdemonda's escape to Desdemona's father, Brabantio. In confidence, Iago continues his plot successfully, fooling others and being rewarded. Apart from Roderigo, no one is aware of Iago's plans. This is because Iago pretends to be an honest man and loyal to his superiors. The fact that Othello himself sees Iago as trustworthy and honest makes the evil within Iago a perfect victim unaware of his plans. The opportunity to get to Desdemona through Othello is on...... middle of the paper......96. Reprint from literature. N. p.: Random House, 1986. Mack, Maynard. Everyone is Shakespeare: reflections especially on tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968.Shakespeare, William. Othello. In Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No lines nos.Wilson, HS On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957. Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. “The Engaging Qualities of Othello.” Readings on tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from the Introduction to the Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. NP: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1957