Iago: An Early Representation of Psychopathy

Tara M. Rai

Shakespeare’s iconic, mentally ‘unstable’ characters have intrigued literary critics and psychologists alike. From Lady Macbeth to King Lear, these characters are always ascribed roles that are villainous, tragic, or anti-heroic; furthering the stigma associated with mental illness and deviant behaviour. They are not typical heroes even as protagonists, but are arguably the most influential in their respective plays. This article explores the prominent traits of psychopathy in Iago, the primary antagonist in Othello.

The easy manipulation seen in psychopathy is instrumental to Iago’s character. This is coupled with his ability to charm and garner trust, which he then exploits. He has Cassio, a recently promoted lieutenant, disgraced. He gets him drunk, and then sends his crony, who dislikes Cassio, to pick a fight. Count Montano attempts to break up the violence that ensues, resulting in Cassio stabbing him. Therefore, Cassio is out of favour, technically due to his own actions. Iago intends to destroy the Moorish hero, Othello’s, relationship with his bride Desdemona. He encourages Cassio to try to regain favour through Desdemona, to which Cassio agrees, trusting Iago’s sagacity and concern. Iago then hints at infidelity on Desdemona’s part to Othello; Cassio’s advised meetings with Desdemona and the latter’s advocacy on Cassio’s behalf to her husband now playing right into Iago’s hand. The results are disastrous, with a frenetically jealous Othello killing his wife, an exposed Iago killing his wife, Othello killing himself, and Iago sent for execution.

Why does Iago go to such lengths to destroy other people’s lives? One could argue that he is jealous of Cassio’s promotion, jealous of Othello, in love with Desdemona, hungry for power, or simply racist. However, he is not Machiavellian or a jealous lover; rather, he repeatedly emphasises his motive as one of “sport,” he does this for pleasure. This serves as the stimulation that he seems to continuously seek, reflecting psychopaths’ need for constant stimulation. It also implies a shallow affect, in terms of his own motivations. His actions cannot be realistically beneficial to him, but he gleefully speaks of ensnaring others through his language rife with predatory metaphors – of weaving webs, hunting, casting nets, birdlime, and more.

He is successful, in many cases, although his success is contingent on others playing their roles. The lack of remorse associated with psychopathy is brought out clearly throughout the play, despite the deeds described above. He asks his unwitting wife, Emilia, to steal Desdemona’s handkerchief for him, reasoning that he had had his eyes on it for a while. He places it in Cassio’s room to frame Desdemona. He is unconcerned about involving his wife, Desdemona’s friend, in danger, and of the blatant fabrication he puts together, knowing the potential consequences. He swiftly kills Emilia when she relates the truth behind the handkerchief. In the end, he is simply silent – he doesn’t seem to be able to empathise with the turmoil he caused in the other characters, and expresses no emotion himself. Development of a conscience and basic empathy seems to be lacking. Additionally, he seems to also have sexual issues of some sort, his speech is often rife with disturbing, ugly sexually coloured language.

Another reason for his success is his charisma and overt trustworthiness. He displayed no suspicious motives to the other characters, in fact, he only came across as a friend with their interests at heart. This, again, is a factor in psychopathology; he has Desdemona, Cassio, and Othello’s trust. In fact, he is repeatedly referred to as “honest” Iago. He is also seen to be loquacious, and able to entertain anyone. He’s popular and dependable to his fellow characters. This ties in with his grandiose behaviour. The play is full of his monologues outlining his supposed motives and implying his own deceitfulness. The audience, therefore, is aware of his sinister plans and watching everything unfold becomes uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing, they can also almost feel guilty of their own inaction. Some have even jumped onto the stage to stop Iago.

The traits explored also indicate the anti-social personality disorder. However, with the limited information available, one cannot know Iago’s history. One can view his behaviour through either lens, without it making a substantial difference. Iago is often associated with evil personified, furthering, or perhaps helping create, the stereotype of the murderous psychopath. However, he is still one of Shakespeare’s most enigmatic characters, leaving most of the murdering to others, content to facilitate it and watch his handiwork unfold.