Iago is one of Shakespeare's most complex and heinous villains. Iago is not your ordinary villain. The role he plays is rather unique and complex, far from what one might expect. Iago is the whole reason there is any conflict in the play “Othello” . If he never had entered the play, Othello would have married Desdemona and they would have lived happily ever after. Right from the beginning of the play to the very end he causes conflicts. He is directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of: Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Roderigo. All of the problems he causes are through lies, treachery, manipulation, and a deep unknown hate. Some of his hate is fueled by jealousy and revenge.
Iago deceives, steals, and kills to get everything that he wants. However, it is not that Iago pushes aside his conscience to commit these acts, but that he lacks a conscience to begin with. Iago's amorality can be seen throughout the play and is demonstrated by his actions. Iago is ingenious. He is clever and he is evil. In the eyes of others he is perceived as honest and trust
Iago's murder of Emilia could also stem from the general hatred of women that he displays. Some readers have suggested that Iago's true, underlying motive for persecuting Othello is his homosexual love for the general. He certainly seems to take great pleasure in preventing Othello from enjoying marital happiness, and he expresses his love for Othello frequently and effusively.
Another example of cleverness was when Iago finds out that his wife, Emilia, has Othello's first gift to Desdemona--a handkerchief. Iago uses the handkerchief to his benefit by lying to Othello, saying that Desdemona gave away her handkerchief to Cassio. Othello becomes outraged from this fictitious fact and he wants his revenge against his own Desdemona.
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