Iago as a Satan figure in OthelloWilliam Shakespeare's play "Othello" is based on an Italian story contained in Hecatommithi (Groliers) by Giraldi Cinthio. In "Othello" we meet Iago, one of Shakespeare's most evil characters. Iago is an ensign in Othello's army and is jealous of Cassio's promotion to lieutenant. Through deception and appearance, we see a plethora of lies and cunning schemes unfold. The amazing thing about Iago is that he seems to make up his evil plans as he goes along without any forethought. The well-known writer Samuel Taylor Coleridge describes Iago's plan as "the search for motives of unmotivated malignity" (Scott 413). Iago takes every opportunity to further advance his plan to his advantage. Greed plays an important role as a motive for his various plans. Throughout the story, Iago portrays himself as a figure of Satan. In many ways, Iago can be compared to Satan. Iago, like Satan, has proven to be a master at deception. He lies to everyone, taking great care to disguise his thoughts. For example, in Act 1, scene 2, when he speaks to Othello about his feelings towards Cassio, he uses the very strong language of a manly soldier, while at the same time he lies throughout the speech by feigning loyalty to a fellow soldier. and all the while he implies that he is reluctantly withholding the whole truth: "I would rather this tongue be cut out of my mouth / Than it offend Michael Cassius" (I.ii.21-22). This deception impresses and convinces Othello that his ensign is a good and loyal soldier. Iago also manages to deceive Cassio. After Cassio's drunken argument, Iago advises him to talk to Desdimona to try to convince Othello to reinstate him as lieutenant, all this... midway through the card... calling him as, He says, “ I am the I AM. (Exodus 3:14.) Iago says that he is what I am not. He is, in essence, the exact opposite of God. As we have seen, metaphorically and by example, Iago has proven himself to be the epitome. of evil in that he uses the same tactics used by Satan to get what he wants. Works Cited Carey, Gary MA Cliff's Notes. Cliff's Notes Incorporated. Holy Bible. New American Standard Version. Rel. 6. CD-ROM. Embedded Computer Systems. 1992. Critical Interpretation of Othello Moro di Venezia. from literature and the writing process. McMahon, Giorno, Funk. Prentice-Hall Publishers: New Jersey, 1996. 864-947.