‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him.’ (1.1.)
- Iago says this line to Roderigo at the start of the play as he explains that he secretly hates Othello and is plotting against him,
- Iago understands the strategic advantage that false friendship gives him.
- This quote shows that from the moment the action begins, Iago is already looking for ways to bring about Othello’s downfall.
‘I ‘twixt my sheets.’ (1.3.)
- He claims that there are rumors Othello has had an affair with Emilia, which would be a plausible reason for wanting to destroy Othello’s trust in his own wife.
- However, Iago only mentions this motivation very briefly, and it does not seem to fully explain the depth of his hatred toward Othello.
‘Strangle her in bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.’ (4.1.)
Here Iago orchestrates even the way in which Desdemona will be killed. The quote shows Iago’s desire to control every aspect of how his plan will unfold, and also his sinister sense of poetic justice. He argues that since Desdemona has committed her crimes in bed, by sleeping with other men, she should also die in bed. The quote also reinforces the fact that Iago has complete control over Othello at this point, since Othello immediately agrees to the gruesome plan.
‘beast with two backs’ (1.1)
- Iago thinks in physical terms of everything.
- By getting Barabantio to visualise this, he’s reduce Othello to an animal.
‘ha I like not that’ (3.3)
- this fraudulent tsk-tsking hides Iago’s true delight; nothing could satisfy his perversity more.
- Iago’s words here are filled with forceful innuendo, and as he pretends to be a man who cannot believe what he sees, he reintroduces jealousy into Othello’s subconscious.
‘from this time forward, I will never speak a word’ (5.2)
the structural significance of the last line is important because this is Iago’s last attempt at trying to control knowledge of the audience and characters, he denies the audience an explanation.
‘honest Iago.’
He has risen through the ranks in the army by merit and achievement, and Othello, whose military judgment is excellent, has taken him as ancient (captain) because of his qualities.
‘I am not what I am’
- Iago is the opposite of God, that is, he is the Devil. Iago in this play, has the qualities of the Devil in medieval and Renaissance morality plays: He is a liar, he makes promises he has no intention of keeping, he tells fancy stories in order to trap people and lead them to their destruction, and he sees other’s greatest vulnerabilities and uses these to destroy them.
