"How shall I murder him, Iago?" This single sentence, spoken by Othello, in Shakespeare's play of the same name says a lot about the perverse and deceptive nature of the character we are speaking to, Iago. The ability to turn a noble, controlled, and respected man like Othello into a raving, murderous madman can only be achieved by a wicked man like Iago. Iago is conniving, vengeful, vain, ruinous, dishonest, selfish and paranoid. This makes him one of the most evil men in all of literature. The first of many examples of Iago's villainy occurs in the first scene of the first act. His conceited ego was hurt. Othello chose a “bookish theorist” to be his lieutenant in place of Iago. Iago says this about Othello's choice: In truth, a great arithmetic, a certain Michel Cassio, a Florentine, a boy almost locked into a beautiful wife, who never put a squadron into the field, and the division of a battle only an old maid knows... unless the bookish theory, in which consuls in toga can propose as masterfully as he. Simple chatter without practice is his entire profession as a soldier. But he, sir, had a choice; and I, whose eyes had seen the proof at Rhodes, Cyprus, and other lands, Christian and pagan, must be put to sleep and calmed by debtor and creditor. This counter-launcher, He, must be, in due time, his lieutenant, And I, God bless the brand!, his former Moorship. This position is one that Iago expected, not only because of his seniority in battle, but also because of his seniority with Othello himself. Iago clearly shows his spirit of vengeance when he says to Roderigo: "Call his father. Wake him, do after him, poison his delights..."&n...... middle of paper..... . bolic plan. He exchanged “woman for woman” as Othello smothered, albeit reluctantly, Desdemona. When discovered by Emilia, Othello admits that it was Iago who persuaded him to murder her. Emilia tells Othello too late of the lies told by her husband and she dies at the hands of Iago for her confession. Iago's lies have come to a head and Othello realizes that he has been deceived. Othello then commits suicide and we discover that, in this case, for love to conquer all, evil must triumph. As is often the case in real life, there is no happy ending. Iago is, for the literary world, evil incarnate. He lies and deceives with half-truths, for revenge, causing distrust and ultimately murder and suicide. This makes Iago one of the nastiest, yet most memorable characters, if not in all of literature, then in all of Shakespeare..