the villain of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. One of Shakespeare’s most intriguing and plausible villains, Iago frequently takes the audience into his confidence, a device that encourages close observation of his skillful manipulations and their disastrous results. He is a complex character, the full development of a type that Shakespeare first explored in the person of Don John in Much Ado About Nothing.
Iago-as-portrayed-by-Kenneth-Branagh-with-Laurence-Fishburne-inIago, as portrayed by Kenneth Branagh (right), with Laurence Fishburne in the title role of …[Credits : Castle Rock Entertainment (Courtesy Kobal)]
Andrey-Popov-and-Yevgeny-Vesnik-in-Sergey-Yutkevichs-OthelloAndrey Popov (Iago, left) and Yevgeny Vesnik (Roderigo) in Sergey Yutkevich’s …[Credits : © Universal International Pictures; photograph from a private collection]
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