In William Shakespeare's play Othello there is an example of evil personified. He is the character of Iago and he wreaks havoc and destroys everyone under his influence. As the play develops, we see a plethora of lies, deceptions, and cunning schemes unfold. Iago takes every opportunity to advance his malicious plan to his advantage. Greed and jealousy play a major role in his various schemes. Iago first reveals his cunning and unscrupulous behavior when meeting Rodrigo. Iago easily controls Rodrigo and is very aware of his power over him. He plans to use her influence over him for his own good. He shows this by saying: "So I always make my fool my purse; for my own acquired knowledge would have to desecrate if I would spend time with such a snipe". We learn that Iago has a secret hatred towards Othello and Cassio. Iago says he hates Othello because he denied Iago a promotion and for Cassio because he now takes the position of lieutenant that Iago wanted. His goal is to take revenge on these two characters. Rodrigo has a shared hatred for Othello and when he suggests that he would not serve him, Iago reveals his plan for Othello by telling him "O, sir, be content. I will follow him to serve him my turn." Saying this , Iago shows that he plans to cleverly trick Othello into being loyal to him, and then ultimately use him for his own ends. In his first attempt to bring down Othello, he and Rodrigo tell Brabantio that Othello has kidnapped his daughter Desdemona. This is a dishonorable act because it is definitely a lie and told to Desdemona's father only to make him angry with Othello. Brabantio is also a senator and has the power to fire Othello from the top...... middle of paper ......s. “Two worldviews echo each other.” Readings on Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of Shakespeare: The Pattern in His Carpet. Np: np, 1970. Gardner, Helen. “Othello: a tragedy of beauty and fortune.” Readings on Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of “The Noble Moor.” British Academy Lectures, no. 9, 1955. Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. “The engaging qualities of Othello.” Readings on Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of the Introduction to The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. Np: Simon and Schuster, Inc.., 1957.