What motives inspired Iago to plot revenge against Othello?
Cassio does this completely innocently, he leaves because he doesn’t want to annoy Othello any more than he has already, he feels disgraced and is ashamed, and he cannot face Othello. Iago successfully twists this situation- “That he would steal away so guilty like- seeing you coming.
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice actually opens with Iago and Roderigo discussing this exact subject, though the audience does not yet realize the subject of their conversation:. Roderigo. Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy hate. Iago. Despise me, if I do not. Iago goes on to offer several reasons why he hates this person, whoever this person is.
Iago seems to want to hurt Othello mentally and does not really understand the feelings of Desdemona into the equation until he decides he lovers her for her unknowing capability to help his cause. However, even if he does not mean for Othello to kill Desdemona, he Iago does not seem to care whether people died in his wake of destruction.
The thing about Iago is this—we never really know for certain why it is that Iago wants to destroy Othello. Throughout the play, Iago provides multiple and incompatible motives for hating Othello. At one point, Iago says he's angry because Othello passed him over for a promotion.
Iago is following Othello to destroy him. He is willing to go to Cyprus in order to destroy Othello and he is willing to kill to make sure that Othello is destroyed. We never learn why Othello has incurred the wrath of Iago but Iago’s hate for Othello is as venomous a snake’s poison.
Shakespeare's Characters: Iago (Othello) Driven by an overpowering lust for evil rivaled only by Satan, Iago grabs the title as worst Shakespeare villain hands down. On the surface, Iago's motive for wanting to destroy Othello could be one of several. The most obvious is that he has just been passed over for a promotion which has gone to Cassio.
In Othello, why does Iago want to destroy Othello, Desdemona and Cassio, despite the fact that he already got Cassio fired? Iago particularly wants to destroy Othello to seek revenge for Othello’s naming Cassio as lieutenant.