Immediately after Othello’s arrival Iago begins to put his plan of revenge into action. This is thus a good time to consider what you know of Iago’s motivation. Iago’s soliloquies and asides will evince much evidence, but a careful reading of what Iago says to Roderigo is also helpful.

Find evidence of the following motives and weigh up their importance:

• Jealousy of Cassio’s promotion; soldierly pride as he has lost out to a man of less battle experience;
• Hatred of Othello; the possibility that this is racially motivated;
• Sexual jealousy; the suspicion (or is it simply a pretext?) that Emilia has slept with Othello;
• Lust for Desdemona (or is this another pretext or rationalisation?);
• A desire to better others, i.e. intellectual pride; find evidence of the pleasure he takes in plotting;
• The jealousy or hatred of the mean-spirited for the beauty and magnanimity of the idealist.