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Josselyn Sorto
Ms. Campagna
AP Literature
30 April 2013
Iago’s Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Othello the Moore of Venice, by William Shakespeare is an outstanding piece of literature
that creates a fascinating villain. Iago being a man of grandiosity and having the thirst of
admiration with little to no empathy is a subject to a diagnosis of a Narcissistic personality
disorder.
The disorder occurs when a person has lack of empathy and has a sense of grandiosity.
The patient usually exploits to achieve personal goals and has little to no empathy towards others.
The patient is jealous and resents easily due to their need of admiration from others. Also, the
ability of others being able to stand up for themselves is usually underestimated by the patient.
Iago a middle aged, Caucasian man, married to Emilia; Desdemona’s minder. He is a Christian
soldier for the Venetian army. He is viewed as humble, honest, a good friend and pleasant to the
public. People refer to him as “honest Iago” which lead people to trust him. However, his true
personality is scrupulous, egotistical, manipulative, dishonest and cruel.
Throughout the play, the reader is able to see Iago’s true personality and motives for
using others by manipulating with his words in order to obtain what he thinks he deserves;
exhibiting evidence that fits the criteria of a Narcissistic personality disorder. Iago plans to
destroy Othello by using Cassio and Desdemona to convince him of his wife’s infidelity. His
sense of grandiosity leads to envy Cassio for being Othello’s right hand man. The jealousy and
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resentment eventually leads to Iago’s selfish and cruel acts towards Cassio, Desdemona,
Roderigo and Othello.
Iago the master villain has a grandiose sense of self importance; he exaggerates his own
abilities and accomplishments. When Othello does not give him the position; Iago gets furious
and decides to take revenge on him and his wife. “I know my prince, I am worth no worse a
place” (I.i.11). Iago tells Roderigo how he know that he deserves the postion because he is
definitely better than Cassio. Iago believes he has incredible knowledge and abilities; “Thus do I
ever make my fool purse. For I mine own gained knowledge should profane if I would time
expend with sucha snipe” (I.iii.363). He feels as if he has enough knowledge to use people and
that he should not waste his time using it on fools like Othello.
The particular characteristic of self-grandeur fits another criteria of a Narcissistic
personality disorder, the frequent envy of others. The reader can see that at the beginning of the
play Iago feels the need to have more power when he demonstrates his envy towards Cassio and
the position he was granted by Othello. “And what was he? Forsooth, a great arithmetician. Oh
Michael Cassio, a Florentine. A fellow almost damned in a fair wife” (I.i.18-22). Iago feels
jealousy towards the power given to Cassio because he thinks he would be a better candidate for
the position. Not only does he envy Cassio, but he also envies Othello for being well respected
among the people and having a beautiful and desired wife by everyone. “Now, I do love her too,
not out of absolute lust- though peradventure” (II.i.270). He loves Desdemona and just the
thought of Othello having power and her in his hands drives him crazy.
Iago apart from being resentful, jealous and having a grandiose sense of himself, also has
a sense of entitlement, unreasonably expects favorable treatment or automatic granting of own
wishes. Iago has a good ability to use his words wisely. He manipulates bribes and lies in order
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to use people and lead to believe that they are helping themselves when reality is that all they are
doing is helping Iago pursue his malicious plan. The reader is able to see that when Iago tells his
wife Emilia how much he wants Desdemona’s handkerchief. Emilia gets it from him not
knowing that Iago has a much bigger plan with it. “What handkerchief? Why, that the Moor first
gave to Desdemona; that which so often you did bid me to steal” (III.iii.308-310). Iago uses
Emilia to get what he wants. Iago feels entitled to the position, “Preferment goes by letter and
affection, And not by old gradation, where each second stood heir to th’ first” (I.i.35). He tells
Roderigo how Cassio was only chosen because he was well liked by Othello not because of his
skills.
His particular actions lead to another defining characteristic of this disorder. He exploits
others to achieve personal goals. Towards the beginning of the play Roderigo mentions his
inability to ever obtain Desdemona. However, Iago tells him that soon Desdemona will get bored
of Othello. “When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be, again to inflame
it and to give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favor” (II.i.18-22). Iago’s master plan is to use
Roderigo to get Cassio fired from his position of lieutenant, so that way he can slowly destroy
Cassio to get himself promoted and get revenge on Othello for not choosing him in the first place.
“For whiles this honest fool plies Desdemona to repair his fortunes, and she for him pleads
strongly to the Moor, I’ll pou this pestilence into his ear” (II.iii.318-322). Iago is not only using
Roderigo but also using Cassio into leading Othello to believe that Desdemona likes Cassio back
and she is really being unfaithful. Cassio being genuine, asks Desdemona to talk to Othello for
him. Cassio’s action makes it easier for Iago to plant the seed of doubt in Othello’s head that
Desdemona is being unfaithful.
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Finally, Iago lacks empathy; he is unable to recognize or identify with the feelings and
needs of others. He does not feel nor care about the outcome of his evil plan. He does not care if
anyone gets hurt in the way as long as he obtains what he so longs for, he is completely satisfied
with that. Roderigo is convinced that he needs to kill Cassio because of Iago’s dishonest words.
“I will show you such a necessity in his death that you shall think yourself bound to put it on him”
(IV.ii.230). Iago wants both Roderigo and Cassio dead, and that is all that matters to him. “Now,
whether he kill Cassio, Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other, Every way makes my gain”
(V.i.12-14). This villain has little to no conscience, no sense of sympathy. He uses Roderigo to
kill Cassio and talks Othello into killing Desdemona on her own bed too. Roderigo being
unaware of his destiny is fooled, he ends up being stabbed and killed by Iago. Iago shows no
mercy and no compassion toward the people that are considered real friends.
Iago’s manipulations and lies lead him to believe that he deserved the promotion even
more. He is a complete liar, he uses people for his own benefit. He believes that he is grandeur
and that he was worthy of the position. The evidence in the text proves and reassures the reader
that Iago fits the criteria of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder.