Discuss the presentation of Iago and Othello in Act 1, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'Othello'

IagoFrom the outset of Act 1, scene 1 Shakespeare presents Iago as a cunning and multifaceted character, an idea epitomised by his own admission ‘I am not what I am.’ This sentence, in context, is referring to the fact that Iago is not the faithful soldier he appears to be to Othello. However, it is worth noting that the phrase is remarkably similar to one used in the bible: when Moses asks God his name, God replies ‘I am that I am’. If ‘I am that I am’ is taken to mean God, Iago’s statement is the direct opposite, implying he is the opposite of God and all things associated with him. Given the nature of Iago’s character throughout the play, one could say this implication that he is the devil is not too far from the truth. In Act 1 Scene 1 alone he causes trouble by rousing Brabantio with Roderigo. In fact it is actually his idea to “call up her father” and “poison his delight.” He also encourages Roderigo to “plague him with flies”, an idea which is reminiscent of the plague of dog-flies described in the bible. This was God’s act of revenge against the Egyptians and it could be inferred that Iago is seeking similar revenge, something emphasised by the fact that he is only following Othello’s orders so that he can “serve [his] turn upon him”. Given the similarities between the results of the plague(s) described in the bible and the results of Iago’s actions, it could be said that Shakespeare was foreshadowing here. However as well as presenting Iago as potentially evil, Shakespeare also presents him as extremely intelligent. He is not only able to convince Roderigo that he is trustworthy, but also arouses a panic in Brabantio so extreme that he feels the need to rush out in the middle of the night to seek his daughter. OthelloWithin this scene, Shakespeare gives us contrasting impressions of Othello’s place in society. On the one hand, we learn that Othello is in charge of the army and is making the key decisions therein, which implies he has a fairly high place within society. However this idea is contrasted by the fact that everyone refers to him as “the Moor”, a somewhat degrading term referring to the fact that he is black. One can therefore infer that despite his strong position in the army, he is still defined—and to some extent limited—by his skin colour. He is the only character referred to in this way: everyone else mentioned in the scene is referred to by name. However, Iago further degrades Othello by referring to him as “an old black ram” and a “Barbary horse”, thus equating him to animals with lots of strength but questionable intelligence. The fact that these descriptions are accompanied by references to him being African/black reiterate the social attitudes towards people of colour within contemporary society. In line with this, Brabantio assumes Othello has used “charms by which the youth and maidenhood may be abused” in order to make Desdemona fall in love with him; the idea that she could have just fallen in love with Othello is so preposterous to him he doesn’t consider it as an option. Shakespeare thus highlights that despite Othello’s ranking in the army, he is still viewed with great suspicion by many characters as a result of his race.