What is one way in which the disturbing aspects of human nature are explored in 'Othello?'

Iago shares a viewpoint on human nature, exploring its disturbing aspect through one’s exploitative potential, and the power of hatred. E.A J. Honigmann describes Iago as the ‘liar, betrayer [and] mental torturer of Othello and Desdemona’, but also as ‘anything but straighforward’ and similarly, F. West contends that ‘Shakespeare was not content with…another stock morality figure but was particularly interested in the workings of the human mind’. Thus Shakespeare uses the most complex character in the play to explore human nature in depth. In contrast to Othello’s simplicity, Iago displays subtle manipulative potential, through his leading of dialogue to inject suspicion and doubt and his sharing of ideas with the audience. Iago very much occupies an omnipotent role, in orchestrating the various characters. In Act 2 Scene 3 he plays the role of counsellor for a distraught Cassio. Cassio is engrossed in the loss of ‘[his] reputation’ and Iago simply contradicts this, claiming outright that [he] hath lost no reputation’. Although crude, by rationalising Cassio’s actions, Iago gains his trust, and is able to follow on to ‘tell [Cassio] what to do’. This subtle planting of thoughts is also seen in Act 3 Scene 3, when Iago successfully manipulates Othello. Iago begins on line 35, with a passive role. Initially, Othello questions Iago, who responds with shorter outbursts such as ‘Ha’ or ‘Nothing, my lord’. This is particularly emphatic as not only does it mean that at this point that responsibility of the conversation is placed on Iago, the effect of shorter responses also serves to pique Othello’s interest, allowing Iago to deposit more doubt. Throughout Act 3 Scene 3, Iago’s dialogue increases in length, here he explains jealousy as the ‘green-eyed monster’, and presents a more tangible doubt, and suggesting that women are deceptive through the phrase: ‘in Venice [women] do not let God see the pranks they dare show their husband’. Thus by not directly mentioning anything about Desdemona and Cassio, Iago allows Othello to fabricate suspicion. Iago’s hatred is portrayed even to the last Act of the play, even following Othello’s downfall and his recognition as the ‘demi-devil’, as he admits no wrongdoing, and leaves the play in silence, saying he will ‘never speak a word’. A Jacobean audience may have agreed with his views towards the ‘Moor’, but may have also been intimidated at the time due to the striking parallels between Iago and the Devil, which also suggest the argument that Iago’s exploitative nature is so extreme that he blurs the line between humane and satanic. In Exodus, of the Bible, God says to Moses: ‘I am what I am’, but Iago’s self-description reads: ‘I am not what I am,’ which logically correlates to God’s opposite, the Devil. Not only this, but Iago embodies many of the traits of a Jacobean perception of the Devil in that he can lie with manipulative eloquence, and makes unjust promises with no intention of keeping them. A modern audience would be less effected by the satanic representation, but rather more with his morality. Iago’s takedown of various characters is meticulously planned, yet he reveals that it will ‘do [him] sport’. His lack of legitimate motive reflects Iago’s love for evil, hence one may assume that the audience should not relate or agree with his actions at all. However, his soliloquys with the audience, as E.A.J. Honnigman says, ‘make[s] us the villain’s accomplices’, and we ‘may come close to sympathising with a villain’. In this way, and audience feels a perverted empathy towards Iago and somewhat relishes the tragedy whilst feeling sympathy for Othello’s downfall, presenting him ‘not [as] the Devil’, but simply ‘you or me feeling jealous and not being able to control our feelings’, in the words of Andy Serkis, who portrayed Iago in the 2002 Royal Exchange production. Thus overall, Iago as a character uses manipulation of the relationships between himself and both the audience and other characters, to portray the evil side of human nature.