Analyse the character of Iago in Othello

Iago's character is one that is built on the concept of deception. Whilst the audience is aware of his falsehoods, the characters he interacts with during the play are unaware, and therefore the audience has the benefit of being able to see his talent in deceiving others and gaining from it. In many ways this makes Iago a likeable character; he is placed in contrast to the stupidity of Roderigo and self-importance of Cassio, therefore allowing him to represent the working class and earn the support of the audience. However, he is crucially given the role of the villain, and his purpose is arguably to show the weakness of the main character, Othello. The ways in which Iago single handedly brings down the entire society show his power, although it must also be considered that unlike the story of Hamlet, the society swiftly recovers from the loss of leadership coming from Othello's death, and therefore, the centre of the play could be considered as the removal of the power of "The Moor", and the success of the racism that Iago, and various other characters show throughout the play.