A Freudian Psychoanalysis of Iago from William Shakespeare’s “Othello”
The story of Narcissus in Greek mythology is quite well-known: he was an outstandingly beautiful man who was punished by the gods for repudiating the love of the nymph Echo. His punishment was to be entranced by his own image in a spring and eventually die admiring himself. The term “narcissism”, which means to be excessively or erotically interested in oneself, is derived from Narcissus’ story. William Shakespeare’s acclaimed play Othello gives us the exemplification of a man with a propensity for narcissism: Iago. Iago is the story’s main villain; he is the play’s dealer of despair and disparity, causing rifts in the lives of the other characters. Iago’s behavior can be examined through a psychoanalytic lens. This school of criticism, pioneered by psychologist Sigmund Freud, promotes the exploration of how the subconscious mind is a determinant of one’s actions. The lens prescribes that narcissism draws from emotional immaturity and involves excessive self-esteem and self-involvement. Iago demonstrates his emotional immaturity throughout the play as he aspires to destroy Othello for overlooking him as his new lieutenant; he flaunts his exorbitant ego and develops his reputation as an arrogant and pompous man. As such, Iago can be scrutinized through a psychoanalytic lens to reveal his standing as a narcissistic character.
One of Freud’s fundamental conjectures about narcissism was that it stemmed from emotional immaturity. To call someone “immature” implies that their intellectual or emotional development does not align with their age- in other words, they often partake in juvenile or puerile behavior. A person who is emotionally immature is unable to defeat their negative feelings; they are petty and shrouded by malevolence. Iago fits these definitions perfectly. In act 1, scene 1 of the play, Iago tells his friend Roderigo: “But he, sir, had th’ election; And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof/ At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds/ Christened and heathen, must be beleed and calmed/ By debitor and creditor.” The “he” Iago speaks of is Michael Cassio, who usurped Iago to acquire the position of lieutenancy from Othello. Thus, Iago’s jealousy and gratuitous hate for Othello stem from him being overlooked. In other words, the very essence of Iago’s plot is disjointedly self-centered: he is unable to accept the fact that he is not Othello’s new lieutenant. As demonstrated in the quote, Iago believes that his qualifications trump Cassio’s. While that may be true, he is incapable of coming to terms with Othello’s decision and does not realize nor consider the fact that Othello may have based his judgement on other qualities. Cassio is, after all, a man held in high esteem in Venice. Later on, in scene 3 of the same act, Iago says, “I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sheets/ ‘Has done my office. I know not if ‘t be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety.” Now, Iago claims that his disdain for Othello is a product of Othello’s supposed affair with Iago’s wife, Emilia. At this point, Iago has supplied two incongruous justifications for his vile actions. This, along with the undeniable egocentricity of his plan, proves that Iago is an emotionally immature man.
Freud also theorized that excessive self-esteem is a component of narcissism. Standing alone, having high self-esteem is favorable- it means that a person has a positive evaluation of his or her own emotional self. As the famous idiom goes, though, “an excess of anything is bad”. Excessive self-esteem suggests straying from confidence and delving into egotism. While self-esteem on it’s own allows one to carry his or herself with poise, overdosing on it leads them to see themselves as above those around them. This is true, of course, in Iago’s case. Iago spends much of the play constructing his iniquitous plan meant to rain despair on Othello, and he succeeds. Othello goes from a man oozing with honor and confidence who loves his wife unquestionably to a broken shell of his former self. Iago manipulates Othello and preys on his gullibility to convince him that Desdemona, his wife, is cheating on him. Knowing that Othello wholly believes him to be a good man, Iago manages to torture Othello’s mind to the point of submission and have him kill Desdemona. Under Iago’s administration, Othello falls from his honor as he says “Ay, let her rot, and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned to stone,” (Act 4, Scene 1). Earlier on the play, Shakespeare painted Othello and Desdemona’s bond as one of unequivocal love. Iago, in his nefarious glory, manages to transform Othello’s love to hate. His willingness to do this- to destroy Othello’s love and his character for his own gain- showcases his egotism; Iago’s predisposition for egotism shows that he does in fact carry an excessive amount of self-esteem.
Another constituent of Freud’s theory was that narcissists thrive in self-involvement. Self-involvement taken to excess is a high-degree of self-absorption, or an exceptional enthusiasm for oneself. In Othello, Iago is the offspring of a marriage between self-involvement and ego. At the outset of the play, Shakespeare establishes Iago as a self-absorbed man through his dialogue. Whether it be the constant usage of the word “I” or his brash, uncomfortable language, Iago is always portrayed as one embroiled in his own devices. Going back to act 1, scene 3, Iago says: “Virtue? A fig! ’Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.” Here, we see Iago’s fundamental philosophy: he believes that the human will is a gardener, and that the human body is a garden. However, Iago is, per usual, being manipulative here- the true meaning of his words ties back to his ego, to his self-absorption, and explains his pernicious conduct throughout the play. Iago sees himself as the gardener. He believes himself to be the righteous planter of the seeds. He believes he is responsible for his plants, and that is why he chooses to poison his garden and subsequently annihilate it. Iago’s garden is of course the characters in the play, all of whom fall to his unmerciful rake. In addition to this belief, Iago’s ridiculous level of self-involvement is accentuated by his last lines in the play. He says, “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word,” (Act 5, Scene 2). Iago is already captured. His plan has been foiled, though one of his intentions- to ruin Othello’s life- has been fulfilled. Yet, Iago refuses to comply with anyone else. He declares that he will not explain himself; he asserts that he will never speak again and refuses to answer any questions. With his ego illuminated and his excessive self-involvement in full display, Iago remains the consummate villain in the play.
All in all, Iago is a tremendously narcissistic character who is driven by ego and powered by self-absorption. Analyzing the character through a Freudian psychoanalytical lens reveals this: he is emotionally immature, excessively self-esteemed and very self-involved. He is seen to be emotionally immature at the beginning of the play, as he discloses two equally petty but incongruent reasons for disliking Othello. He also believes that he is above those around him and finds no shame in playing the role of judge, jury, and executioner in Othello’s life, exhibiting his immoderate self-esteem. Finally, he is extremely self-involved, as he injects himself into the lives of everyone around him to fulfill his disgusting motives. Given all of this, it is not incorrect to deem Iago a narcissist, at least in the Freudian sense.
