Relationship between Iago and Othello
Homoerotic undertones
Othello trusts Iago implicitly but Iago fakes loyalty
Similarity hidden behind differences
The theme of male friendship carries some homoerotic undertones, suggesting that there is a different way of conceptualising the relationship between Iago and Othello. This homoeroticism is tightly bound up with the idea of homosocial relationships – this means that the military world of the play is significant in informing homosexuality. There are certain parts within the play that reinforce this, signifying the complicated feelings that Iago has towards Othello that go beyond simple hate.
When Desdemona and Othello try to consummate their marriage, ‘The profits yet to come ‘tween me and you’ (Act 2, Scene 3). This scene is undercut by Iago instigating a fight between Cassio and Montano, which interrupts Othello’s consummation. This interruption may stem from feelings of betrayal, specifically of the homosocial bond that Iago feels they have. Their wedding night is further disrupted as other characters, such as Brabantio, enter this intimate sphere. Othello is frustrated by such interruptions, but does seem to continue his consummation. This communicates the influence of male bonds, which inherently overpower the relationship Othello has with Desdemona. This is especially visible in the language Iago uses with Othello as the play goes on, drawing Othello closer to himself and further from Desdemona, implying the strengthening sense of male friendship with erotic undertones.
Othello continuously praises Iago’s love and honesty towards him, and Iago seems to reiterate his admiration for Othello, too. Although the audience may perceive this as a part of the facade Iago displays to bring Othello down, the potency of his words also implies a homosexual motive. As a result, Othello establishes a deep sense of gratitude and trust towards Iago, placing them in a pseudo-romantic relationship that is embedded within this militaristic social sphere. This culminates in Act 3, where both men vow their loyalty to each other: ‘Now, by yond marble heaven, / [Kneels] / In the due reverence of a sacred vow / I here engage my words’ (Act 3, Scene 3). The body language employed by both characters symbolises a deep sense of intimacy between the two men. Such gestures are accompanied by religious as well as marital imagery. For example, the reference to ‘heaven’ and a ‘sacred vow’ reflect words spoken by spouses during their wedding vows, signifying that the bond they are cementing goes beyond conventional social meanings. Furthermore, Iago reinforces this vow by saying that he gives up his ‘his wit, hands, heart, to wronged Othello’ (Act 3, Scene 3), depicting Iago’s ‘loyalties’ and love for Othello.
The interplay between homosocial and homosexual desires is theorised by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, who suggests that non-sexual male friendships can transform into erotic, homosexual bonds. However, this desire is condemned and seen as a threat to traditional social structures. Particularly, Iago is seen to inhabit this world of strong male bonds, identifying as a soldier and distrusting all female figures that transgress into this world of manhood. This is evident in his one-sided relationship with his wife, who is blindly obedient to him and pursues his love to no avail. He says to Cassio, ‘Would she give you so much of her lips as of her tongue she often bestows on me’ (Act 2, Scene 1), suggesting the dismissive and trivial nature in the way he perceives Emilia. Iago is constantly denying women as having any importance in this political, public sphere; his lack of affection towards his wife and his demonization of Desdemona disclose this. As a result, Iago perceives females as disruptive in the sphere of male friendships.
This may explain why Iago is trying to provoke Othello’s jealousy, aiming to divert his attention from his marriage to instead focus it on him and his homosocial responsibilities. Different productions have also tried to tease out this element of homoerotic desire, depicting Iago and Othello’s relationship in a more intimate way through stage directions and body language. In particular, certain productions portrayed Iago’s character as gay. For example, Laurence Olivier (1938, London Old Vic), David Suchet (1985, Royal Shakespeare Company) and Sir Ian McKellen (1989, Royal Shakespeare Company) all played Iago as a gay character.
When Iago explains to Roderigo that he hates Othello, Roderigo wonders why Iago is still working for Othello. Iago then goes on to explain that he's a hypocrite and proud of it. He is only pretending loyalty to Othello and is certainly not like those who loyally serve their masters all their lives and then are fired when they're too old to work. "Whip me such honest knaves", Iago contemptuously exclaims. Iago says "I follow him to serve my turn upon him. We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly followed" which means he is serving under Othello to take advantage of him and that not all master should be followed.
When Othello strikes Desdemona in public, Lodovico is shocked and asks Iago if Othello is always like this. Iago replies, "It is not honesty in me to speak / What I have seen and known. You shall observe him, / And his own courses will denote him so / That I may save my speech". Iago means that because he is Othello's honest (loyal) friend he cannot honestly (truthfully) say everything he knows about Othello. If Lodovico wants to know more, he should just keep an eye on Othello. Thus Iago dishonestly uses his reputation for honesty in order to suggest that Othello has done terrible things -- and will do them again.
In the dark, Othello hears Cassio cry out and thinks that Iago has killed him. He says of Iago (not really to him): "O brave Iago, honest and just, / That hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong! / Thou teachest me". Othello uses the word "honest" in the sense of "loyal." He means that Iago has killed Cassio because Iago is loyal to Othello and deeply touched by what Othello has suffered. "Thou teachest me" means that Iago's killing of Cassio on Othello's behalf shows Othello that he should kill Desdemona, and he rushes off to do that. Of course Othello is absolutely wrong about honest Iago's motivations.
Just before Othello kills Desdemona, he accuses her of having an affair with Cassio. She says that Cassio will testify otherwise, but Othello replies, "No, his mouth is stopp'd; / Honest Iago hath ta'en order for't". After he has killed Desdemona, Othello tries to justify himself to Emilia. He says that if she doesn't believe that Desdemona was a whore Emilia should ask her husband. Emilia expresses astonished disbelief, and Othello says, "Ay, 'twas he that told me first: / An honest man he is, and hates the slime / That sticks on filthy deeds". Twice more Emilia expresses the strongest possible doubt that it was Iago who said that Desdemona was false, and Othello becomes impatient with her. He says, "He, woman; / I say thy husband: dost understand the word? / My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago". Emilia, however, doesn't seem to have Othello's absolute faith in Iago's honesty. She replies, "If he say so, may his pernicious soul / Rot half a grain a day! he lies to the heart".
The Duke tells Othello that he must leave for Cyprus immediately, but must also leave behind an officer to deliver documents from the Senate. Othello appoints Iago to be that officer, because "A man he is of honesty and trust". A little later, Othello entrusts Iago with the responsibility of escorting Desdemona to Cyprus, and asks him to have Iago's wife be her companion. He says, "Honest Iago, / My Desdemona must I leave to thee: / I prithee, let thy wife attend on her: / And bring them after in the best advantage". At the end of the scene, when Iago is hatching his plan against Othello, he comments that "The Moor is of a free and open nature, / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, / And will as tenderly be led by the nose / As asses are". Iago knows that Othello considers him honest, and he is planning on using that in his dishonest plans.
When Othello reminds Cassio to keep a lid on the festivities in Cyprus, Cassio replies that he has already given orders to Iago, and Othello says approvingly that "Iago is most honest" -- that is, reliable. Later, after Cassio is drunk, Iago tells Montano the lie that Cassio gets drunk every night. Montano is shocked, and thinks that Othello ought to be told. He says, "It were an honest action to say / So to the Moor". In other words, it's something that Iago ought to do out of loyalty to Othello, but Iago replies that he won't say anything because Cassio is too much his friend.
In the same scene, after Othello stops the fight between Cassio and Montano, he says, "Honest Iago, that look'st dead with grieving, / Speak, who began this?". To Othello, it appears that Iago is "grieving" over the terrible trouble that Cassio and Montano have gotten themselves into, and Othello believes that such grief is a natural, "honest" emotion. A little later, after Iago gives an account of the fight, Othello comments, "I know, Iago, / Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, / Making it light to Cassio". He means that Iago is so loyal to his friend Cassio that he has shaded the story to make Cassio appear in a better light. However, Othello isn't angry at Iago for doing what any friend would do; he's angry at Cassio and fires him on the spot.
Arguably, Iago takes Desdemona’s place as Othello’s lover. The two pledge their allegiance to each other in a ritual that is strikingly similar to a wedding ceremony. Othello’s dependence on Iago grows; Iago becomes Othello’s (lack of) moral conscience, spurring him on, fuelling his anger, and gaslighting him. Theirs is the epitome of an abusive relationship, where Iago is the manipulator and Othello is the unwitting victim. Therefore, Shakespeare uses their bond to explore the other side of love - the antithesis to Othello and Desdemona’s, and yet the victor.
Othello and Iago have some similarity in their background. Both are not members of the Venetian upper class, as Brabantio, Desdemona, and Cassio all are and instead, they have spent their lives as soldiers. We see this in the first scene of the play when Iago complains about being passed over for promotion in favor of Cassio. Iago calls Cassio "A great arithmetician...That never set a squadron in the field, Nor the division of a battle knows". Iago is saying that the well-educated and moneyed Cassio has never actually been in battle, while Iago is a real soldier who knows how to fight.
Othello, as well, is a career soldier. As a Moor, or North African, he is definitely not a member of upper-class Venetian society but has proved himself so well in battle that he has been promoted to general. And this is the first major difference between Othello and Iago. While Iago remains in the relatively low position of ensign and seethes about it, Othello has risen through the ranks and been rewarded. And this in spite of the fact that, as a Moor, he is even more of an outsider than the low-born Iago is.
Othello and Iago are suspicious towards their wives, threaten them and eventually murder the innocent women. Emilia having heard from Othello that Iago told him of Desdemona 'cheating' on him with Cassio, accuses him of gross dishonesty leading to an unjust murder. When she hears about the handkerchief, she reveals her role and Iago threatens and then kills her at the first opportunity. Emilia's death appears certain after Iago stabs her and Graziano says, “[T]he woman falls. Sure he hath killed his wife,” and then, “He's gone, but his wife's killed”. The justification that Othello gives for killing Desdemona is that if he doesn't kill his wife she will betray more men. Othello states, "Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men".
Fintan O'Toole says "so close are Iago and Othello, indeed, that they start to melt into each other". Othello gets most of all his orders from the duke and the senate of the lands. Iago's job is less complex to where he is called to do small jobs in the military. While the commander (Othello) sets the rules, the strategies, and the vision. Iago by natural humanism is forced to be the servant of the “moor” hating him and feeling the sense of humiliation.