blog post #3- iago's a pyro

"Iago, as Harold Goddard finely remarked, is always at war; he is a moral pyromaniac setting fire to all of reality.......In Iago, what was the religion of war, when he worshiped Othello as its god, has now become the game of war, to be played everywhere except upon the battlefield."

To have a war there must be something inside of every warrior that drives it. In Iago's case, his jealousy was his fuel that kept his war machines running as well as what kept his internal fire burning for his god, Othello. When christains worship God, one can think of this worship as a type of jealousy, for it is every christian's goal to be more like god, just as Iago longed to be more like Othello.

This desire to be like Othello changed from being a passive religious war within himself to an active game of war. Iago wanted to be Othello. He loved and wanted Desdemona, he was jealous of his warrior reputation and his goodness as a person, not to mention other jealousy he had with characters such as Cassio who took his job. So much jealousy is acquired, that he finally has more than enough fuel to start the war fire. With one fire comes another. He has the capability of dousing everyone with the fuel for the fire, and keeping the fire manipulated and controlled...and even going where he wants it.

Iago's war tactics are those of guerilla warfare, not played openly and fairly on the battlefield for all to see, but by ambushing his enemies from behind- making them unaware of what has hit them. He destroys and alters everyone in his environment, and being the villain he is, enjoys it. Being a moral pyromaniac, he can not resist every chance to start up a fire... every chance to keep his plan going... burning all his sense of morality with it.